Funeral Service for Shooting Victims
by Denise Morris on 12/19/2007 at 2:04 PM
Today is the funeral service for Stephanie and Rachel Works, the sisters murdered in the shootings at New Life Church in Colorado Springs two Sundays ago. Their dad, who was also shot, was just released from the hospital on Tuesday, and today he will be attending his daughters' funeral.
Also in attendance will be a group from Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church. They sent an announcement to a local TV news station which read:
"Thank god for sending this tragedy," going on to include, "God hates New Life Church," before including Biblical references and anti-gay language.
We've mentioned Phelps before -- these tactics of his aren't new. But they are extra frustrating on a day when two teenage girls in my community are being honored. We prayed about it today in our devotions at work -- one of my coworkers said she had to do the praying, otherwise her anger would get the better of her.
I pray that the plans of the enemy will be thwarted today. And my hope is that all who attend the funeral service for those girls will be able to celebrate the lives they lived, find forgiveness and leave with the peace and the joy that only the Lord can bring. If you think of it, pray along with me.
1. Andrew R. (aka Canadian Boy) said the following at 2:09 PM on Dec 19:
Definitely praying about the funeral today. And that Phelps and his crew don't make it there. I just can't understand why they would do such a thing...
2. Bill said the following at 2:22 PM on Dec 19:
Let's pray, but can't some large, muscular men also deny the Westboro morons access to the funeral? What would be wrong about telling them, "Get lost"?
3. Louise said the following at 2:44 PM on Dec 19:
Of course it would not be wrong to tell these nut-jobs to "get lost."
The problem is, they won't get lost!
4. Carrie (the original) said the following at 3:08 PM on Dec 19:
You know, when there was a military funeral in my town about a year ago, the Phelps' crew said that they were going to come.
We had many bikers say that they would be preparaed with their bikes to sheild them from the family's view and drown out the sound of their protests. Such a promise made me feel all warm and gooey inside.
However, Phelps' and his gang never showed their faces. . . . too many valid death threats????
5. Ted Slater said the following at 3:09 PM on Dec 19:
Those two girls are, by definition, martyrs. There is a special place in heaven for martyrs.
6. Derek Wong said the following at 3:17 PM on Dec 19:
That's a pretty cold and unforgiving stance that he takes on the issue. And it's not even that I disagree that homosexuality is wrong!
I wonder what kind of God he worships then. Sounds like a most cruel and heartless one to me.
7. Chris said the following at 7:02 PM on Dec 19:
Carrie writes:
We had many bikers say that they would be preparaed with their bikes to sheild them from the family's view and drown out the sound of their protests. Such a promise made me feel all warm and gooey inside.
http://www.patriotguard.org/
You gotta respect these people and what they're doing, no matter where you stand on any issue. (Unless, of course, you think like Phelps.)
8. farmer Tom said the following at 8:11 PM on Dec 19:
I'm of the opinion that "Fast Freddie" Phelps is one of those that will someday hear the Lord say,
"Matt 7: 21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
9. Bethany said the following at 11:23 PM on Dec 19:
Makes my stomach turn just to read about Phelps' crew. My brother was killed in action nearly two years ago and they were sure to show up for the funeral, complete with their vulgar signage. I'm very grateful for the presence and help of the Patriot Guard and countless local individuals.
Andrew R: They are a family of lawyers and are very clear on what their rights are. However, there is an ongoing legal battle by the father of a fallen Marine, seeking damages for emotional distress, among other things. He was awarded $11M in November. Google Matthew Snyder phelps if you want more info.
10. Fred said the following at 1:35 AM on Dec 20:
Ted,
I think you are doing a disservice to martyrs.
In one sense the girls are martyrs because they died for their faith, but it was almost an accident and isn't the same as people who are killed because they are deliberately witnessing in a dangerous environment and knowlingly putting their lives on the line for their faith.
11. Ted Slater said the following at 9:19 AM on Dec 20:
Fred, I see your point, but after further consideration find myself strongly disagreeing with you.
These girls were specifically singled out because they were Christians. The shooter intentionally identified them, and intentionally killed them. He didn't accidentally kill them; killing these Christians because they followed Christ was his goal.
Their lives, in a sense, were a witness to the shooter. And the shooter didn't like that witness; he wanted to squelch it. And the girls paid the price for their witness for Christ.
In one sense the girls are martyrs, you say. No, the girls are martyrs. I honestly and respectfully see no gray area.
12. Fred said the following at 8:00 PM on Dec 20:
Ted,
I can see what you're saying but I see a grey area from the girls' perspective. They were not deliberately putting themselves in danger for their faith and it doesn't seem accurate to place them in the same category as those who knowingly die for their faith.
Did the killer know they were Christians or just assume that they were because they were at the church? I said they were almost accidents because it could have been anyone at the church the killer targeted.
Didn't the killer specifically target New Life Church because of some perceived injustice? Because that clouds the issue even more if the killer wasn't targeting Christians but a church organisation.
The issue really is whether or not the killer was targeting the church and it's occupants because they followed Christ or because that organisation had offended him or because Christians had offended him (but not on a witnessing issue). If it's the latter two then I really wouldn't call the girls martyrs. It's similar to how a serial killer may target blondes because he/she was abused as a child by a blonde-haired person. The serial killer may target blondes but you wouldn't say that he/she hated them because they were blonde but because they reminded him/her of childhood abuse.
13. Fred said the following at 8:07 PM on Dec 20:
Ted, just wanted to say I appreciate the respectful and honest manner of your reply.
14. Robert J Espe said the following at 7:09 AM on Dec 21:
Fred,
I understand what you are saying, but while I agree that some of the saints were specifically martyred over witnessing issues, millions of Christians have been killed throughout history just because they existed. Early Roman persecution was simply based on perception of what Christians were doing through the Eucharist, not direct witnessing concerns.
When Tertullian said that "the blood of the martyr's is the seed of the church" he was referencing random killings similar to this one, not people being killed for witnessing. It was the martyr's (and family's) response to persecutors that then caused church growth (not direct evangelism), because people realized only the true God could empower people to forgive such senseless violence.
I guess I'm just pointing out that for much of history, martyrdom was never deliberate, the world just wasn't safe for Christians even if they were trying to mind their own business. That doesn't mean they aren't martyrs.
15. Fred said the following at 9:19 PM on Dec 22:
Robert,
The difference I see is based on whether or not the killer blamed New Life Church for something. Because that would mean that the killer was not after Christians but after people related to an organisation that just happens to be Christian.
16. Ted Slater said the following at 8:44 PM on Dec 23:
Fred -- travel back with me 1,950 years. Imagine a colosseum, every seat filled. In the field are a group of people who are considered "insurrectionists," a threat to the government. The lions come out. They encircle the group, pacing back and forth. Finally, they lunge and tear the people apart.
Would you consider the killing of these Christians, who may have in some instances been labeled mere insurrectionists, not to be martyrdom, simply because they were wrongly identified as an anti-government group?
Similarly, would you consider the killing of these Christians here in Colorado not to be martyrdom, simply because they may have been, in the killer's eyes, more associated with an organization (New Life Church) than with Christ?
The truth remains, apart from what the killer's most pressing motives were: These girls were singled out because of their faith in Christ (something that drew them to the location of their their murders: church).
Again, I understand that you don't want to diminish the definition of "martyr." You don't want the deaths of the great martyrs, who were told to their faces to "deny Christ and they'd be set free," to be minimized by associating them with more run-of-the-mill deaths where no such choice was offered.
I don't think, however, that one must be presented with the "deny Christ and go free" dilemma to be considered martyrs. There are millions being slaughtered currently, simply because they identify themselves with Christ.
A Christian who is killed during a burglary or hold-up may very well not be a martyr. Their being Christian, and their being killed, don't necessarily add up to martyrdom. But someone killed for no other reason than their faith in Christ -- I'd consider them a martyr for their faith.
17. Fred said the following at 3:00 AM on Dec 24:
Ted,
"Similarly, would you consider the killing of these Christians here in Colorado not to be martyrdom, simply because they may have been, in the killer's eyes, more associated with an organization (New Life Church) than with Christ?"
That's what I'm saying. The killer appeared to be singling out people associated with a Christian organisation, not Christians.
If there was a non-Christian organisation using New Life Church premises and the killer attacked, those killed would not be considered martyrs. The girls were killed because they were attending New Life Church and because the killer had a grudge against New Life Church (it just happens to be a Christian organisation).
About your example of the early Christians, I don't think it's the same because the killer didn't go after just any Christians, a specific organisation was targeted. If I remember correctly, the killer was not allowed to participate in a program that New Life Church was involved in, right? That's a little different than being targeted just because they are Christians.
I can see what you mean from the girl's perspective, but it's the killer's perspective that counts.
This scenario might clarify my point (I hope): A person gets cut-off in traffic by a person from another race, they run them off the road, get out of their car and kill not just the driver, but everyone in the car, all the while shouting racial abuse. Was this a race crime? Even though the killer was abusing the other person in racial terms, it was not a race crime because the killer was motivated by the other person cutting them off in traffic.