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March 21, 2009

Church Plans to Protest at Richardson's Funeral

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Members of a Topeka, Kansas Baptist church say they are traveling to Millbrook, NY to protest actress Natasha Richardson's funeral.

The Poughkeepsie Journal reports the Westboro Baptist Church posted its plans on their website. They say they're picketing because Richardson supported research for a cure for AIDS. The small Kansas church has protested schools, colleges, churches, and other funerals.

Richardson became a speaker and activist in the fight against AIDS after her father, producer/director Tony Richardson, died from the disease in 1991. The actress also served on the board of trustees for the American Foundation for AIDS Research.

On Friday, local police said they are preparing for traffic and crowds for the funeral on Sunday. First Sgt. Eddie Moore tells the Journal, "We intend to be a presence in the area."

Richardson and husband Liam Neeson were residents of New York's Hudson Valley for more than 15 years. The couple married in 1994 at their Town of Washington home, about 85 miles outside of New York City.


NEXT: More Rumors for LeAnn Rimes

 

Westboro Baptist “Church” should be exposed for the hatemongers it breeds…but I figure the members will manage to do that quite easily themselves. Disgusting…and certainly not showing any of the Christian values that I was taught.
Remember ‘love thy neighbor as thyself’?


- KellyBermuda
Posted 04/08/09 05:53 AM
 

I am a Baptist and a Lesbian..I do not smoke, drink, do drugs nor do I hate..I believe strongly in God, my Partner is the only lover I have ever had how many of you “good Christians” can honestly put your hand on a bible and make those same claims? How many innocent people have been killed in the name of God..people like this use Gods name to attack and kill..spread your hate all you want, but do not use Gods name to promote your hatred..God is about love not hatred..behaviour such as this at any funeral be it a celebrity or a regular Joe or Joanna is a crude vulgar act and such actions should not be tolerated by anyone especially the grieving family..show up at a funeral for one of my family members and if the Police can’t or wont do something about you I will!! btw I carry mace and a tazer and I’m not afraid to use them! And yes I will use them!


- solari
Posted 04/06/09 09:36 AM
 

These kind of church goers are hipocrites! Don’t they understand there are more serious things wrong in the world today. Life is too short! Her death proves that.


- Tina
Posted 03/24/09 05:18 PM
 

It is a ploy - that’s how they make their money. They try to anger people into attacking them and then they sue for money. The best response is to ignore them which gives them just as much attention as hate like that deserves.


- JW
Posted 03/24/09 04:49 PM
 

To the individual who said there were no GAY christians… get a life.. I am not GAY, but people like u make me sick…. U should go and protest with the church… I thought that we were in the US,,, were u have freedom of speech and a right to religion. U do not have the right to decide what Gays are allowed to do and not do… I feel sorry for people like u and this church…. u probably wouldn’t like it that I have a mixed race child and married to some one from another race…. I can’t wait until people let go of their hate and ignorance !!


- Feel bad 4 bigots
Posted 03/23/09 04:16 PM
 

My God, they cant even let someone rest in peace, shame on you, and your christian values. Maybe you should look in the mirror.


- Robin
Posted 03/23/09 02:40 PM
 

Perhaps we should protest the Westboro “church” as referring to itself as Christian when in fact it is a pack of evil, judgemental, unloving HERETICS!!!!


- trace
Posted 03/23/09 02:25 PM
 

This is the same group that also protests at soldiers funerals that were killed in the line of duty serving their country. This is their full time job….pissin’ people off. Their leader was arrested and thrown in jail when they showed up in Omaha. Can’t remember why but we all cheered.


- Zig
Posted 03/23/09 01:54 PM
 

These are not Christians. They are a cult. They are not Baptist. They hide behind that name so as to not look like the cult they really are.

I hope to God they did not travel to Natasha’s funeral.

Please don’t think this is Christianity. It couldn’t be any further from it.

Natasha, may you rest in peace dear. God please take care of Liam and their two boys and the rest of her family. Amen.


- Beth
Posted 03/23/09 01:40 PM
 

This is why I have never entered another Baptist Church, after growing up with an ignorant Preaching Step-Father… This is when people run from religion, because instead of being understanding and giving to others, they become obsessed with pushing their views and beliefs on others. I am spiritual and believe in God and believe that Jesus would petition to find a cure for a disease if he were among our society today. This is the most selfish and disgusting act for a Church to do.. Natasha is dead.. you are attacking here family who are suffering with her lost right now. Stay home and go to church and pray for God to forgive you…. live your lives and let others live theirs… Everyone in the US has a right to their own opinion and are free to live their life the way that they chose to do. And thank God for Natasha and her family…. Thank God that she stood up and did what she believed as AIDS is a horrible disease that anyone could acquire, even if you go to Church and you are a Christian…. Please find something positive to use you petitioning for…. like no more WAR… or no more HOMELESSNESS,,, or no more CHILD ABUSE….. Wake UP !!!!! Don’t be so ignorant… Please…. May God Bless everyone…. Especially Natasha’s Family…


- Renee Urso
Posted 03/23/09 01:22 PM
 

The Kansas Baptist Church clearly has too much energy, money and time on their hands if they are going to protest Richardson’s funeral. Clearly poor leadership for wasting such valuable resources.


- Amy
Posted 03/23/09 01:16 PM
 

I am a Christian, have nine ministers in my family, and this is NOT how you are supposed to act at all this is an outrage to us good christian people. This is not something that you do as a christian but I would like to say that as far as gays which I have nothing against, but it does say in the bible and it can be looked up very easily to not sleep with your own kind, meaning women with women and men with men. I am just quoting the bible. The bible is always having things taken out and misread etc. example: EYE FOR AN EYE, THAT DOES NOT MEAN take things into your own hands etc. God WILL deal with people like this at the end of time. When he does there will be alot of so called christians that WILL not be in heaven. It is sad to say but some people who THINK they are christians would not know what it truely meant if they were Bi-ch slapped with it. Sorry it makes me made when people and cults hide behind religion for things they do or say and this is one of them. I am a Baptist but we DO NOT act like this I assure you. This is very sad because it also says in the bible that false prophesis shall rise and false churches etc. I would give a million bucks to have 10 minutes in the same room with my bible and by the time I was done they would ask for HELL! I may be a christian but I will not put up with this crap! I hope she rests in peace in the arms of the angels!


- Anonymous
Posted 03/23/09 09:35 AM
 

I truly do not understand people like this..Its bad enough the Family Lost a Beautiful person and too top it off they are told that People will come and Protest at a funeral what a crying SHAME..
Go home and find something better to do with your time will you please…
You should all be ashamed of yourselfs..

God Bless Natasha Richardson and Family.Rest in Peace Natasha..
Martin…


- Martin Romeo
Posted 03/23/09 08:09 AM
 

More and more, it seems God has nothing in common with our “organized religions”. God seems to have loved the sinner more than the saint, whom he always appeared to be “testing”. I do not believe Natasha was a sinner, but I am sure He loved her compassion and her care of those who were so ill and in need of love and compassion. They were not “sinners” either; that is up to God to decide. I am a mere mortal with many faults of my own. I am distressed that so many “religions” are using God and his teachings as weapons instead of as instruments of His love. It is too simple to call them ignorant. They are behaving as radical, fanatical fundamentalists and we know all too well what comes of that!


- TJ
Posted 03/23/09 08:09 AM
 

I am a born again Christian and in my books… Christians do NOT act this way. Shame! Shame on you!! I think Natasha would be very upset at what you are doing, especially at her funeral. You give all Churches a bad name, if your loved one was buried, would you like someone protesting at your loved ones funeral?? Leave this beautiful Lady Resting In Peace and leave her family alone as they say their final Good-byes, this does NOT show a good example to them. She’s in Heaven now and one day their family will see her. This protest is not a good witness to them!! I will pray that the Lord intervenes and prevents this protest from happening. I am in agreement with you Wayne and the Lord seeth, Gabby and anonymous (before me). ((((Liam, Michael, Daniel, Joely, Vanessa, Lynn, ((((((Nastasha RIP sweetie)))))) Your Loving Van!! Zdanax :*(


- Zdanax
Posted 03/23/09 02:17 AM
 

We must ask, who did Jesus cure? Only the people that had a cold? No I don’t thing so, Jesus cured the people that nobody cared about the Leparsy, the blind, the possed, he cured all people, he did not ask, do you have aids, “well if you do i will not cure you”. Who are we to Judge, if that is what she wanted to do to help humanity, let her. Protest, huh, protest, why don’t all those people protesting poverty, hunger, disasters everything they should be trying to help on instead of wasting time on protesting during the funeral of this beautiful lady. Let her rest in pease, or are you so ignorant that you do not see the her family is in morning. What?
Do u want her family to remember her as the funeral with the protest, how can you be so cruel, and this is a Church. I do not understand this, any person with morals must understand that this is a time to say goodbye to a loved one and let them rest in peace. They should not be burdened with these idiotic things that are obselete. If you have any ounce of compassion u would leave them alone to prepare to let their loved ones go in peace and with harmony. Pray for them is what you should do, not make matters worse. Read your bible, people and pay attention to what it says, not what you want it to say. You will know that GOD is a merciful GOD and he forgives our sins because he loves us and he sent his son for our salvations, for mankind because WITHOUT the LORD, we are Lost and may never reach eternal salvation.


- The LORD Seeth
Posted 03/22/09 10:40 PM
 

Sick ignorant backwood people with no compassion—I do believe the bible that they thump shows compassion from start to finish but then I could be wrong but I doubt it.


- teresa
Posted 03/22/09 06:52 PM
 

Protest at her funeral? And may GOD punish every last one of them!


- Wayne
Posted 03/22/09 05:45 PM
 

Saying there are no gay Christians is like saying there are no gay murderers or thieves. It saddens me that hatred displayed at a time when peace and unity should be embraced.

God bless Natasha and her beautiful family.


- starbright
Posted 03/22/09 05:41 PM
 

This is NOT how all Christians behave! I am a Christian and am just a mortified by the mentality of these people. Again, their mentality, not the mentality of a Baptish church or any other Christian church for that matter. These people drag their so called faith into the gutters with them to further their cause. Shame on them!

RIP Natasha.


- Patricia
Posted 03/22/09 05:39 PM

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