Westboro Baptist Church says it is planning to stage protests at four Lehigh Valley churches including the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena in Allentown on Sunday, according to a press release posted on the group's website.
South Whitehall police Lt. John Christman, aware of the planned Westboro pickets, said, "Often they don't show. We're hoping that occurs."
He and township Manager Jon Hammer met with the pastors at the targeted churches in South Whitehall about the matter on Tuesday.
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If Westboro does picket, authorities will "let them do what they do," he said. "Let them have their protest." However police would need to take appropriate action if they block roadways, he said.
Christman said the police department will likely have extra patrol cars and undercover officers on duty. He said he heard counter protests may be planned.
The press release says the protests will target "whorehouses masquerading as churches" and lists the following times and locations:
- 8:30 to 9 a.m.: St Paul's Anglican, 2510 Livingston Street
- 9:05 to 9:30 a.m.: Asbury Church, 1533 Springhouse Road
- 9:50 to 10 a.m.: Cathedral of St. Catharine, 210 N. 18th Street
- 10:30 to 11 a.m.: First Baptist Church, 1808 N. 19th Street
First Baptist Church secretary Kim Nemeth said she first learned about the planned protest from police on Tuesday and did research on the group. She said there's "a little ill at ease" because the church officials don't want church-goers to feel inhibited as they come to worship on Sunday.
When asked why First Baptist may have been targeted, Pastor Chuck Reed said, "We're an old Baptist church and I think they assume we're a liberal church."
But, he said, "We're conservative evangelical. We're not liberal at all."
He said Westboro seemed to hit four corners of theology in the churches they are targeting on Sunday -- Baptist, Methodist, Catholic and Anglican.
He said First Baptist Church does not support Westboro's views but is not worried about their visit. "We've been praying for them," Reed said.
"We're a Biblically driven, local evangelical church...and we just love people. We worship God as a community."
Matthew Kerr, spokesman for the Diocese of Allentown, told Patch he's aware of the press release but offered no further comment.
Kansas-based Westboro is an independent Baptist church known for its extreme opposition to homosexuality and its protests at military funerals.
An online petition to classify Westboro as a hate group and revoke its federal tax-exempt status has gained close to 74,000 signatures.
Einstein stated in a letter recently auctioned that the bible was a collection of primitive legends. He said believing in God was childish and he as a Jew is no different than another person and are not chosen by God.
The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC, USA 20500 Dear President Obama: The Bible should be banned! Here are several really loving excerpts from the Torah; the first five books of the Old Testament in the bible -- perhaps read to the congregation on Friday night at a synagogue or a Sunday morning church in the meadow. 1. Kill any friends or family that worship a god that is different than your own. Deuteronomy 13:6-10 2. Kill all the inhabitants of any city where you find people that worship differently than you. Deuteronomy 13:12-16 3. Kill everyone who has religious views that are different than your own. Deuteronomy 17:2-7. Rabbinical / Priestly rules: Leviticus 21:17-18 … “No one who is blind or lame or has a defect or any blemish may approach to offer the bread of his God.” Leviticus 18:22 … “You are not to go to bed with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination ….” Rabbis; the pope and churches fully aware that Leviticus 18:22 applies to rabbis and priests … refuse to remove this stigma maliciously persecuting gays. Kids are being bullied into suicide …! Being black, left-handed or being gay is just as natural. It is a sometimes rare occurrence to fall in Love and to hold that person in your heart and be loved in return ... it is something that should be celebrated! If it’s between two guys or two girls -- all the better. It takes even more courage to defend that LOVE ...! www.HolyFaux.com
The pope is running a bigger fraud than Madoff’s $50 billion ripoff. The pope should be committed to an asylum -- for the religiously insane!
The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC, USA 20500 Dear President Obama: The Bible should be banned! Here are several really loving excerpts from the Torah; the first five books of the Old Testament in the bible -- perhaps read to the congregation on Friday night at a synagogue or a Sunday morning church in the meadow. 1. Kill any friends or family that worship a god that is different than your own. Deuteronomy 13:6-10 2. Kill all the inhabitants of any city where you find people that worship differently than you. Deuteronomy 13:12-16 3. Kill everyone who has religious views that are different than your own. Deuteronomy 17:2-7. Rabbinical / Priestly rules: Leviticus 21:17-18 … “No one who is blind or lame or has a defect or any blemish may approach to offer the bread of his God.” Leviticus 18:22 … “You are not to go to bed with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination ….” Rabbis; the pope and churches fully aware that Leviticus 18:22 applies to rabbis and priests … refuse to remove this stigma maliciously persecuting gays. Kids are being bullied into suicide …! Being black, left-handed or being gay is just as natural. It is a sometimes rare occurrence to fall in Love and to hold that person in your heart and be loved in return ... it is something that should be celebrated! If it’s between two guys or two girls -- all the better. It takes even more courage to defend that LOVE .... www.HolyFaux.com
The Republican Party; has self-destructed -- on the grounds of homophobia & religious corruption! Someone left the door of the asylum ajar -- the religious extremists are loose & they are all in the Republican Party! Religion; is the biggest bully on the block!
NATO military presence in the West Bank -- sorting the illegal land grab of 1967 & expansion of the illegal settlements -- might resolve the global holy war issue with a bigger bang for the buck dealing the root cause – Israeli arrogance! I look at Emperor Netanyahu; as the big NATO & U.S. tail-wagger & Cantor his butt licker … manipulating the world into trillions of dollars of war debt … cast onto the global taxpayers! Cantor & Grover Norquist should be treated somewhat … like Romania President; Nicolae Ceausescu – a US government approved … hangin!