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.