Son of Fred Phelps Sr. says church voted father ...

[PeteSinCA]

Son of Fred Phelps Sr. says church voted father was voted out of church, moved him out of church
By Jan Biles and Steve Fry
cjonline.com
3/16/2014

Nate Phelps, to a Topeka Capital-Journal reporter about 11 p.m. Saturday.

"[Fred] is at Midland Hospice House where, as of yesterday (Friday), he is comfortable without the respiratory difficultly that he was having the day before and is unresponsive," Nate Phelps wrote, quoting a message sent to him.

After Fred Phelps Sr. was voted out of the church, he was moved to another house where he could be watched for fear of him hurting himself, then he "basically stopped eating and drinking," Nate Phelps said in the email.

For many years, Fred Phelps Sr. and his wife, Margie Marie Phelps, lived in an upper floor of the church.

A Westboro Baptist Church spokesman declined to comment Sunday on whether a report that Pastor Fred Waldron Phelps Sr. has been excommunicated from the conservative church, known for its controversial anti-gay stance, that he founded in the 1950s.

The less than coherent headline of this article is what it was on the Capital-Journal website when I found this article.

This outfit is so out there that those on the fringe of whatever have to stand on a step stool to see them. Anyway, IMO, any "news" about these insults to fruitcakes has to be regarded as semi-rumor-grade. I'd rather he, even on his death bed, renounced everything he's done the past 3 decades or so, but he may be past that point. I won't mourn his passing, sadly, as things stand.

[RickD]

I can only say that I hope the Holy Spirit convicts this man before he dies.

[PeteSinCA]

Concur, Rick.

BTW, under US Medicare regs and common industry practice, that Phelps is in hospice means that his doctor's good-faith diagnosis is that Phelps has 6 months or less to live. It also means that Phelps and his doctors have ceased trying to do treatments to prolong and preserve Phelps' life, but are doing things that improve Phelps' comfort while going through the dying process. Mrs. S in CA works for a non-profit hospice, so I've learned a bit of such matters.

[RickD]

Yes,

I know from experience. My dad was under home hospice care for the last week or so of his life. It's very difficult for the family.

If your wife is a hospice nurse or caregiver, please thank her for me. It has to be one of the most difficult jobs in the world.
My dad's hospice nurse was incredible.

[PeteSinCA]

Mrs. S is on the administrative side of things; we both have a lot of respect for the nurses, aides, and other caregivers!

[RickD]

Mrs. S is on the administrative side of things; we both have a lot of respect for the nurses, aides, and other caregivers!

Oh, she's just a paper pusher. Never mind.

[PeteSinCA]

Paper-pushing is so 1980s ... she's a mouse mover-and-clicker!

Between Medicare and patient privacy regs, records handling has gotten really arcane.

[PeteSinCA]

I'm also posting in a parallel thread on RO:

From the linked article:

Phelps eventually stopped eating and drinking, and on Sunday, he was near death, son Nate Phelps said in a Facebook posting. The information also is based on an email sent by Nate Phelps to a Topeka Capital-Journal reporter.

"(Fred) is at Midland Hospice House where, as of yesterday (Friday), he is comfortable without the respiratory difficulty that he was having the day before and is unresponsive," Nate Phelps wrote, quoting a message sent to him.

IF true and if FP does not resume eating and drinking, his death is quite near. He is 84.

From the little I've read about him, FP was brilliant, and very capable of doing good (and did some, back in the Civil Rights era). His angers and his hatreds consumed him, and he dragged much of his family into his cesspool of hatred (and what he is/was drove those of his family who rejected him away from God, as well). Other than the extinguishing of his hatred and the probable dispersion of his followers, I see nothing to rejoice in in FP's death. Just. A. Sad. Waste!

[Danieltwotwenty]

I really hope no one pickets his funeral, even though he and his family have done terrible things to others in their time of grief.

[PeteSinCA]

I don't expect that to happen, Daniel, and hope it does not.

More on this ...

Elders excommunicate Phelps after power struggle, call for kindness within church
By Steve Fry
CJOnline.com
2014-03-17

The excommunication occurred after the formation of a board of male elders in the church. The board had defeated Shirley Phelps-Roper, the church’s longtime spokeswoman, in a power struggle, and Fred Phelps Sr. called for kinder treatment of fellow church members.

The board then ejected Fred Phelps Sr., who founded the church in the 1950s.

The power struggle and excommunication was revealed by Nate Phelps, a son of Fred Phelps Sr. who broke away from the church 37 years ago.

The elders had a big impact on Fred Phelps Sr., Nate Phelps said.

“They took the one thing that meant everything to the man,” Nate Phelps said, referring to Fred Phelps Sr.'s tie to the church. “That old man and his reason to exist have gone away.”

How like Frankenstein ... the monster is killing its creator.

[Danieltwotwenty]

Yes I read that it is very sad irony indeed.

Maybe he recanted? Maybe he has a sickness deemed a judgement from God, I hope it is the former.

[PeteSinCA]

He is gone. I'd love to learn that he had repented, but I don't expect it. Nor do I think it likely that the news he had would be likely to become known. God knows, that suffices.