The Most Hated Family in America

Infobox Television Film
name = The Most Hated Family in America


caption =
format = Documentary
director = Geoffrey O'Connor
producer =
writer =
narrator =
starring = Louis Theroux
Shirley Phelps-Roper
Steve Drain
music =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor =
released = March 2007
runtime = 60 minutes
country = UK
language = English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 1000764

"The Most Hated Family in America" is a TV documentary written and presented by the BBC's Louis Theroux about the family at the heart of the Westboro Baptist Church.

At the heart of the documentary is the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), a U.S. church group headed by Fred Phelps and based in Topeka, Kansas. It runs the website GodHatesFags.com, [ [http://www.godhatesfags.com "GodHatesFags.com"] ] and GodHatesAmerica.com, and other websites expressing condemnation of homosexuals, Roman Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Sweden, Ireland, Canada, and other groups. The organization is monitored by the Anti-Defamation League,cite web|url=http://www.adl.org/special_reports/wbc/default.asp|title=Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church|author=Anti-Defamation League|year=2006|accessdate=2007-02-23] and classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.Southern Poverty Law Center. [http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=627 " The Year in Hate:2005".] Accessed 5 October 2006.] [Southern Poverty Law Center. [http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp?T=29&m=4 Active U.S. Hate Groups in 2005.] Accessed 5 October 2006.] The group has achieved national notoriety in recent years due to its picketing of funeral processions of US soldiers killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The church bases its work around the belief expressed by its best known slogan and the address of its primary website, "God hates fags", and expresses the opinion, based on its Biblical interpretation, that nearly every tragedy in the world is God's punishment for homosexuality – specifically society's increasing tolerance and acceptance of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. It maintains that God hates homosexuals above all other kinds of "sinners" [http://www.godhatesfags.com/main/faq.html#Focus "Westboro Baptist Church FAQ".] ] and that homosexuality should be a capital crime. [ [http://www.godhatesfags.com/fliers/dec2002/Outlaw_Sodomy_12-3-2002.pdf "Outlaw Sodomy"] , December 3 2002]

Louis Theroux stated that the Phelpses are the most extreme people he has ever met. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6507971.stm The Most Hated Family in America] BBC News. Published on 30-03-07. Retrieved on 10-10-07.]

Louis Theroux

In an interview on the BBC website, Theroux gave his opinion on the teachings of Fred Phelps. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6507971.stm The Most Hated Family in America] BBC News. Published on 30-03-07. Retrieved on 10-10-07.]

Apart from their hateful protests, Theroux found them to be quite kind.

After Fred Phelps viewed the film, he preached a sermon in April 2007 attacking Theroux, calling him "Screwy Louis" and a "jackass". [ [http://animation.speakfree.net/sermons/Sermon_20070408.mp3 Louis Theroux, Demon-Possessed BBC Documentary Maker] GodHatesFags.com. Published on the April 8, 2007.]

References

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6507971.stm BBC - America's most hated family]