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| Anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church leader Fred Phelps dies | Anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church leader Fred Phelps dies |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| The former leader of a US church that was widely known for its inflammatory anti-gay protests has died, his family has said. | The former leader of a US church that was widely known for its inflammatory anti-gay protests has died, his family has said. |
| The Reverend Fred Phelps Sr, founder of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, died on Wednesday evening at 84. | The Reverend Fred Phelps Sr, founder of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, died on Wednesday evening at 84. |
| The church, made up mostly of his family, rose to international notoriety with its practice of picketing funerals of fallen US troops. | The church, made up mostly of his family, rose to international notoriety with its practice of picketing funerals of fallen US troops. |
| It claimed their deaths were punishment for America's tolerance of gays. | It claimed their deaths were punishment for America's tolerance of gays. |
| 'Diabolical' | 'Diabolical' |
| Their signs read "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "Thank God for 9/11" and the like, and bore messages offensive to gay and lesbian people. | Their signs read "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "Thank God for 9/11" and the like, and bore messages offensive to gay and lesbian people. |
| Born in Mississippi in 1929, Mr Phelps was raised a Methodist and was selected to attend the US Military Academy. | |
| He was ordained a Baptist minister, though Westboro was not attached to any mainstream denomination. | He was ordained a Baptist minister, though Westboro was not attached to any mainstream denomination. |
| Mr Phelps earned a law degree from Washburn University in 1964, but was stripped of his licence to practise in Kansas in 1979. | Mr Phelps earned a law degree from Washburn University in 1964, but was stripped of his licence to practise in Kansas in 1979. |
| The Kansas Supreme Court said Mr Phelps made false statements in documents and "showed little regard" for professional ethics. | The Kansas Supreme Court said Mr Phelps made false statements in documents and "showed little regard" for professional ethics. |
| Later, he and his small congregation - founded in 1955 and later dubbed "the most hated family in America" by the BBC's Louis Theroux - aimed their vitriol at many groups, including immigrants and Jews. But their signature slogan was "God hates fags". | Later, he and his small congregation - founded in 1955 and later dubbed "the most hated family in America" by the BBC's Louis Theroux - aimed their vitriol at many groups, including immigrants and Jews. But their signature slogan was "God hates fags". |
| "You're not going to get nowhere with that slop that 'God loves you,'" Mr Phelps once told the Religion News Service. "That's a diabolical lie from hell without biblical warrant." | "You're not going to get nowhere with that slop that 'God loves you,'" Mr Phelps once told the Religion News Service. "That's a diabolical lie from hell without biblical warrant." |
| In 2009, Mr Phelps and his daughter were barred from entering the United Kingdom due to their anti-gay preaching. | In 2009, Mr Phelps and his daughter were barred from entering the United Kingdom due to their anti-gay preaching. |
| The church's actions inspired a federal law and numerous state laws limiting picketing at funerals. | The church's actions inspired a federal law and numerous state laws limiting picketing at funerals. |
| In 2011 the church won a major legal victory when the US Supreme Court ruled it could not be sued for monetary damages for inflicting pain on grieving families. | In 2011 the church won a major legal victory when the US Supreme Court ruled it could not be sued for monetary damages for inflicting pain on grieving families. |