Fall from Grace

I cannot imagine anyone concerned with civil rights that is not aware of the Phelps family and Westboro Baptist Church, yet they did not hit my radar until they had been protesting for a few years. It was their appearance at the Matthew Shepard funeral that brought them to my attention. Their protests at the funerals of fallen soldiers in Iraq brought them to the attention of most Americans.

My generation is used to hate-mongers. We have had Hitler and Stalin. We have preachers like Robertson, Dobson, Fallwell and others, but no one is above Fred Phelps in his pure hatred of anyone who does not agree with him. It is hard to understand what motivates such people. My personal feeling is that they were probably not breastfed. Just a theory, but it is probably as good as any.

K. Ryan Jones put together enough footage to give us some insight into what drives Phelps, but he cannot know the complete picture. The anger inside this man in put forth by his own words, the words of his children and grandchildren, and the fact that he has managed to alienate all who come into contact with him to the point that he was disbarred and had to turn to hating gays, lesbians, and trans-gendered, or "fags" as he calls them to have an outlet for his anger.

You hear from his own children who have escaped the physical abuse they endured growing up, and you see the new generation of grandchildren who are indoctrinated to hate without understanding what it is that they hate. His children are like Nike, they tell their children to "Just do it." Anyone who is interested in civil rights, and combating hatred in American should check this film out. It is currently getting wide play on Showtime.

Fred Phelps has run the Westboro Baptist Church for over 50 years, but the church only grew famous after it picketed the funeral of hate crime victim Matthew Shepard. Since then, it has staged protests at the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq, alleging that the troops got killed because America tolerates homosexuality.

Ryan Jones's documentary "Fall from Grace" is a look at Phelps and his congregation, which consists largely of his family. It features interviews with people who consider Phelps evil, but there are also interviews with Phelps and his family, who all make themselves look psychotic.

The point is that Phelps has twisted the gospel to fit his narrow-minded views, as have numerous other clergymen. Even so, the price of free speech is that we have to allow even the most repulsive speech. This is a documentary that everyone should see.

In the past year, the WBC picketed the funerals of Christina-Taylor Green (a nine-year-old girl killed in the attack on Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords) and stunt performer Ryan Dunn. The WBC had planned to picket the funerals of Elizabeth Taylor and Steve Jobs, but then canceled their plans.

I really wanted to like this film for educational value, but the filmmaker only presented both sides without asking any of the hard questions. One reviewer said that the Phelps Clan was allowed much unedited time to talk and was allowed to "hang themselves". I doubt if the Phelps's or their sympathizers feel that way, more on that below in the hard questions section. Frankly they didn't sound as nutty in the film as they have in the past on other TV shows and radio programs I have heard. For example, I can't remember the DVD, but Fred Phelps said without any qualifiers "this country is doomed." Well, he was much more precise but I remember clearly thinking "ok, if there is nothing we can do, why don't you sit down , shut up and wait for the end?" Perhaps in fairness, the producer wasn't able to ask pointed questions, but if he spent a month with them and felt comfortable, seems like he could have or at least explained why he didn't in the bonus features. For example - do the Phelps clan all agree, all 13 children? If so, that is amazing. I suspect some don't, interview them too! Does he feel his ministry is a success if they don't attract any new members? Is there any value at all in loving your neighbor as yourself or does that only apply to people you agree with? Do soldiers protect their rights too, not just "fags?" Or are soldiers completely unnecessary? What about the Good Samaritan? The reason that story is so powerful, which is often lost today is because Jews and Samaritans hated each other. At the very least, doesn't Christian charity at least mean being courteous enough not to shout over someone else during a debate? In essence ask these people why they believe as they do. Best yet, and so far unexplored in the debates I have seen - most of the clan are lawyers. Someone should mention that the free speech they cling to strongly is also constitutionally matched with the idea that people are free to believe in any religion they want or none at all. No one seems to have ever mentioned this that I'm aware of. As an aside, I wish the Phelps clan felt as strongly about dishonest politicians and big business. Not charging interest is in the Bible too! There's much more, but I would say the opposition in the film was way too tepid and this film does not really give most people any new information despite being well done.

This film has its world premiere as Austin's SXSW Film Festival. It would have been very easy for first-time filmmaker Ryan Jones to make a one-sided polemic about hate-mongering Rev. Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, KS. Phelps despicable "God hates fags" theology and their protests especially at military funerals are clearly beyond the pale.

However Jones opted to try to dig deeper. Much of the film allows Phelps and the member of his extended family (which makes up most of his "church") to speak for themselves. While the film provides plenty of space to Phelp's critics, it also allows Phelps and his family to hang themselves with their close-minded bigoted rhetoric. The interviews with two of Phelps' children who have left his church are particularly revealing. Most of all, the film shows that what they preach is anything, but the true spirit of Christian charity and generosity. The film shows that this is an ideology of hate disguised as Christianity. The film also explores some themes such as the extent of free speech which have long been associated with the famous Neo-Nazi march in Skokie.

This film deserves to be seen by a wider audience so that people can see the true face of intolerance and the dangerous power of a charismatic leader to cause great pain and suffering. I suspect Jesus would cry at what Phelps is doing in his name. Jones should be commended for this powerful piece of film-making.

Even though the Westboro Baptist Church is such a disgraceful, ugly, and inhumane group of hatemongers, the documentary Fall From Grace needed to be made. It touches on a sensitive topic, like many documentaries about politics or religion, but its filmmaker, University of Kansas student K. Ryan Jones, refuses to share his political side and conducts this documentary in a mature and non-biased manner. A respectable, rare occurrence in self-made films.

The Westboro Baptist Church is a church located in Topeka, Kansas that has been spreading the "true" words of God for over fifty years. They have protested soldier's funerals, held assemblies in public, and have went as far as creating numerous websites with hateful names. The Pastor of the church is Fred Phelps, an eighty-one year old man who is filled with so much rage and hate he'll probably make your grandfather look like he follows the way of grace.

Phelps is hate-filled and unapologetic as he arranges his church, mostly members of his immediate family, to protest certain homosexual events and funerals. They proudly hoist signs saying "God Hates You," "God Hates Fags," and even going as far as saying "Thank God for Dead Soldiers." His messages are clear, but his ways are atrocious. Unlike most churches, he looks to hatred from peers as a measure of accomplishment.

As claimed by one of his sons named Timothy Phelps, the church's goal is to "Put the cup of God's fury to the lips of this nation and make them drink." Because of their messages and their ways the town of Topeka is called "scum," and an interview with Mayor Bill Bunten says that he gets numerous calls and emails every day claiming they do something about the church.

Why haven't we done anything to the church? Because we'd be hypocrites. The first amendment gives American citizens the right to freedom of speech, press, religion, and assembly. While their views are unpopular and radical, they are truly in their guidelines as far as respecting the amendment goes. Is it morally right to do such an act? That's a personal opinion.

Clips of Pastor Phelps play frequently during the film. There he is in his brown-walled church, shouting at the top of his lungs in front of about a dozen people while his chilling voice echoes throughout the room. He tells us how homosexuals are "beasts" and are "willingly ignorant" towards the country. He states the homosexuals and the homosexual-enablers will be dismissed into hell after their life is complete. It's as bigoted and as hateful as it gets.

Phelps claims the church is a branch off of Christianity, when really, it is the furthest thing from it. Christianity was founded on forgiveness, love, compassion, honor, and loyalty. Phelps' church, I don't know what else to call it, was founded on bigotry, impulse, hatred, cruelty, and arrogance. They have zero respect for people who are just as human as they are.

Many protests are shown, and while anger from it all emerges inside of us, we get a look at the children. Let's call them the victims. The victims are brought up on a biased view on the world, and their parents prevent them from seeking out other beliefs and learning about others ways of life. They can see that other people disapprove of what they are doing, but those children don't know what those people are thinking. But what they personally were brought up on.

When Jones interviews some of the Phelps' children, he asked one who they specifically preach their messages to. The boy states "We preach to fags that the lord will kill them if they don't abide by The Ten Commandments." Another child says "When people mock us I'm mad enough to kill them, but I'll leave that to God." If any other child said such words at that age they'd be severely punished. If a Phelps child says that they are rewarded.

More interviews are conducted with Phelps' attorney and many children of the Pastor. Out of the thirteen children Phelps and his wife had, four left the family and are completely distant from the church. Two of the children, Dortha and Nate Phelps, are given over-the-phone interviews during the documentary. Nate claims that his father has the equal immaturity of a fourth grader, and that if any of his brothers or sisters ever questioned his ways of teaching they were whipped with a mattock handle. Sometimes, even if their father was just angry he would take violence out on the children.

Fall From Grace is a documentary that is seriously disturbing, and it comes with a eerie, unidentified presence. Maybe it's just because of the subject matter, or the fact this was in the hands of first time filmmaker, still in school. At only seventy-one minutes, it just scratches the large surface of such a checkered family and their beliefs. Despite this documentary being very informative, a mainstream documentary needs to be considered and made as soon as possible. The fact that people still are unaware of the Westboro Church and their ways demands a wake up call. And not a pleasant one.

This documentary will anger, frustrate, infuriate, and sadden any patriot or someone who just has respect for America and its well-being. Everyone's reaction will be different, but everyone will be informed and educated on such a movement that threatens the very limits of our first amendment.

Starring: The Phelps Family. Directed by: K. Ryan Jones.