For those who don't know, the
Westboro Baptist Church is a cult (what Wikipedia calls a "controversial church") in the US devoted to the intolerance of homosexuality. I suppose you could make an argument that some real churches are "intolerant" towards homosexuality, but even then certainly not in the same way as WBC. They believe that God hates America and is killing Americans as retribution for its tolerance of homosexuality. Any disaster, from the dead coal miners to 9/11 to the War in Iraq, is because the US allows homosexuality, according to them.
They're best known for protesting funerals, replete with placards saying such things as "Thank God for dead Americans", "God hates Americans", and "God is your enemy". In some jurisdictions in the US, this has brought on legislation banning the protest of private funerals.
Anyway,
yesterday, the WBC was ordered to pay nearly $11 million in damages stemming from the protest of a funeral. It was the funeral of a US soldier killed in Iraq. The WBC brought placards saying "Thank God for dead soldiers" among other things. The jury awarded the family $2.9 million in damages plus $8 million punitive damages.
Probably the WBC will not actually pay $11 million, considering its net worth is estimated at $1 million.
It's a cool story because it lets you laugh at them for being morons, but it's a little unsettling that they can be ordered to pay such a huge sum of money for something which is, I believe, not criminal. (I guess the point would be moot in Canada because it would be considered a hate crime, which IS criminal).
Another interesting point is the theology of their cult: why would you devote your life to a God that you believe hates you?
