The folks from Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas believe that military deaths are God's revenge for the country's tolerance of homosexuality, particularly for allowing gay people to serve in the military.

They seem to believe very strongly that the Bible tells them God hates homosexuals and is punishing the US for tolerating homosexuality by killing the men and women serving in our military.

Apparently the Bible's teachings compel them to picket the funerals of our service men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country (some of whom they assume are gay and "deserve" to die). The Bible apparently compels them to do these things so the rest of us will "see the light" they have seen in "God's teachings".

Many here are Bible scholars. Can anyone here tell me where the Westboro Baptist Church believers find support for their beliefs/actions in the Bible? If they aren't "right" can you tell me what passages in the Bible demonstrate they are "wrong"?

If they are wrong can some of you Biblical scholars travel to Kansas and show them so they'll stop this sh*t that the Supreme Court ruled is protected speech?

Supreme Court rules First Amendment protects church's right to picket funerals
By Robert Barnes
Wednesday, March 2, 2011; 10:59 AM

A nearly unanimous Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the First Amendment protects even hurtful speech about public issues and upheld the right of a fringe church to protest near military funerals.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote that the Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church's picketing "is certainly hurtful and its contribution to public discourse may be negligible." But he said government "cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker."

"As a nation we have chosen a different course-to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate," Roberts said.

Justice Samuel A. Alito was the lone dissenter.

"Our profound national commitment to free and open debate is not a license for the vicious verbal assault that occurred in this case," Alito wrote.

The case concerned Westboro's picketing at the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, 20, who was killed in Iraq. The church - which is made up almost entirely of the family members of its founder, the Rev. Fred W. Phelps - picketed the 2006 funeral in Westminster, Md., carrying signs such as "Thank God for Dead Soldiers," "God Hates [bleep]" and "America is Doomed."

The church contends military deaths are God's revenge for the country's tolerance of homosexuality. Matthew's father, Albert Snyder, sued.

Snyder argued at trial that the Phelpses had invaded his privacy, caused emotional distress, and violated his rights to free exercise of religion and peaceful assembly.

A Baltimore jury awarded Snyder more than $10 million, which was cut in half by the judge and then overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond. A three-judge panel said that although the rhetoric used was offensive, it was protected as speech concerning issues in the national debate.