No, just closed minded.

Well if it's not a cult, it will be a distinct species of human in a few generations -- probably something with long fangs and low cognitive function. You can only stretch a small, sick pool of DNA so far before it breaks.

I think if it's not a cult, the Westboro Baptist Church is well on its way to getting there. Who made Freddy boy God anyway?

Although I hesistate to use the word "cult" due to its significant cultural baggage, Phelps certainly meets many of the criteria that cults usually have. That one detail by itself isn't enough for me, though--after all, a lot of religions require both wife and groom to be converts before marriage. Having talked to some of the Westboro congregants, though, I have to say that they're firmly captivated by Phelps. It's a little creepy.

It does. This particular one is the scariest I've heard of lately.

I don't know. It's wikipedia, so be careful. I strongly disagree with Fred Phelps on many things, including him saying God hates homosexuals, and protesting funerals for soliders, etc. but I think that America needs more preachers today who hate sin like he and his church members do, yet at the same time have the love of Christ towards lost sinners as he and his congregation don't seem to have. In any case, I don't think we as Americans have any right to complain and get angry at Fred Phelps or his congregation, because we don't get angry whenever people are marching with pro-abortion signs saying to keep abortion legal and gay pride parades are being held and Christians are arrested for "hate crimes" if they even bring a Bible or pray in a gay parade. America has spat in God's face. We're a nation of hypocrites, so we really have no right to be angry at Fred Phelps, even if he is wrong in a lot of the things he and his congregation are doing. Whether they are a cult or not, we have no right to be angry at them if we as Christians don't get angry at sin in our nation and stand against it as we should. Why are the Churches silent? Thank you and may God bless you. :) -In Jesus Christ's Name.

a cult is just a religion you dont agree with-as one person above me said they are just closed minded and they also have no manners which to me is a much greater offense-believe what you want but dont condemn others when their belief differs-is funny that they say they are christian yet fred thinks he has the right to decide about things like love and marriage-guess the god in his life isnt that big---just my thoughts---smile and enjoy the night---cool question

Cult typically refers to a cohesive social group devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture considers outside the mainstream, with a notably positive or negative popular perception. In common or populist usage, "cult" has a positive connotation for groups of art, music, writing, fiction, and fashion devotees,[1] but a negative connotation for new religious, extreme political, questionable therapeutic, and pyramidal business groups.[2] For this reason, most, if not all, non-fan groups that are called cults reject this label. A group's populist cult status begins as rumors of its novel belief system, its great devotions, its idiosyncratic practices, its perceived harmful or beneficial effects on members, or its perceived opposition to the interests of mainstream cultures and governments. Cult rumors most often refer to artistic and fashion movements of passing interest, but persistent rumors may escalate popular concern about relatively small and recently founded religious movements, or non-religious groups, perceived to engage in excessive member control or exploitation. Some anthropologists and sociologists studying cults have argued that no one has yet been able to define “cult” in a way that enables the term to identify only groups that have been identified as problematic. However, without the "problematic" concern, scientific criteria of characteristics attributed to cults do exist.[3] A little-known example is the Alexander and Rollins, 1984, scientific study concluding that the socially well-received group Alcoholics Anonymous is a cult,[4] yet Vaillant, 2005, further concluded that AA is beneficial.[5] Laypersons participate in cultic studies to a degree not found in other academic disciplines, making it difficult to demarcate the boundaries of science from theology, politics, news reporting, fashion, and family cultural values. From about 1920 onward,[6] the populist negative connotation progressively interfered with scientific study using the neutral historical meaning of "cult" in the sociology of religion.[7] A 20th century attempt by sociologists to replace "cult" with the term New Religious Movement (NRM), was rejected by the public [8] and only partly accepted by the scientific community. [9] During the 20th century groups referred to as cults by governments and media became globally controversial. The televised rise and fall of less than 20 Destructive cults known for mass suicide and murder tarred hundreds of NRM groups having less serious government and civil legal entanglements, against a background of thousands of unremarkable NRM groups known only to their neighbors. Following the Solar Temple destructive cult incidents on two continents, France authorized the 1995 Parliamentary Commission on Cults in France. This commission set a mostly non-controversial standard for human rights objections to exploitative group practices, and mandated a controversial remedy for cultic abuse, known in English as cult watching, which was quietly adopted by other countries. The United States responded with human rights challenges to French cult control policies, and France charged the U.S. with interfering in French internal affairs. In recent years, France's troublesome public cult watching lists appear to have been retired in favor of confidential police intelligence gathering.

I not only consider this group of hate-mongering bigots a cult....but an inbred cult. If Fred doesn't permit members of the church to marry outside the church, is he then condoning incest? Aren't the majority of his "congregation" his own relations? I mean really...he thinks we're sinners? That whole congregation is doomed to Hell as it is.

I'd call that a cult alright. Who is Fred Phelps to tell his members who they can marry? And since the whole congregation is made up of his blood family he's an even sicker freak then I thought. Wounder how many of his grand kids could also call him just "Daddy"?

I think they are a hate mongering group, but dont insult cults by grouping them with WBC

Is that church even big enough to marry inside the religion? Ew...inbreeds And YES they are without a doubt a cult

Yep - that sounds like a cult! To completely separate the church from the outside world and keep all minds set on their idiotic doctrine. No outsider would want to touch them with a ten-foot pole , hence I think THEY didn't create that rule because they wanted to, they had to - just makes them look smarter by saying "you're not allowed to". LOL

Also - I think that this rule is sugar-coated (rather rat-poisoned) in "Bible" verses to make it sound like God made up this rule. Many cults do it - the Mormons, JV's... you name it! So no family member can come along and say, "you're JUST a man, who are you to say...". They'd have to rebuke the "biblical" verses stating this rule. And when you have been brain-washed for this long that will certainly be a hard task!

cult? no ... ignorant morons? yes

Personally, I don't credit Phelps and his ilk as being "Human".

YES.

Yes, this is definately a cult. A cult is a church or religious group that tells people how to run their lives. It does not matter if they tell them whom they can marry; where they can live; what they can study in college; whom they can be friends with; what they can eat: When a church group controls people's lives it is a CULT!! Trust me, I've been in 2 cults, I know these things.