There are other individuals besides the leaders in CFCMI who have stirred up trouble. Sometimes, being offended is not enough. I had to take action and let my voice be heard, as seen in these letters. - JSC

To: Rev. Fred Phelps
Senior Pastor, Westboro Baptist Church
Topeka, Kansas

Rev. Phelps,
Greetings in the glorious name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. I am glad we live in a time where we are not ashamed to preach and declare the gospel of Christ to a lost and dying world. God is good to us; in Him we love, move, and have our being.

I recently read through your website for Westboro Baptist Church, and there were quite a few things I got from it - some I agree with, and some I disagree with.

First, I want to applaud your stand against the sin of sodomy which has polluted every facet of daily living in this country. Sodomties are working overtime to make their sin an acceptable way of life; some churches have violated Holy Scripture by ordaining sodomites into the ministry. These acts are not only abomination, but a blasphemy.

Second, I admire the zeal with which you and your church go about warning others about what is going on in our world. Not too many Christians are bold enough to do something like this; we preached about this very thing (being bold in the Lord) during one of the recent services at the church I attend here in Virginia. If more Christians would be so bold, more souls would be saved and pulled from the fire.

What do I disagree with?

1. The five-point Calvinist doctrine. I simply disagree with Calvin's teaching that only a "select few" have been "pre-ordained" to enter the Kingdom of God. If that was the case, then who would be the chosen ones? You? Me? Those we criticize? This is a scary thought when you think about it. You, my friend, could be preaching for all these years only to learn at the end of life's journey that you weren't chosen to go to heaven! Also, did God give anyone advance notice who was going to be among the chosen? If this teaching is true, then I would want to know whether or not I was wasting my time reading my Bible and witnessing to the lost. When the Calvinists teach of "specific sins and specific sinners", who are they referring to? I know not of any sin which is unforgivable except blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. I also disagree with the teaching of Perseverance of the Saints. I have read in various Scripture references where a man can in fact fall from grace (examples: Ezekiel 18 and 33). If one falls from grace, he (or she) is in danger of losing the gift of eternal life because Jesus will not allow sin to enter into His kingdom. Also, what if one of your own members backslid and returned to perdition? Is that person still saved? Will that person be taken up by the Lord Jesus Christ when the trumpet sounds? I believe that as long as the saint remains steadfast in the truth, and in tune with the Holy Spirit, then he will not fall (2 Peter 1:4-10); however, once we allow our lusts to tempt us and draw us away from God (James 1), we have fallen away.

2. While you and your members are quite vocal in expressing your displeasure over the sodomite agenda, it seems that there is an unbalance in the way you present your message. I believe it is very important to denounce sin in all its forms and manifestations; at the same time, we must be ready to give an answer to all people of the hope which is in us. Is Jesus in us? Is His Holy Spirit reigning supreme? Then we need to be ready to share salvation every bit as much as we do denouncing evil. To neglect this is to neglect feeding the sheep as Jesus commanded in John 21. We cannot win souls to the Lord if we only preach what is wrong in our society...we must preach what is right and how be free from our sins!

3. You have stated that you will not pray for America nor will you pray for the sodomites. If Abraham was diligent enough in his prayers to convince God into sparing Sodom & Gomorrah for even 10 righteous people - unfortunately, there were not 10 righteous in the whole city - couldn't the prayers of the righteous avail on our nation's behalf? I had a discussion with my dad years ago concerning the sodomites in Norfolk, Virginia, as we drove past what appeared to be a transvestite night club. I shared with my dad that I wanted to see the sodomites saved; he wanted to use them for target practice. If we do not pray for the intervention of Jesus Christ into our nation, who will? Will the Muslim extremists or the Communists pray for our nation? NO! They would PREY on our country, robbing us of our freedoms. While I disagree with you flying the US flag upside down in your protests, I understand your feelings on the distress our nation is in, therefore I respect your view.

4. "Thank God for 9-11". I was on duty onboard a US naval ship on 9-11-2001. Once the word got out that the terrorists had attacked the WTC, within five hours my ship was deployed. I served over there during operation Enduring Freedom, and was saddened by the needless loss of life caused by these attacks. I still have ill feelings about what happened, and I am certain there was more to the attacks than what the news media told us. I saw a short-lived spiritual awakening during the months following 9-11, but sadly that faded away, and now we as a nation are back to our old ways. Personally, I respect the brave efforts of the New York City Police and Fire Departments in trying to rescue the victims of this disaster, and salute my fellow servicemen and women who are still over in the Persian Gulf and Iraq.

5. "Thank God for AIDS". Once upon a time, when AIDS first reared its ugly head, the earliest victims were sodomites; I made light of this and made comments about AIDS being a "disease for faggots". However, my mind opened up when I noticed that AIDS, like any other disease, did not play favorites when it came to victims. Arthur Ashe, a well-respected tennis player who had strong values and was devoted to his family, died from the illness after receiving a tainted blood transfusion. I have close personal friends who have lived with HIV and AIDS, and instead of pronouncing judgment, I pray for these souls that God would heal them.

6. Your sermons seem to indicate that you have a one-track mind in your ministry. I was curious at home and listened to several of your sermons; every one of them seemed to say the same thing about denouncing sodomy, but what about the other needful things a pastor needs to teach his flock? What about sharing salvation? What about tithing? What about spreading the Good News? What about making oneself spotless before the Lamb when He returns? What about the signs and wonders prophesied about in Joel and fulfilled in Acts? Did not Christ Himself warn us in Matthew 23 about leaving important matters undone? Jesus also told us that we shall be judged by EVERY word which proceeds from the mouth of God.

7. What is your doctrine of salvation? How does one become born-again, based on what you preach? Do you believe there are other churches which hold the truth of God's word, and preach it without fear or favor of men? Or do you just simply rail against anyone or everyone who does not hold to the same strict guidelines you do? I am not talking about watering down the gospel here. I am talking about achieving balance - preaching compassion alongside judgment.

8. What is your church's membership? I am only asking out of curiosity. Are there more than 100 in attendance? Are the members of your church from around the Topeka community?

Here is a little about me: I am a born-again Christian who first received Jesus 18 years ago. I was baptized and later received the wonderful gift of the Holy Ghost. I have served in the military for over 19 years, and will retire next fall. The church I presently attend is an Apostolic (UPC) congregation; I appreciate their teachings on holiness very much, and have found this ministry very helpful in my walk with Jesus Christ.

I thank you for allowing me to express my views and thoughts on some issues which have concerned me about your ministry. My prayers are with you, and may we both strive to draw closer to Jesus Christ as His return draws near.

To: Rush Limbaugh
c/o The Rush Limbaugh Show
New York, NY

Mr. Limbaugh,
I listened to your broadcast concerning the torture of Iraqi POWs by our troops, and I was appalled. You had the nerve to say their behavior was an emotional release to protect their sanity. That is sick and goes against anything that is decent and holy...regardless of what politics you may support.

I served in the Gulf region during Enduring Freedom. I have comrades in arms who have served, and are serving, in Iraq and the Persian Gulf - some for over a year with little hope of knowing when their tour of duty is over and they can reutrn home. All of us who serve in the military were taught that this kind of behavior is totally unacceptable and is in direct violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, in addition to regulations pertaining to each branch of the armed forces. When I was stationed onboard a ship in the region, we had Taliban detainees...including "John Walker"...and they were not tortured or abused. They were confined to the ship's brig and attended to by medical personnel until their transfer to other locations. You, sir, who have never served in uniform, have absolutely no clue what we go through. You have no idea how much your snide comments have trivialized the proud men and women who serve this country and abide by the rules...you condone "frontier justice" like it was all some collegiate game!

The men and women who violated the rules and tortured the POWs will be handled through the military court-martial system, and will be appropriately disciplined for creating an international incident. They must be...not only because it is the right and proper thing to do, but to let everyone know that we as a people...and a nation...will not tolerate the violation of anyone's basic human rights and dignity.

Your commentary does not reflect conservative Republicans or Christians, but instead is more like the sadistic, bigoted comments which flow from the mouths of Ku Klux Klansmen and Nazi Party leaders. Maybe if you spent one day in uniform...in desert combat...or witnessing first hand what goes on in one of the prisons...you would understand what we deal with. Until then, you have no room to talk.

I once thought of you as a decent man who offered an opposing view to the day's issues. Now I see you for what you really are...a disgusting piece of scum who discgraces anyone who calls himself a Conservative or a Christian, and has no regard for human life.

To: Mr. Jonathan Murray
Chairman and President, Bunim-Murray Productions

Sir,
Good day to you and your staff at Bunim-Murray Productions. I wish to address some concerns I have over recent airings of episodes of MTV's "The Real World". The original concept, from what I have read, was to pick seven complete strangers and throw them together in one house for a period of time. During the time they spend together, the cast members are suspposed to learn about each other and respect one another's differences. In that aspect, I can relate to the concept of the program: in the military, there is a similar patten. We in the service of our country have to deal with close quarters as well, and (I am in the Navy) we have to learn to work together beyond our personal differences to fulfill our mission, which is to defend this nation.

What disturbs me is an apparent attitude of selected tolerance. Why do I say "selected tolerance"? Because on "The Real World", it looks more and more like only certain lifestyles are accepted and condoned. I recently sat in the break room at work, and what I saw on the show (Philadelphia) offended me to the point of changing the channel. The shower scene between two gay men was a bit too much. As a Christian who does not hold the view that homosexuality is an apporpriate lifestyle choice (nor is any type of sexual activity outside of marriage), I did just that. I changed the channel.

What I perceive, and this deeply concerns me, is that only certain values are "tolerated" in the Real World environment. It is not just the homosexual issue; there are other behaviors that are deemed as "acceptable" and are glamorized by the show, and these need to be addressed.

One of these problem areas to me is drunkeness. Several cast members stick out in this area: Trishelle, Robin, and Brad. Trishelle was recently on an installment of "The Surreal Life", where washed-up celebrities live together for a season. While her castmates were bona fide celebrities (Erik Estrada, Ron Jeremy, Vanilla Ice, Tammy Faye Messner, and Yasmine Bleeth), Trishelle's only claim to fame had nothing to do with movies, music, or acting. Her only real credit was being a drunkard on your show. Robin and Brad, both members of the San Diego program, made mainstream media headlines with their drunken antics, including their arrests. To me, their behavior is as unpleasant as that by drunken sailors in foreign ports. My youngest brother worked as a bouncer at Quasimodo's nightclub in New Orleans during that season; he helped throw out a couple cast members who had gotten drunk and rowdy. All of their inibreated exploits have carefully recorded for posterity; millions of young people tune in and it appeared that all of these cast members got away with their poor behavior.

Second on my list is the glamorization of pre-marital sex. Most of the cast members appear to be single 18-24 adults; on reading a few of the interviews, it seems to me that "hooking up", including sexual intercourse, is condoned. This even includes cheating on one's boyfriend or girlfriend while on location. Again, all this is documented in almost graphic detail.

Now for some things I perceive will not be tolerated:

Cast members of Middle Eastern descent. Since 9/11, Arab and other Middle Eastern people have been stereotyped in a negative light because select groups of Arabs have chosen the route of Islamic Jihad (holy war). Not all Arabs share this view; not all Arabs are followers of Islam. We have Arabs at my church, for example, who are born-again Christians and do not approve of the actions of their counterparts in the Middle East.

Born-again Christians. Given the blatantly liberal slant of this program, anyone who professes a belief in Christianity, especially fundamentalist and holiness denominations (Baptist, Apostolic, Pentecostal) wouldin my opinion be a target for anti-Christian attacks. The media portrays Christians in a largely negative light, and I am concerned that if a cast member with such beliefs was on your show, he or she would be treated with the same equal respect as the homosexuals and pagans who also appear.

If a born-again Christian was to be among the cast members, how would they be treated?

Would they be branded as "intolerant" because of their conservative views, especially on drug/alcohol abuse and sexual behavior?

Would they be labeled as "homophobic" because they do not believe homosexuality is acceptable?

Would they be shown praying, reading their Bibles, and going to church?

Would they be forced to go along with other cast members to places and activities which go completely against their beliefs (bars, etc.)?

Would the other cast members be obligated to try and "convert" the Christian?

Would the Christian be treated with the same level of respect for his/her beliefs and lifestyle choices as other cast members of different beliefs and lifestyles?

Would a person who chooses to exercise sexual purity be ridiculed and labeled a "prude"?

If another cast member asks the Christian about what it takes to be born again, would such a conversation be allowed to takeplace? Or would Bunim-Murray Productions discourage such communication because it is not considered by the entertainment industry as "politically correct"?

If another cast member wants to be converted, would the show allow him/her to accept the Christian conversion process? Or is this another taboo subject which would be edited out of the show to appease the athiest minority?

I ask all these questions because I have deep concerns for projecting a positive example for young adults and teens. Many of the cast members, while appearing "cool", do not strike me as sound role models with strong moral values and convictions. With the responsibility held by large production companies such as Bunim-Murray, we need to consider these things. God, church, morality, and purity are still important values in American life and among American young adults. We must strike a balance in the positive direction, and let the kids know they can still be strong in their convictions and beliefs and not be required to compromise just to be accepted by their peers. If this balance is not met, then the show (in my opinion) will continue down a path to where depravity is seen as the norm and anything resembling faith and decency will be mocked and shunned.