Church Plans To Picket Steve Jobs' Funeral

As most of you know, Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple, Inc, died on October 5th, 2011. For many people, the death of this innovative entrepreneur was a tragic loss. His life was cut short and when you think of all this visionary man accomplished in his life, you can't help but wonder what else he could have shared if given a few more years. It's a sad loss.

Facebook is blowing up with tributes for him. There are people expressing their sadness in statuses, linking to articles about him and even posting pictures, the most poignant of which is Apple's logo with Jobs' silouette taking the place of the well-recognized cut out in the logo. 

But along with these, I also came across an article about a church who plans to picket Steve Jobs' funeral. Westboro Baptist Church, who is also known for picketing the funerals of servicemen and anti-gay protests, has announced (ironically via iphone) that they plan to protest Jobs' funeral.

I can barely wrap my mind around the premise for their actions. They say, "He had a huge platform; gave God no glory and taught sin." I'm sure you're staring at your computer screen, aghast at the words you just read. I felt the same way when I first read it. It's shameful that they would picket a serviceman's funeral, a man who fought for the very freedom they use in order to persecute him. Likewise, it's just as disrespectful to send out a message via the instrument created by the man they plan to condemn.

Seriously? Do these people have nothing better to do with their time? The last time I checked, it was God's job to judge, not anybody elses'. If they were truly "Christians" and even if they believed that they had the right to judge whether he had lived a sinful life, shouldn't they be holding a vigil at his funeral, praying for God to extend Grace to him? Shouldn't they be loving his family and friends? Shouldn't they be inspiring hope and love and peace? 

I suppose this is simply a negative side effect of democracy. Democracy is a great thing, I wouldn't trade it but that which gives us so many freedoms, also gives freedom of speech to everyone. And that's not always a good thing.  If democracy were an anti-anxiety medication, listening to the rants of crazy people would be the anal leakage side effect.  It's embarassing and uncomfortable and we try hard to pretend not to notice it.

These people no more express what it means to be a Christian than the Klu Klux Klan expreses what it means to be a white person. Evil is evil, no matter what package it's wrapped in.  Even if that evil is hiding in a "Christian" wrapping.