Heath in Hell ** Updated**

Sadly, this video from Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church shows what happens when a church turns God's Law into the "gospel". It shows that the only thing they have to offer the world is God's wrath and judgement. But that is not 'Good News'. That is bad news and the Church has not been called to ONLY proclaim God's Law. The Chruch has been called to also proclaim the Good News that Christ Died for ALL of our Sins and is offering us a full and complete pardon which He won for us on the cross.

Heath Ledger's family needs the love of Jesus Christ right now instead of the judgement and threats that Wesboro Baptist church is spewing.

You do not have to agree with the movies that he made or even believe that he was saved. That is not the issue. As Christians, we should never delight or rejoice when any person dies especially a person who may not have repented of their sins, trusted in Christ and received His forgiveness and mercy. Westboro's attempts to draw attention to their legalistic gospel of works and wrath must be countered with the Biblical Gospel of Christ's love, forgiveness and mercy that is offered to all sinners, even sinners as terrible as me and you.

Compare these verses to the message offered by Fred Phelps in the video below.

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

Romans 5:6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

When you compare the Biblical Gospel to Fred Phelps' "gospel" it becomes clear that he is teaching a different 'gospel'. He's traded the preaching of 'Christ Crucified for Sinners' for preaching 'Gays BBQ'd for Eternity'. The irony here is that by preaching 'another gospel', a 'gospel' of wrath, hate and self-righteousness, Phelps is actually sending the members of his church to hell. Scripture gives this ominous word of warning to those who in their self-righteousness believe that they are saving themselves through their keeping of the law:

Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be Eternally Condemned.

Galatians 5:4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.

Is homosexuality a sin? Absolutely. Will there be homosexuals in hell? Sadly, yes and they will share their eternal punishment with heterosexual sinners and self-righteous legalists alike. And hell is a great tragedy because God so loved the world that He gave His Only begotten Son that WHOEVER trusts in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

Therefore, We'd like to ask you to pray AND find a way to combat this hate by sending messages that share Christ's love with Heath Ledger's family and loved ones. If we don't take a stand against this type of hate done in the name of Christ then we will become silent accomplices to Westboro's gross and inhuman sin.

Further Study: For a Biblical look at the correct use of God's Law and the Gospel please listen to this edition of the Fighting for the Faith podcast.

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Update

I had a very nice conversation with Heath Ledger’s publicist this morning and they’ve given us two ways to send our messages of condolences and love to Ledger’s family.

You can send mail to

Heath Ledger’s Family
C/O ID Public Relations
8409 Santa Monica Blvd.,
West Hollywood, CA 90069

or send emails to

Rachel Karten at rkarten@id-pr.com

Comments

[Mrs. Jake]

My heart breaks that the glorious name of Jesus Christ is dishonored by this hate-spewing cult. Unfortunately, they get the attention.

[frank]

Well, quite honestly, Fred Phelps is nuts. I've seen him on tv and even when he's calm his eyes look maniacal. I think he is certifiably insane...no joking or exaggerating.

[Mrs. Jake]

Oh, Frank, I agree with you completely. The saddest thing is, he's got followers.

[Pastor Mike]

Mrs Jake, his only followers are his own family. When I went to Bible College in Springfield, Missouri I had the great pleasure of personally escorting Mr. Phelps off our campus. They were there protesting our college because we were Baptist yet we would not join in their hate fest. Sadly, he probably is right about Mr. Ledger's final destination but this man and his family is so full of hate that they have lost sight of what the Bible is all about. On their website they have changed all of their hymns to be about how much "God hates homosexuals". This is a sad reminder of what can happen to a church when we get so focus on one issue. Homosexuality is a sin just like any other form of fornication, yet heterosexual sex outside of marriage is way more rampant and accepted in our society than homosexuality. But on their website you see no mention of this sin. You also never see on their website where they share that if you are in that sinful lifestyle you can turn to Christ and seek forgiveness. I'll be content with preaching from my pulpit the "whole counsel of God's Word" and let God deal with this wack job.

[Logan]

Three words.

Ignorant Religious Christianity.

[Christy]

They don't believe that homosexuals can turn from their sinful lifestyle, Pastor Mike. These people believe that God hates sinners (not sin, but sinners), and calls anybody that says otherwise heretics bound for hell. This kind of hatred makes me ill.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

[Shannon]

I sort of thought the same thing at first.

I, most regrettably, saw part of Broke Back Mountain, and wish to God I could erase from my memory what I saw. So the first thing that came to mind when I heard of Mr. Ledger's demise was along the lines of "that's what you get".

But, remembering his tiny little girl, and his poor parents (he was only 28), that attitude went away quickly. It's a sad, awful thing all around, and this hateful man should be shot if he actually shows up at funerals with signs like that, which makes me no better than he is, I suppose, but good grief.

Heath Ledger wasn't a "fag" or... is he saying "faggy neighbor"??? or whatever. He made an awful, nasty movie promoting something vile, but as Pastor Mike said - it wasn't any worse than anything else out there. (but it sure was gross)

Whack job about covers it.

And a hateful one, to boot.

[Jim W]

The Way of the Master radio program had Shirley Phelps-Roper on it yesterday (29 Jan 08). That woman is one hate-filled person. Unbelievable! What's truly frightening, though, is that most of us that read or post here and similar sites are seen as just like her, by the majority, and especially by those with emerg*** leanings.

[AndyB]

It's a shame... when you have "love" with no Word behind it, you get the seeker-sensitive/Emergent types. When you have some of the Word with no love behind it, you get the Westboro Baptist Church.

1 Tim 1:5

[Glen]

Fred Phelps has one hobby horse---homosexuality. It it a sin---absolutely!! Is Heath Ledger in hell?---quite possibly! Should be rejoice over that?---NO! We should NEVER be happy when someone goes to Hell!

I can't imagine Jesus picketing a funeral!

[Preston]

Should we be really that surprised by this type of theology. When we look at Calvinism isn't it really the same as what Fred is promoting. Granted Phelps has amped it up a notch or two. But doesn't Calvinism teach men are "born" sinners and all of mankind is born totally depraved?? Then isn't that what the homosexuals also claim? Aren't they reaffirming their born "Totally Depraved" or born gay? Why then do so many so called Christians get so bent out of shape (Calvinist included) when homosexuals say such things? Why are we so alarmed when we see homosexual behavior? Because most of Calvinist can't live consistently with their theology thats why! We have been given not only a freewill, but also been given a natural law that allows us to know that which is right and wrong - in others moral obligation. The problem here is the church needs to rid itself of such ill doctrines such as Phelps and company and also the Calvinist that help seed this vile doctrine!

[Eddie]

Well said in your 'Heath in Hell' commentary.

[Sam]

I'm not a Calvinist, but I would never go anywhere near equating Phelps with the doctrine of total depravity. Total depravity simply means man cannot save himself by a mere "choice" to accept God. Calvinism teaches it is God that has to regenerate the soul before the man can have faith in Christ's atoning work. I personally think faith comes first, then God regenerates the heart, but even that faith, as Paul says, is a gift of God.

The problem with homosexuality is not original sin. The problem with homosexuality is that it is rebellion against God, which we all are guilty of.

You all should pray for Phelps, and disassociate yourself with him, but better yet, you all need to be out on the streets preaching the real Gospel. One of the reasons he has such a platform is because the number of people taking the word out onto the streets is a shamefully low number. Preach The Gospel guys.

[Els]

Preston, you need to study Calvinism more before you make such statements, because you are way off the mark. I'd suggest Dr. Sproul's book "Chosen by God." I'm not asking you to believe what we believe, but at least if you are going to argue against it, you should do so informed as to what the truth is.

[NT]

Preston,

Don't equate Calvinism, Reformed Theology, Historic Christianity -- whatever you would like to call it -- with Westboro. It is obvious that you are sadly ignorant of the tenents of Reformed Theology or the character of the men who have faithfully taught it. Are you really so foolish as to believe that RC Sproul, John MacArthur, John Piper, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, Joshua Harris, CJ Mahaney, Ligon Duncan, Jeff Noblit, Steve Lawson or Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, etc. are comparable to Phelps? You should get educated before you deign to offer an opinion that you suppose is of worth.

[Christ died for sinners]

Wow preston, I really think you missed your Calvinism class.

Calvinism is the name for a systematic, consistent understanding of the gospel that has been championed through church history by Paul, Augustus, Luther, and others. Calivinism is the name of its most current popular iteration. But most of us would just be comfortable calling it "adhering to the gospel" as rigorously defined by Paul mostly in Romans, but also in some of the other letters.

I certainly can't speak for all calvinists, but my personal opinion about homosexuality is that many people have homosexual feelings and desires from a very young age. (Many others simply choose homosexuality because they are flexibly inclined to.) I believe there can be all sorts of factors involved in causing these feelings, including genetic, developmental, and formative. For example there is a striking correlation between a certain genital birth defect and homosexual tendencies in boys, this birth defect is in turn associated with consuming high levels of soy plant estrogens while pregnant. Because this has been such a cultural taboo area to investigate, we haven't really done many studies.
In the future, we might uncover developmental hormonal impacts from things like soy baby formula, which has been shown to alter the menstral cycles of girl babies after they reach adolescence.
Just because there is a homosexual tendency doesn't justify sin.

However, just because there is sin, doesn't mean there is not faith, repentance, and justification. Anyone in the process of sanctification is probably struggling with eliminating some sin from their life. For all we know Paul himself may have had significant homosexual tendencies, maybe that helped him achieve all of his clarity on the gospel. I read a blog by an anonymous pastor trying to overcome his addiction to gay porn that sounded little different from Paul's lament in Romans 7:

"I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate...
So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out...
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing...
For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members...
Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death....

I'm not trying to say that you have to be gay to feel this way about your sin, ultimately, any sin, no matter how insignificant it may seem to the culture should eventually feel this way, as God exposes it to you in light of his holiness. The shocking thing is that the more you deal with what you think are the "big" sins, the more God shows you the rest of you is an even worse slopjar of unwholesomeness, and as you despair of ever becoming even a little bit good, you are turned toward childlike dependence on Christ for your salvation.

I think this is essentially the heart of the calvinist position: despair of ever becoming even a little bit good, which in turn generates greater reliance on Christ and His gospel. Although it is surprising at first to accept that it was YOUR heart Jeremiah was discussing when he said "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.", or YOU that Paul meant when he said "No one seeks after God.", it can be helpful in generating the wisdom and humility to not "Judge the world." as Paul commanded in 1 Corinthians and to spread the gospel since you know the only difference between you and them is what Christ has done for you, and absolutely nothing that you've done.

[Shannon]

Everything is always the mother's fault.

Now they'll be blamed for "making them gay" because they ate too much soy?

Sheesh.

[Christ died for sinners]

Shannon,

Sexuality is not all cut and dry, male and female. While most people conveniently fit into categories of male and female, many do not. Much to the chagrin of many legalists who feel that everything needs a clear definition there are a wide range of sexual deformaties, genetic abnormalities, and developmental defects that create sexual gray areas.

For example, Jamie Lee Curtis is technically male. She was born with female genitals, abdominal testicles, and is chromosomally XXY. After birth, doctors removed her abdominal testes, and she was given hormones in order to develop normally like a girl. She has been raised as a girl, developed normally like a girl should, and lived as a woman.

There are lots of people dealing with similar issues, many of whom have been literally run out churches, do a web search on "Christian Intersexual" if you want to read the sob stories.

I'm not blaming anyone other than the sinner for their sin. I don't blame the mother for the sins of the child.

If a study came out that eating soy while pregnant caused dementia in the fetus after they were all grown up you would not be rolling your eyes. (BTW a Japanese study did find the massive increase for risk of dementia among those that consume over 200mg of soy a day).

But, if some developmental exposure to toxins, poison, or hormones leads to the confusion of sexual feelings and attraction in an adolescent, it just can't be true, because it doesn't match your preconceptions?

A simple look at history reveals a relatively common pattern of male bisexuality (or at least pederasty) throughout both western and eastern civilization. Marc Antony was notoriously galavanting through all the old goats in Rome before he became Rome's biggest womanizer.

Sexual preference for many is simply a fetish or predilection, for others it is a serious addiction, for others it is outlet that allows them to autonomously hate the oppostite sex.

Women who do, have a high tendency to become lesbians later in life, usually following periods of extreme heterosexual promiscuity, or sexual abuse. Women also seem to be able switch back and forth with relative ease.

Men, however, have a much higher tendency to become firmly homosexual very early in life. There are many factors that have been statistically significant in contributing these tendencies:

1) No father present in their life
2) Extremely distant or emotionally uninvolved father
3) Early molestation experience
4) Early homosexual encounter

Although there hasn't been much research, there is no reason to preconclude that hormonal abdnormalities and developmental defects (environmental or genetic) could not also be contributive factors.

In my dorm, at a conservative Christian college campus, there were 6 boys that were gay (by secretive self-description), or later became gay. One of them was virgin, overwhelmed with conflict and guilt from his homosexual attractions. Another viewed his childhood sexual encounters with adults as consensual. I don't believe any of these men have continued to have faith in Christ. While I'm sure a lot of this is do to the hardening of the heart that occurs when someone endeavors into sin, part of it is due to the fact that when it comes to sexual sin, the church is usually all law, and no gospel.

All people, including people that consider themselves gay, need Christ. They do need hear that Christ hates SIN, not SINNERS. They do need to hear that Christ died to save SINNERS, not those that have achieved moral perfection. They do need to hear the Christ calls us to moral perfection, and that we need to repent from our sin, by turning away from sin and toward Christ. They also need to hear that they might not ever conquer their thoughts and desires... but that Christ can deliver them from their bodies of death.

I know I've never conquered mine...

[DerRickster]

I wonder is Fred Phelps is a closet homosexual...wouldn't surprise me one bit. It wouldn't surprise me either to find people like Fred punished more severely in Hell than those who are homosexual or sexual immoral. For they had the TRUTH and twisted the TRUTH for their own agenda.

Shannon, I strongly have to disagree with you on the Paul and the theory of having homosexual tendencies. Liberal scholars make up nonsense like that. Romans 7 is about sin in general not one particular sin.

[Mrs. Jake]

Christ Died For Sinners, very eloquently and thoughtfully put. I've not conquered mine, either.

[Jonothan]

I agree with Christ Died For Sinners in that Calvinism is definitely NOT what Fred Phelps is teaching. This is HATE that he is spewing, and obviously deceiving his congregation, because Westboro Baptist is picketing his funeral. This is not Christianity. The root word of Christianity is CHRIST, therefore, Christians should be like Christ. Do you think that Jesus would have taught this kind of hate against Heath Ledger and his family, and what Fred Phelps calls "fags and fag enablers." Homosexuality is a sin, but it isn't going to make you go to hell any more than other sins.

If Fred Phelps wanted to teach the truth, he would be saying that we're ALL going to hell, so repent.

[TheGuardian]

This family is insane. God is holy and cannot tolerate sin. However He is also merciful. There are consquences to our sin. While Jesus was being cruificed every sin mankind has committed or will commit was laid on him. Paul in his letters commented that some of the members were (note the past tense) homosexuals. That would indicate they were no longer homosexual when Paul wrore the letter.