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Controversial church will protest at services for seven Perry County children.
A controversial church that has made a name for itself picketing the funerals of U.S. military men and women has announced plans to do the same at the funeral of seven Perry County children who died in a farmhouse fire Tuesday.
In a press release, the Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church, says it “rejoices in the just punishment at the hand of an angry God.” It places blame on a York County man, Albert Snyder, who took the church to the U.S. Supreme Court after it protested and made homophobic statements about his son, a Marine killed in Iraq.
The church release called Pennsylvania an “evil state” and said Snyder stood up “and declared war on God and his church” with the lawsuit.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the church saying it has the right to free speech in any public place.
The news that the church planned a protest at the funeral of the seven children of Ted and Janelle Clouse was attacked by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.
In a release, Casey, D-Scranton, said the church’s “repeated exploitation of personal tragedy is disgusting.”
“They have protested funerals of troops killed serving their country. Now it is targeting the funeral of children. The protesters should stay in Kansas and pray for the Clouse family. The U.S. Supreme Court may say that they can continue to preach hate, but that doesn’t mean we should tolerate their actions in Pennsylvania. If this protest goes forward, I hope that the people of Perry County and the Midstate will come out to support the family.”
The church also threatened to protest at the November 2010 funeral of SPC Dale Kridlo of Hughestown. Its members failed to show.