Well I'm still alive so I guess that's a good sign. I was kinda looking forward to some hate mail but I guess you can't always get what you want.
As I said in Part 1, I eventually got bored of Westboro Baptist and moved on. They were brainwashed, crazy, and hopeless. Life went on however, there were some changes in my life. I grew up in a Christian home but after I turned 18 I became very cynical towards my religion. I had a lot of problems with Christianity as a subculture. It was practically married to right-wing politics, at least in the south. Evangelists seemed more concerned with "saving" a large number of teenagers instead of creating meaningful relationships and helping others on the road to discipleship. I could no longer ignore all of the evil in the world and how powerless I was stop it. I had no direction for my future after high school. So I gave into bitterness and misanthropy. I still went to church on occasionally but I never took it that seriously because it just seemed so mundane now.Guess when you've been exposed to Jesus you're whole life you can start to forget just how profound he really is. Anger can also feel real good in the short term. I wore my Jade-Colored Glasses for some time until they were broken by the last person I ever expected.
On February 7, 2013, I was checking my Youtube subscriptions when I noticed The Young Turks released a report about two Phelps granddaughters who left WBC. Curious, I checked it out. Ends up the two who left were Megan and Grace Phelps-Roper. Wait a minute........ MEGAN!?!?! WBC's brightest star left !?!? I never could have seen this coming. Its like the Anti-Christ giving Satan the finger. Of course, I was very happy for both Megan and Grace, who I unfortunately didn't remember from any documentaries. As I reflected on the events further I had a bit of a spiritual epiphany. It seems appropriate to hijack one of WBC's terms. You can say I was "God Smacked" but in a good way. In a split second, someone I despised and I mean REALLY hated became my hero. You see, when someone leaves Westboro they are completely disowned so its not a choice one makes flippantly. Megan and Grace paid a huge price for the sake of their beliefs. That level of sacrifice deserves respect.
But there was more to it than that. I realized that I be bitter towards people and the world anymore. People can change when you least expect it. I now know that I misjudged Megan greatly which I am sorry for because I hated her in particular. My faith in humanity was restored. More importantly I began to seriously reconsider my views on God. If something this crazy could happen than maybe their really is a loving God out there. Megan, Grace, if you ever find this post I just wanted to say thank you. You've inspired me to be a better person and to get my relationship with God back on track. I wish you two the best in life and you've been in my prayers. Ok Megan if you ever find this and have read part Part 1 I must assure you that I no longer hope you get punched by Nicolas Cage in a bear suit. Good thing too because you seem like the kind of person who could kick the crap out of me without breaking a sweat.
Typically, when a man finds a new found respect for someone they buy them a beer. I hate the stuff so that's not gonna happen. However, I happen to a good southern boy and we have a special beverage from where I come from. So if I ever met Megan and Grace in real life I'll be sure to buy them a sweet tea. If they don't like it than I will help them see the error of their ways.
Being God Smacked restored my interest in Westboro and I discovered Louis Theroux' second documentary on the church, "The Most Hated Family in Crisis." Props to Louis for another job well done. The sequel focuses on people who have left the church in recent years along with exploring what WBC's been up to. The two ex-members featured are Libby Phelps-Alvarez and Lauren Drain. Based on the film, Libby has to be one of the most likable people ever. I probably would have loved her even when she was in the church. Her story touched me as well and I wanted to give her a big hug by the end. Way to not come off like a creeper Paul. I was very happy Libby left because she no longer brought shame to my mother's name. In fact, she does quite the opposite now. Looks like I need to buy her a sweet tea. The second person was Lauren Drain, one of the few Non-Phelpses who were or are part of the church. I didn't remember her specifically but I remembered her dad Steve. He was one of the more interesting "characters" in the first documentary and severed as a reminder that someone doesn't have to born into a bad environment in order to be drawn into it. Her story was also moving but the film was not the end of it. After watching, I found out Lauren wrote a book about her experiences and it would be in released in about a month. Looks like I would be reading something besides comics for a change.
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