Alabama preacher Orlando Bethel and his wife Glynis appear to like render upon Caesar what is Caesar’s in the form of a continual stream of lawsuits. Now the Baldwin County’s school board has asked a judge block further lawsuits. The Bethels responded, you guessed it, by filing another lawsuit for $5 million.
The Bethels object to the denial of permission to set up a Christian after-school program and accuse the Board of religious bias against them. The board says that the Bethels have already cost them over $30,000 in legal fees so it filed with the local Circuit Court asking “for guidance in hopes of preventing prolonged legal expense to the taxpayers.”
“Guidance” is generally viewed as an advisory opinion, but some courts have barred filings from habitual litigants who file frivolous lawsuits. The Bethels have more than a dozen federal lawsuits against various government entities in Alabama, including the Baldwin school board, the town of Loxley and the cities of Selma, Montgomery and Robertsdale.
A bizarre video for “Corrupt Cops: Repent or Burn in Hell” appears to feature their work, here. Another protest video is shown here.
Previously, they complained that Orlando was beaten when he appeared at his wife’s uncle’s funeral to tell everyone that they (and the deceased) were going to hell, here. Glynis Bethel referred to her uncle as a “drunkard and a fornicator.” That always adds to a funeral.
There is a “Repent or Burn in Hell Ministry” connected with Westboro and features the work of the Bethels here.
For the full story, click here.
Sally –
It makes perfect sense. But I suppose their name implies they are indeed angry. No false advertising there. Come to think of it, I don’t think the lead “singer” sings anything at all. I think he mostly just screams.
These kids today …
I’m not much of a Rage Against the Machine fan. Music that is angry causes too much stress!! I think one can stress an angry message in a song without making the music itself sound stressful (i.e. Dixie Chicks “I’m not ready to make nice”). They were angry and made a hit song out of it. And it’s not stressful to hear.
Do I even make any sense at all? I guess I’m more so referring to the music that has people screaming the lyrics and they call it singing…
Sally, rafflaw and Mojo,
It is obvious that Sally and rafflaw reaching the same title at the same time has nothing to do with internet(s). This is a prime example of Witchcraft, which Sarah Palin understands only too well, as do I. I will speak to none of you again until I go to see Bishop Muthmee!
P.S. Witchcraft also explains how votes change on voting machines. You need look no further for the truth.
rafflaw –
I agree that the “internets” are just great. I’m not a huge listener of ‘Rage’ (never actually bought an album) but I could dig the sentiment behind the song. I’m also more of a Dylan, Petty, Harrison music listener, although I like some of the newer rock bands like Foo Fighters, too. And CSN (along with Neil Young) is definitely on the list. The Traveling Wilburys was a brilliant musical concept I’ll always wish could have gone on and on. There’s a nice documentary that’s been playing recently, I think on IFC, about the Wilburys, although I can’t recall the title at the moment.
But I digress as I am wont to do …
Sally and Mojo,
It is amazing that we figured out how to use the “Internets” to find our answer! Mojo, I have heard of that band, but I am not familiar with the song. The have the same message that the CSN song was making.
That’s pretty cool you both figured it out with the old google. And what a profound line. There’s a political rock group (though they shun that designation) called ‘Rage Against The Machine’ which had a popular hit some years ago called “Killing In The Name Of” and one of the chorus lines is, “Some of those that were forces are the same that bore crosses”.
It’s an angry song by an angry band, and it’s good stuff.
rafflaw –
Mr. T would argue that, “You can never get rid of the ‘T’, fool!”
Haha, that’s funny. We figured it out at the same time
It’s “Cathedral”
I googled it, as they say
Sally and Mojo,
I finally checked on Google and the song I was thinking of was a 1977 song by CSN called Cathedral. This is the line I was thinking about, “So many people have died in the name of Christ
That I can’t believe it all.” Now I can go to sleep without wondering all night what the song was that I was thinking about!
It might help if I deleted the lonely capital “T” in my prior posting!
Sally,
Thanks, but no, that is another good one, but I will think of it soon. It is driving me crazy trying to remember it. T
Rafflaw…you mean the Bob Dylan one “With God on our side” ?
Well said Mojo. It reminds me of a Crosby Stills and Nash song(I believe)that mentioned how many people have been killed under the name of God or religion. I wish I could remember the song title.
“If Jesus returned and saw what people were doing in his name, he’d never stop throwing up.”
– Max Von Sydow in Woody Allen’s ‘Hannah And Her Sisters’
This guy gives Christians a bad rep. He is not showing Christian behavior by suing the county like he is.
If he wants to start a Christian after school program for kids, then he needs to use his church to do so. Is this guy one of those mega church preachers? Like the ones that make six figures or more a year? If so, maybe he should dig into his own pockets to start the program. And he should pick the kids up himself. Although with behavior like this, I wouldn’t want him teaching my children anything at all.
It’s a public school. If someone wants a Christian program, then there will be a call for a Jewish one, A Muslim one, and so on. Our tax dollars should not be funding any religious program in public schools.
That is why there are private religious schools for those that want them.
It is always surprising to me that some of the most radical religious people are some of the craziest and they seldom seem to follow the guidance of the god that they are “committed” to.
Wouldn’t this same injunction be applicable to Ohio Republicans? I just saw a DVD entitled: “The Psychology of Satanic Possession” in the Christian section. I believe that should be playing on a loop at every funeral!
I live in Lawrence, Kansas. Close enough to Topeka to routinely see the Phelps family protesting, well, you name it. They are their own worst advertising. Anyone who sees them—anyone with more than an pistachio-sized brain and a shred of human decency—automatically distances themselves from them, making them good instigators for rational thinking. People who would not even have the conversation, or who would maintain their own negative views, if unchallenged, are talking and evolving for the better. This is one of the best things I’ve ever seen (it’s worth reading to the end):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48197-2004Nov13.html
p.s. We were at KU’s performing arts center one night and there were the Phelpses, which was not unusual, but on stage that night were the Blind Boys of Alabama. Singing about Jesus and little else during a FABulous performance. That the Blind Boys couldn’t see them, we were grateful. If someone told them, I don’t know exactly how they’d explain how “God Hates Fags” had anything to do with them.
JT:
I don’t care what you say. I like him! The Reverend Orlando Bethel’s a man of his convictions–and I predict more convictions for him in the future!