It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s…The Westboro Baptist Church at COMIC-CON?

Fred Phelp’s Westboro Baptist Church sure is busy these days. I mean, it must be very, very hard to run around telling people how Jesus hates them and they’re all going to hell. And I’m sure Fred Phelps would know, since he and Jesus are such close, personal friends, right?

Except for the fact…and correct me if I’m wrong here…that Jesus preached tolerance and love and forgiveness and his whole message was generally “Don’t be a dick, okay?” I mean, Sunday School was years ago, so I could be making this all up, but I’m fairly certain the Son of God was all about loving and helping people, not screaming at them that they’re all going to burn in hell.

But what do I know? I’m a heathen.

Granted, according to the WBC? Everyone is a heathen. Gays? Check. People in the military? Check. People who weren’t really gay but played a gay person in a movie? Check. All Time Low and their fans? Check. Lady Gaga? Check PLUS PLUS.

Now you can freely add comics fans to that list. Because the WBC is planning to picket at the San Diego Comic-Con.

Their reasoning?

If these people would spend even some of the energy that they spend on these comic books, reading the Bible, well no high hopes here. They have turned comic book characters into idols, and worship them they do! Isaiah 2:8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: 9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not. It is time to put away the silly vanities and turn to God like you mean it. The destruction of this nation is imminent – so start calling on Batman and Superman now, see if they can pull you from the mess that you have created with all your silly idolatry.

This is one of the most ludicrous statements I have seen in my entire life. Liking comics, reading Superman or Batman or the X-Men? Doesn’t mean you worship them. It doesn’t mean they’ve replaced God or whatever deity you choose to pray to. It just means you LIKE COMIC BOOKS.

Of course, let’s be honest here: Comic-Con attracts big stars these days, what with the number of movie panels that have been there the past few years. And the WBC doesn’t care about saving souls, they care about getting attention. If they really wanted to do God’s work, they’d be spending less time in hateful, bigoted picket lines and more time volunteering to help the poor and the homeless, helping to feed the hungry, doing what they could to help the sick and the infirm.

You know, like Jesus did?

But no, for the WBC it’s all about being seen. And I HATE that by writing about this here I’m playing into it, but at the same time I’m hoping I can help to:

a) Alert people that they will be there so they aren’t greeted with surprise “GOD HATES FAGS!” signs

and

b) Encourage people to not play into their hands by giving them more attention than they are worth. And they aren’t worth ANYTHING.

And anyway: Spiderman loves Jesus.