Arizona Eyes Ban On Church Protest At Rampage Funeral

Bill would prohibit all protests near funeral sites

January 11, 2011 5:01 PM

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LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) — Arizona legislators have approved emergency legislation to head off picketing by a Topeka, Kan., church near the funeral service for a 9-year-old girl who was killed during Saturday’s shooting in Tucson.

Tucson State Representative Daniel Patterson, one of the sponsors of the bill, tells KNX 1070 the move is not an attack on the First Amendment.

Unanimous votes by the House and Senate cleared the way for the bill to go to Gov. Jan Brewer for her expected signature. It would take effect immediately.

Without specifically mentioning the Tucson shooting, the proposed law would prohibit protests at or near funeral sites.

The Westboro Baptist Church said yesterday it plans to picket Thursday’s funeral for Christina Taylor Green because “God sent the shooter to deal with idolatrous America.”

The fundamentalist church has picketed many military funerals to draw attention to its view that the deaths are God’s punishment for the nation’s tolerance of homosexuality.

(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Arizona Eyes Ban On Church Protest At Rampage Funeral

Corinne Brady

It’s about time the Westboro Church of H.LL gets “Laid to Rest”
They are a sad and evil group.

john

yes they maybe wrong but now the government is taking our freedom away lil by lil

Gerry

These church people are pigs.
Candy

It’s a shame that people would use a child’s funeral to promote themselves. God is looking down on them and would say that they have nothing to do with Him or His message. They DO NOT promote His Way or His message of Love. This little girl is with Him. These people need to sit down and truly read the Word of God and spend time with Him in meditation so that they can truly know God and STOP their evil ways and STOP using His Name in vain.
manuel montalvo

There are most lunatics in some Christian churches than in any place known. They are the worst and low class of human being I can conceive.
Yo Dude

They haven’t been reading the Bible. Many church going people don’t even know that the Bible says that God doesn’t cause bad things to happen. When a person dies they are in “the grave.”. Ecclesiastes 9:5 says “The living are conscious they will die, bit as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.” Ezekiel 18:4 says “The soul (person) that is sinning — it itself will die.”. All those in the grave are awaiting the resurrection made possible by Christ’s death. The Bible has taught us that wickedness comes from the devil, not God. The devil controls most of the religions (Babylon the Great)except the one truly doing his will or work, and the political system (The Wild Beast) on earth. So if this church is doing something bad, who is their father?

T.O girl

Exactly! Couldn’t of said it better myself.

As far as “candy”, it is a shame that people do these things but those that truly do read the word of god and understand it know this child is not with God, and that he does have a name and that is JEHOVAH.

Reality Check

Anybody that believes in God needs to be watched very closely.

T.O girl

But all the crazy athiests that have 666 tattooed on their forehead and go on shooting sprees shouldn’t?

c Freeman

If there is a God they will certainly grt what they deserve.
C Freeman

They make money by sueing anyone that trys to stop them. They are all lawyers.
And they do not have to pay taxes. They should lose that status for sure.
I hope the good people will peacefully surround them and drown out their evil by singing amazing grace louder that it has ever been sung before. I think they should be very afraid of what could happen if they go to Arizona. and let sick the IRS on them.
God Is A Big God!

WOW! After reading all these comments, I am pained deep in my heart over all of it. To the protesters in Arizona: As the Body of Christ we are to draw all people to Him. The world already has our message of sin. Let’s give them the best part…REDEMPTION!

To those hating on the Christian Church: Give God a chance. He loves you and has some true ambassadors that can change how you feel about things. You think you know our doctrine…dare yourselves to find someone that rightly qualifies our faith. Know that our congregations are open to all, giving everyone a chance to come to Christ. Unfortunately, not everyone gets it. We have goats and sheep in each church, and we give God alone the right to separate them. Don’ worry, He will deal with any of us who are off…!

To my fellow Christ Followers: Keep on believing in Him. You are doing fine, and the Lord is pleased. The Word tells us that these things would be, so just keep on clinging to His will and share His love. Too many are on the flip-side and getting further away from the Kingdom. Compel them. Don’t repel them.