In the name of God, inhumanity again

The practice of the Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas protesting at funeral services of people who do not share their narrow views on morality quite graphically illustrates the contention of Christopher Hitchens in his book "god is not Great" ( 12 Hatchette Book Group USA 2007) that religion poisons everything.

Here you have a hate-mongering group masquerading as a Christian church and spewing vile propaganda which it has the audacity to claim is done in the name of their God.

Just as Islamic extremists have twisted the words of their god to justify a barbaric agenda, so it would seem this group of publicity-addicted misanthropes have taken a page from the extremist's handbook to promote their own brand of hate.

The extremists proclaim "Allah akhbar (God is great)" when innocents die, these pseudo-Christians proclaim "Praise God" when innocents die. Both groups are as misguided as they come.

Any alien race observing this world of humans must surely conclude we are a race of warring idiots who routinely have used religion to justify the most heinous acts ever visited upon each other. These days we are subjected to the likes of Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church assigning God's wrath and retribution to every tragedy that transpires.

And to protest and celebrate at the funerals of fallen soldiers, murdered children, and even massacred students in the name of their god? Where is the compassion, the love thy neighbor, the do unto others, the judge not lest ye be judged yourself edicts from their same textbook?

It's beyond ironic that only in the America they profess to hate so much would they be allowed to disrespect other humans in the venomous, self-righteous manner they do.

I'm not only dismayed to know there are people out there who, just like the suicide-bombing terrorists, actually believe their God condones their words and actions. I'm also surprised no one has simply slapped them silly by now.

William C. Mohr

Elgin