Nate Phelps, son of Fred Phelps, of Westboro Baptist fame, spoke at the American Atheists Convention.
It's a bit of a difficult read, but certainly worth it. Nate Phelps is clearly a good man, and Fred Phelps is to him both monster and father, and his shadow still looms large.
The danger inherent in these messages was not apparent to me until an event that occurred when I was about 8 years old. I recall sitting in a church pew, my father’s voice droning on in the background with yet another sermon about suffering for eternity in a lake of fire, where the worm that eats on you never dies. With an emerging obsessiveness, I’m determined to grasp the concept of eternity. As my mind struggled with this issue I’m suddenly in the midst of a panic attack. Tears come unbidden. The message was getting through.
