I attended a meeting of Downtown Fredericksburg clergy during yesterday’s snow concerning the Westboro Baptist Church and their protest against MWC’s production of the Laramie Project. It seems as if the best way to handle these guys is simply not to handle them at all. They have a very strategized method of confronting parishioners and engaging in altercations that usually end up in settlements, money with which they travel elsewhere to prey upon other unsuspecting souls. From what I understand, they have even sued someone for offering to shake their hand, respecting their right to protest.

So what to do when these guys are at your church? Walk past them, do not engage them, and pray for them.

WBC’s tentative schedule for Fredericksburg is as follows:

Protest Schedule for the Westboro Baptist Church:

Saturday, 01 March 03

7:00 – 8:00pm Mary Washington College, College and Brent Ave.

Sunday, 02 March 03

7:30 – 8:00am St. George’s Episcopal Church

9:00 – 9:30am Fairview Baptist Church

10:00 – 10:30am St. Mary Catholic Church

10:30 – 11:00am Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church

These guys have been known to switch up at the last minute, so be forewarned. Whatever you do, simply don’t engage them.

Man, this WBC stuff is kinda like the old stories of people warning their kids about gypsies and stuff. Sheesh.