newjerseynewsroom.com

BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

The Westboro Baptist Church, a 70-member organization from Kansas, has found their newest target to protest: the late Steve Jobs.

The church’s leader is Margie Phelps, the daughter of its founder Fred Phelps, and a lawyer. According to the Washington Post, The Westboro Church’s membership mainly consists of Phelps family members. The Post says their belief is that God punishes America for its tolerance of sin, homosexuality, and abortion.

The Huffington Post reports that Phelps has announced that church members will picket Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ funeral, saying that he was "teaching his neighbors to sin." Phelps, of course, tweeted her statements from an iPhone.

She wrote, “No peace for man who served self, not God. Westboro will picket his funeral. He had a huge platform; gave God no glory & taught sin.”

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After others noted where her announcement came from, Phelps answered, "Rebels mad cuz I used iPhone to tell you Steve Jobs is in hell. God created iPhone for that purpose!”

NBC New York reported that the Westboro church is no stranger to controversial stances. They have made a habit of protesting at funerals of soldiers with messages like "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "Thank God for 9/11."

Westboro’s right to protest at the 2006 funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder was upheld by the United States Supreme Court. Snyder's father sued the church for defamation and emotional distress. The Snyder family was initially awarded $10 million, in a case that was appealed before it was overturned by the Supreme Court.

The church also protested at the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards, and even the funerals of the people killed in the Arizona shootings.