Westboro Baptist Church Founder Fred Phelps Is Dead

Well, that didn’t take long. Just days after reports surfaced that he was near death, Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps is dead. He was 84.

Reports Fox Kansas City:

WIBW-TV in Topeka said one of his sons confirmed Phelps died before midnight. Phelps Sr., whose church is widely known for its anti-gay sentiments and protests at military funerals, was being cared for in a Shawnee County facility, according to Westboro Baptist Church spokesman Steve Drain.

For those who felt his hateful wrath over the years, Phelps’ death will certainly provide a measure of comfort. As our own Robopanda put it in a chat message this morning, “Hell must have needed another demon.”

Conversely, Phelps was still loved by members of his family who’ve fled the church. A few days ago, Grace Phelps-Roper, a granddaughter of Phelps who left the church last year and had been disowned by her family, wrote the following: “To the whole world you were only ever the face of an evil entity. But of course to me you were always my Gramps. My kind, sweet, adoring Gramps. I miss you so much.”

May he find truth in the afterlife, along with the empathy and love for all that so obviously eluded him during his time on Earth.

×