Submitted by Charlton “Chuck” Stanley, Weekend Contributor

Fred Phelps son, Nathan Phelps, has reported on his Facebook page that his father, Fred Phelps, Sr. is near death in a Topeka KS hospital.  Nathan himself has been estranged from his father and family for some time, and was “excommunicated” from the Westboro Baptist Church.  What few people knew, apparently, was that Fred Phelps himself was excommunicated from the “church” he founded in August of last year.

The immediate family, in their usual mean-spirited style, will not let Nathan and other former members of their “church” have a last visit with the old man. Of course, all or almost all, current church members are immediate family themselves, so they are keeping his son and other descendants from seeing him before he passes.

Nathan reported the news last night on his Facebook page.

Nathan posted this:

Nathan Phelps

I’ve learned that my father, Fred Phelps, Sr., pastor of the “God Hates Fags” Westboro Baptist Church, was ex-communicated from the “church” back in August of 2013. He is now on the edge of death at Midland Hospice house in Topeka, Kansas.

I’m not sure how I feel about this. Terribly ironic that his devotion to his god ends this way. Destroyed by the monster he made.

I feel sad for all the hurt he’s caused so many. I feel sad for those who will lose the grandfather and father they loved. And I’m bitterly angry that my family is blocking the family members who left from seeing him, and saying their good-byes.

12 hours ago near Chestermere, Canada

Lauren Drain, who joined the “church” at age 15 when her father joined, was indoctrinated into their hate group, but was thrown out of the “church” about five years when she began to question their beliefs and behaviors. In an interview, she described a confrontation with Fred Phelps. Drain says that at some point, Phelps wanted to join the military and even started to attend West Point, but “something happened.”

“All I know is that he said he went to West Point, then all of a sudden he had a religious experience, and now he wanted to preach against sexual immorality, preach against the military, and ever since then things have kind of progressed.”

Drain went on to say that she thought his reaction to being asked by the media if he was gay himself was suspicious, in that it was particularly extreme.

“I never understood why, when [he was asked by the press], ‘Why are you so against the homosexuals? Did you have a homosexual experience? Do you have homosexual tendencies?’ And he would get so mad, he would shut down. And he’d be like, ‘I can’t talk to this person anymore, they’re stupid.’

“His reaction to that was stronger than any other question you can ask him. So I always wondered that — why does he get so mad? If I’m not gay, I’ll just say I’m not gay.”

Both Nathan and Lauren have become pro-LBGT activists. Lauren has posed for pictures and has become active in the NOH8 Campaign.

The primary source of news so far has been Nathan’s post to Facebook. As of this writing, there is no mention of Phelps’ condition on the church’s website, Twitter feed, or blog. Obviously, under HIPAA regulations, Midland Hospice House cannot release any information. Hemant Mehta has talked with Nate by phone, who confirmed his post to Facebook was legitimate.

Sources:
Raw Story
Daily Kos
Friendly Atheist
Pink News

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