Over 9000.

[mckitterick]

Remember how someone posing as Anonymous announced war against the Phelpses, and a day later Anon said, "We didn't post that," then the Phelpses immediately replied by mocking Anon and got lots of media attention etc? The prevailing theory is that the Phelpses posted the initial letter (calling for war against, um, themselves) in order to draw fire in order to gain more attention. Makes sense, in a twisted Phelpses way.

The best part, though, is that their sites went down to denial-of-service attacks shortly afterward... and are STILL DOWN.

This interview between Shirley Phelps-Roper and an Anonymous rep - whose user-icon is freakin' Batman attacking a Megashark using a light saber! - is icing on the cake and sheds a lot of light on things. Plus it's enlightening (and entertaining in a schadenfreude way) to watch the crazy stream off dear Shirley:

My favorite part is when Lightsaber-Weilding-Shark-Battling-Batman says, "Shirley, I have a little surprise for you" about a note he uploaded to the main Phelps website during the interview.

So let's tally the score of this little feud:
Westbugger Baptiste Churz: 0
Anonymous: 9000

The childish part of me is so very happy.

Chris

Comments

THe Phelps's Secret

[rorschachsix.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately this article makes all too much sense. The whole Phelps "church" system is designed to cause maximum outrage allowed within the law prompting a response outside the law which they then sue and gain money. Any kind of response to the Phelps's will warrant escalation until you cross the line and then they sue you. It's not worth even engaging.

http://kanewj.com/wbc/

[frugurl27.livejournal.com]

OVER 9000!

[normalcyispasse.livejournal.com]

WBC: Wasted breath.

[shechemist.livejournal.com]

By taking over their site I think they also cut off a revenue stream for the church, and they are nothing if not all about the money.

Someone needs to bring those baptist fuckers up on RICO charges.

Re: The Phelps's Secret

[piezocuttlefish.livejournal.com]

Insofar as it is a business, the American legal system is poorly equipped to shut down this business which provides no benefit that I can understand to American society (thoughts against?). Anonymous, however, is perfectly equipped to fight this—all the same techniques, plus some, hmm, extralegal techniques as well.

This event happies me too, but I don't think it's a childish part. More like, Hobbes - 1, Locke - 0.

Re: THe Phelps's Secret

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

So true. It's amazing to me that they get protection under the "hands-off religion" statutes. I mean, yeah, you CALL yourselves a church, but, um....

Re: The Phelps's Secret

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

So true!

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Right on.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

WBC = Wasted Breath Chuckleheads.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Excellent point. Bwahahaha!

And, yeah, it's pretty clearly a biz and not a church. But because we allow any old goofball to start a church in this country, even evil sons of bastards get to call their biz a church.

[steve98052.livejournal.com]

I'm amused to see that Jester knocked down the WBC site, and it's still down. As for the point about churches abusing their tax exemptions, tiny fringe organizations like WBC are not the only offenders. Scientology is kooky, but they're big – and they operate much more like a business than a church. Larger still is the LDS; the Mormon church orchestrated the efforts to push California 8, coordinating sympathetic organizations and providing much of the funding, in violation of campaign finance laws for non-profit organizations.