• As a level-headed, chill, REAL Christian... I'm facepalming at these people just as hard as the rest of you.

• Discussions about Religions usually interest me, but this appears to be less about religion and more about some idiots trying to anger others for some sort of personal or financial gain. What this seems to boil down to is that religious extremists are running out of actual things to try protesting, so why not make some shit up and see if they can make some coin in the process? Now as a Pagan, I can clearly state that extremist Christians are what turned me onto the path of Viking and Celtic beliefs, and why I have books written by Anton LaVey, sitting next to H.R. Giger's Necronomicon, which has Crisis on Infinite Earths TPB and The Boys volumes 1-7 on the other side of it, sandwiched between Amon Amarth and Skinny Puppy cd's- I guess in all actuality I owe Christian extremists for turning me into the Pagan/Industrial Musician/Geek that I am today, I owe them a hug.

• they are as qualified to speak for god than any onther theist. What are the avidence that moderate christians can show that the extremists cant? How do you separate both? The ones that we call "moderates" or "rational" theists are the ones that separate their reasoning regards god and everything else, IMHO this only add schizophrenia to the scenario...

• They're not interested in preaching scripture they're trying to be on TV. This group is filled with the biggest media whores since Paris Hilton. They tip off the press about their own protest, swindle their way into high profiled deaths of American soldiers through insult, and they appear on national programs every chance they can get. Attention mongers that is all they are! It's no surprise they'll be at Comic Con as cameras are going to be there. Stop giving these idiots the time of day and they'll eventually all fade away into who gives a shit.

• I can't make it to the Con this year, but would someone hand this guy a copy of "The Gospel According to Superheroes" by B.J. Oropeza (Foreward by Stan Lee!) and "Who Needs A Superhero" by Michael Brewer? And remind him that Superman is an analogy for Jesus. Then remind him that Jesus will quote Matthew 7:23 to him and the fools who said "God hates fags" too....

• "... And worship them they do." Do I detect a little Yoda in their statement? Heretics yourselves you are... Yes

• I live in London

• Hooray for Canada!!!!

• If this church needs a licensed Reverand.. I am in.

• Fucking bible thumpers, man. They put that shit on a pedestal, but degrade everything else. If God were real, he'd tell those loony fucks to suck the Devil's dick. "God" created man, imprinted ideas into man's brain. Man, in turn, turned ideas into imaginations, which then lead to everything we have today. Comic books and the bible are one and the same: works of fiction, from the imaginations of man, and woman.

• This guy should take his need for attention, his need to feel that he's performed a Christian act for the day, and his self-righteousness, and then stand in front of a mirror and quote himself, to himself: "It is time to put away the silly vanities and turn to God like you mean it." Then he and his friends ought to try something positive and Christianlike: Toss the sign into the trash, set up a barrel there at the SDCC front door to collect food for the hungry--then put smiles on their faces, and voice a sunny 'Thank You for caring about others!' for everyone who drops something into the barrel.

• all i can say is every religion has it's nut cases. there is an cult in India that forces people to murder them so they can me martyred to the goddess they worship!

• Agreed!!! and it really angers me that these type or ppl get so much attention. I am a Christian, and I like comic books. I do NOT worship comic books by any means. I simple enjoy them. I can tell you right not that they are crazy and that they should watch it them selves because God does not like it when you try to change His word or say that He said something that He didn't say. These are the kind of ppl that make others think Christian are wackjobs. Please don't believe that

• "I've never been a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me Superman!"

• Hells yes! I feel so proud of my country right now. XP

• I was thinking the exact same thing when I heard about this nonsense. Shame there doesn't seem to be a big Twilight panel this year.

• These folks are absolutely WRONG. I looked up Romans 9:13. It says: "Just as it is written: 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.' " This has NOTHING to do with idol worship. Someone put the wrong verse on that poster. I am a Charismatic Christian. I am also a Trekkie, Star Wars fanatic (Mandalorian Mercs, represent!), and avid gamer. These kinds of people are the leading cause of hate toward those of us who love Jesus. Not all "Christians" are like that, folks. Please don't let the ignorance and blind hate of some lead you to judge the rest of us. If I had that Hello Kitty Sniper rifle, I would SO drive them out of there. BOOM! Headshot! Haha, kidding! Sorta.

• lol, religion.

• Thank you !

• im going to shoot this asshole in the face and see if he goes to heaven... if he is a true christen he will not be afraid but accept that he will be with god soon the stupid fuck

• For what it's worth, when they talk about things like this being "idols" GENERALLY (the halfway sane christians at least) consider it to mean any non-god thing that you spend more time/energy/love on than god. So like, eating, presumably. Not saying they aren't batshit tho.

• So...so you mean Optimus Prime didn't create the universe? Hasbro lied to me!

• Of course dinosaurs existed! They've got museums where you can see models of cute little human children playing alongside them.(apparently based on a passage from the Book of Flintstone)

• I hate to break it to you, but by Phelps' reckoning, you were already damned for being a Catholic. You were a Mary-Worshiping heretic and the only thing that separated you from the Pagans was that you called your Idols "Saints". (I won't even go into what he says about the whole Priest sex-scandal thing)

• So how do I develop a personal relationship with Batman?

• Personally I think a group of cosplayers should schedule a "counter/mock protest" for the same time period and post up near these idiots. They could carry signs that say things such as "God Hates Protests, Austin 3:16". Best part, they shouldn't even look at or acknowledge the Phelps crew.

• That happened last year. Never saw them, always used the north(?) entrance but heard about it after the fact from people in my car. The guy had pictures and video too.

• That happened last year. Never saw them, always used the north(?) entrance but heard about it after the fact from people in my car. The guy had pictures and video too.

• How does one become a member of the Church of Batmanosticism? I'm prepared to give all of my worldly possessions.

• This.

• So wait, even when I was a good Catholic girl who went to church every week I was already damned for liking Scifi??? Well, I feel loads better about converting to paganism. :) Lord Jesus the savior has but one law and it would be nice to see these fanatical assholes actually remember that. Love thy neighbor, people, Jesus didn't give any exceptions to that rule.

• Isn't it hypocritical to be dissing people for 'worshipping' made-up characters when God himself is a made-up character? Stupid.

• Save time, diss all organized religion. Any group who thinks they know the best for everyone and makes a point of telling everyone else about this, should not be trusted.

• WIN

• Nice. Thanks for sharing the story ^_^

• "Since God created man, and man created The Transformers, The Transformers are like a gift from GOD, Randal!" - Elias, Clerks 2

• http://community.livejournal.com/christ_slash/ enjoy~!

• shit ... this NEEDS 200 comments so here goes: I have this mental image of a nerd arguing Jedi philosophy with these jackasses, or at very least start screaming passages from the bible at them in Klingon. .... Youtube, make my dream come true!

• AWESOMESAUCE!!!11!1! *Finally* nerds are as cool as gays, prostitutes, and evolutionary biologists! We got street cred, peoples!

• "I worship Stan Lee as if he were a god. So, I guess I'm destroying America and the world in general?" Yes, because you worship him 'as if he were a god,' and not as God.

• Oh, Westboro. Is y'all for real? Are you even TRYING to get people to join your flock with shit like this? I am a believer in God myself, even though I haven't stepped into a Church in years(because I wanted to stay home and watch Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realms, of all thingss", but I don't think God confuses fandom with Idolatry. Again, this is merely an interpretation, I read most of the old Testament and all of the New one, and never does it state that liking stuff too much is Idolatry. I guess there are levels of liking stuff too much that could be offensive to God, but again, that's individual. Sigh. I mean, you try and live a life of faith while balancing the needs of others and guys like the Westboro guys make all of us a target.

• People are going to think Fred is in costume and it is all ironic.

• My ex-boyfriend's old minister once condemned Lord of the Rings without 1) reading the books or 2) seeing the films. He went on for an hour about how "there's only one Lord and he doesn't need know rings" and got half the town after him (huge nerd community). The next Sunday he apologized and admitted he hadn't read the book.

• Entertainingly enough, I just attended a wedding where the ceremony was spoken out of the leatherbound edition of Frank Millers Batman, and the officiator managed to work in the line "with great power comes great responsibility" in his sermon. Maybe we are a religion.... :D

• Apparently they only had one person show up who drove around the location of the funeral then left when they saw the hundred or so counter-protestors. I love my city.

• I belong to a Halo costuming group that I'm sure that most of the group will be in thier Halo Spartan armor, sounds to me like a re-write of the movie 300. Plus you gotta figure there will be the 501st, the Star Trek fangroups, the superhero clubs, etc., etc. no butt kicking required just a lot of enforcement, plus most costumers like most of the 501st are either ex-cops or police officers already so there's a good chance the geeks will win in this battle of wits. I don't do church and frankly I don't like church, most of them have a collection plate, and some preachers I have seen driving around in some expensive car, now do you think the preacher got the money from God or do you think the preacher skims off the plate.

• Fun extra fact! Apparently they're basically all one giant, creepy family, and Mr. Patriarch has most of his kids go to law school so they know exactly how much they can legally get up in peoples' shit. Ew. I learned this from my wonderful, more socially-aware girlfriend, who reacted to this story by saying, "Now I want to go to Comic Con EVEN MORE."

• Already married? Damn it!... Batmanosticism, huh? Hey, count me in!

• Oh wow, they're not even trying anymore, are they?

• Wait a second... Everyone! Please. Just Give me a minute. I've been trying to read through all this and I'm still very confused. Are you guys seriously trying to tell me that Stan Lee is NOT a God?? BLASPHEMY!

• Heh. I would say this is completely groundless...except the one buddy I know that's going to San Diego was ostracised by his grandmother for "living in sin" with his girlfriend (major geek-hater, but for some reason she thinks this guy is "cool" and hates most of his friends. I can fake non-geek, so she tolerates me.) He later married the girl, but grannie won't forgive him...and quite frankly, neither can most of his friends for entirely different reasons...

• Don't count out Jesus just yet. According to Christopher Moore, he invented Jew-do, I mean judo. Also, I recommend for viewing the film Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter which includes a scene where Jesus just kicks the shit out of 30 or so random people. I don't know what was up with that scene. Youtube it!

• Good post.

• While I agree with the gist of your comment, I think it is rather harsh. What did Jell-O pudding pops ever do to you in order to deserve being in the same sentence as these dregs of humanity?!

• Comment of the Day, sir! There should be some kind of award.

• FALSE. Most Christians I know are hypocritical assholes, so even if they aren't saying nerds are the devil and soldiers are dying because God hates gays, they are hating on gay people, as well as people of other religions, not to mention trying to tell me that the Earth is 5,000 years old and that dinosaurs never existed. So go believe in your fairy tales, which coincidentally were passed down from ancient Babylonian, Sumerian, Greek, and Roman stories, which, yes, existed thousands of years before Jebus saved everyone.

• I am starting my own hellbound religion, I dub it Batmanosticism all its followers are Batmanostics. BTW I'm a lil overwhelmed by your praise, to all inquiring, I'm already married and would be honored to give babies to a ninja, that is all

• On the one hand, I would like to apologize on behalf of a crazy Christian and pass the classic disclaimer that the views expressed by Westboro Baptist are not representative of Jesus, the Bible, or (most) Christians. On the other hand I will avoid Comic-Con like a one of the plagues of Egypt because of patent pending Con funk. On the third hand (formerly belonging to a mannequin; currently superglued to the side of my chest) please tell me that no one thinks the trolls at Westboro are worth paying attention to for an informed theological perspective.

• Verily I say unto thee convention goers: unleash the furries! Let them yiff in front of the WBC and they shall know true darkness as the abyss swallows them!

• I'm not a Person who's forpysical violence against others... But those soulless SOB's should get a mayor beat down from all the people they ever harassed with there ridiculous un-christian BS. Aren't those the same people who tried to ruin the funerals of dead US Soldiers? People should belife in what they want... (but without crapping all over others way of life). Problem is just most people are waaay to f*ckin' dumb. Also: Optimus Prime died for our Sins (twice) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUxFiNlrDmA&feature=related

• So...what if you were a nerd AND a homosexual? It'd be like dividing by zero

• He does however beat his kids into believing the way he does. Whatever the angle is, he's using some strong cult tactics.

• I think you mean King James

• fuck, send me a fucking ticket, dress me up as sailor moon, and i'd GLADLY dry hump the guy for some pictures! >:3

• The Bible has a typo, it's the geeks who shall inherit the earth...

• They're just pissed that Mattel rejected their idea for a Fred Phelps action figure with "I hate teh gay" grip.

• I only have one response to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwyKrcCW_Dw

• Besides this topic being irrelevant as their is no hell, your a moron. Stop trying to make people angry over something as ridiculous as comic books and get a fucking life.

• A few words for the sane, honest, and good Christians who are as disgusted by Phelps as an avowed Secular Humanist like myself: My Father is an extremely intelligent, rational, and tolerant man. He is also intensely religious and a Deacon of the Episcopal Church. A few months ago I asked him the uncomfortable question of how he can support a faith which, on the surface, seems to disavow everything he believes in. He told me a story about when he was a child in the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement. He was raised Catholic and he recalls going to church at that time and listening to the Priest explain how it was basically the duty of all good Catholics to oppose Civil Rights and to pray for the downfall of Dr. King and his followers. My Father recalls listening to the Priest and thinking to himself: "The God I believe in is so much bigger than this little man". I'm not a believer, but if there is a God I'm certain he does not exist to be used by Phelps and other little men as a weapon of hatred.

• Obligatory response stating the misguided nature of the above zealots; Nerd reference cleverly included.

• I'm a devout Roman Catholic, a comic book reader, a D&D player, and a video game nut. This guy is indeed batshit crazy. He does not speak for all of Christianity, I assure you.

• Oh dear. Basically the wbc will find anyone they can to pick on. I will say that they really can be a bit...pathetic in person. I mean, yes their messages are pathetic, all that hate mongering but, take it from me, They protested my high school's gay-straight-alliance And seeing 5-7 people standing outside a high school with horrible signs held by their children (yes the group was at most 4 adults and the rest their kids) is kind of sad in many ways. they're all about shock value really And just need to be quietly Counter-protested or just ignored. They really aren't worth the effort, It's like debating a brick wall. With lawyers. And as a gay nerd does that mean I'm going to super-hell? And it's okay, I think batwoman will save sdcc from the wbc :p (And pardon the fomat fail, toplessrobot is not mobile web friendly)

• I think Phelps misses the whole point of Christianity. Christianity doesn't teach that God hates anyone. Infact it's the opposite. But rather, God hates the sin people commit... but at the same time is willing to forgive.

• They've gone after Lady Gaga a few times... they tried to protest her in STL in February, but it was too fricking cold & they never filed the necessary permits w/ the city. Me: Aw, shucks! I missed an opportunity to get folks out to mock them like they did so awesomely in SFO that one time..... *laugh*

• Someone needs to troll them by dressing up as Northstar. And on a completely unrelated note, their next stop is a Justin Beiber concert, which I find hilarious.

• I have no idea what that verse means or what it's supposed to apply to, but isn't the sign shopped?

• won't they all be surprised when come judgement day, THEY would be the ones sent to hell for "causing pain and suffering to others", according to my religion. now THAT is why i love my religion: karma is ALWAYS in effect! i can only smile at those zealots and say, "Have a nice day, assholes!"

• Warning! Entering "Venting B*tch" mode: *facepalm* And once again, zealoting idiots make me ashamed of my own religion. I'm getting flashbacks to book burnings and the D&D controversy... in which they actually used a comic to explain why d&d is "evil". Grah! What i probably hate the most besides the basic bigotry, is that they don't even bother to do research. Lots of people like something, they assume it's bad. I honestly wouldn't be surprise if they were just arguing about Thor and Hercules-- because zealots just LOOOOVE bashing other religions. But no-- they have annoy us even further by griping about all things Nerdy. But If these idiots actually researched comics, they'd know that a few of these comic book heros are christian or catholic or whatever and actually fight in the name of God. And that the idea of a superhero like Superman being compared to a God has been brought up IN comics and usually ends with the hero explaining that he's just a person trying to do good. And that's why some of us like comic heros. Thats why many of us buy the comics, dress up like them, and thank the artists and writers for doing what they do, etc. Because they're just a person trying to do good. Not because we flipping WORSHIP them! Okay, ya, some people probably do worship comics and everything about them-- I say, yet them! People have free will for a reason! Stop wasting peoples time reading your signs and do something actually important! *see Lynn's post above* Exiting "Venting B*itch" Mode. Sorry 'bout that. But really, there is only so much one can take before they have to scream thier feelings all over the internet.

• Okay, it's official. I am going to fly to Comic Con just to troll the Westboro Baptist Church. I'm going to quote "scripture" from comic books (Miller 8:15, I'm the Goddamn Batman) and scream "YOU AIN'T GOT NO PANCAKE MIX!"

• tvtastegood, you're my new personal hero! XD

• amen, brother, amen! what gets me is the fact that these idiotic zealots seemed to abort people who are both religiously savvy and reads comics about flying women in leotards. what? we're not worthy of god's kingdom on the basis that we read fiction because its fun? really, assholes? REALLY?!

• Is this the same Arsehole preacher who made the girl APOLOGIZE for being RAPED and getting pregnant!? Oooh... I absolutely HATE people who act this way over something like religion! Being a zealot is not the way to fix things. Especially other peoples choices and sitiuations!

• now THAT would be a showdown even more awesome than The Battle of Helm's Deep. or yoda versus jesus, for that matter! XD XD

• Hmmm...so I wonder what he would think of my church...since we actually meet in the back of a comic book store. A real church mind you...we don't actually worship the comic characters. ;)

• fucking WIN!! XD XD

• a spokesman for both god and the devil alike...i smell a comic book plot in there somewhere. >:3

• God hates nerds? God is omniscient, meaning he knows everything. He knows everything about science, computers, comic books, and Star Wars. Hence: God IS a nerd. Your argument is invalid. Fact: Earth is just God's D&D playmat.

• As a Christian, I think Fred Phelps is one of the most despicable people out there. His family is one of the worst out there and when his family has gone from this world, they will see the error of their ways. Their message is based on ideas that are complete opposites from Christianity. I also live in Kansas, where they are from, and I am ashamed that they live in my state.

• *wants to take this comment out for dinner and a movie, pay for everything, treat it right, hope for just a kiss on the cheek after the night is over, but really wants to make sweet passionate love with it*

• Monty Prime: So you're the stalker I've had to take out a restraining order against...

• No, no. You're still going for Danny Elfman. He makes satanic music for Burton's satanic movies. And Burton directed a Batman movie. See? You're going to hell, baby.

• You took the words right out of my mouth.

• I'd love to see that meeting.

• So, if I understand you right, most Christians are M&Ms, and these nutjobs are yogurt covered raisins?

• We've got a good start on our religion already! If we can do this on the internet with a collaboration of a few passing comments, why can't Mr. Phelps develop his own doctrine worth a crap?

• Allow me the privilege of bearing your children.

• Sometimes you gotta wonder if people bother to read their own posts...

• Dear Mr. Phelps, Please read the Bible a little more clearly. God does not hate the person, just the sin. And frankly? Taking a vacation is not a sin. Please take the time you're spending and please do one of the following: - Feed the homeless - Volunteer at a shelter - Find a solution for world hunger - Take an underwater-basketweaving class Any of the above would be a more productive use of your time.

• This. This is such a great comment. I think it's the summarizing of a biblical passage with the words "don't be a D-bag," that really sells it.

• Call Superman or Batman to drag the county out of a mess..... Wouldn't it make more sense to call upon Thor? I mean, he is already a god and all that. Maybe that's just the nerd in me overthinking things?

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