When Twitter users discovered the doctored photos she agreed that church members committed the sin of bearing false witness. [10] At 13, Phelps-Roper was debating Westboro Baptist Church sceptics in the church’s chat rooms[8] and was an active member of the church’s logistical and legal operations. Megan Phelps-Roper was raised in the Westboro Baptist Church - the fire-and-brimstone religious sect at once aggressively homophobic and anti-Semitic, rejoiceful for AIDS and natural disasters, and notorious for its picketing the funerals of American soldiers. She lives in South Dakota. [10] She works with law enforcement agencies to give her perspective on deradicalizing members of extremist organisations and counterterrorism. [1][4] Church elders encouraged the children to memorize Bible passages that the church used to justify the group's protests and provide counter-arguments to people who disagreed with them. To request permission to reuse content, email editor@streetroots.org. However, she opposes social media companies that block users and remove their ideas from their platform, and she wants companies to hold public debates on controversial ideas so users can learn about them and decide the best arguments for themselves. [8], At age 13, Phelps-Roper was baptized into the Westboro Baptist Church by her grandfather. They stayed at the home of a Hasidic rabbi and his family and discussed theology with them. Phelps-Roper: I wish there were, and there might be, but it will certainly take some convincing on my mother’s part. Did this stand in the way of making friends at school and college, and how did you navigate teenage life without a network of girl pals? 15.2k Followers, 614 Following, 215 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Megan Phelps-Roper (@meganmarie) A former member of Westboro Baptist Church, Megan Phelps-Roper is now an author & educator on topics related to extremism, bullying, & empathy in dialogue. My little girl is 14 months old now, and I completely reject that idea that I need to physically hurt my daughter to teach her anything. She also uses Twitter to monitor changes in the church's beliefs and to learn new information about her family's personal lives. in Nebraska", "How One Woman Left the Hate Group She Grew Up In", "Lady Gaga Is 'Devil Spawn' in Westboro Baptist Church 'Telephone' Parody", "Granddaughters of an infamous homophobic U.S. pastor find grace in Montreal", "Granddaughters of Westboro Baptist's founder recall fleeing the church", "I Love You, America is chock full of empathy and naked people", "Long Time Leaving: PW Talks with Megan Phelps-Roper", Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope, leaving the Westboro Baptist Church, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Megan_Phelps-Roper&oldid=1000014383, Former members of the Westboro Baptist Church, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 13 January 2021, at 02:37. She was taught the Westboro Baptist Church doctrine and at the age of 13, she was baptized as a member of the church. Megan Phelps-Roper is an American inspirational personality, author, blogger, and former spokesperson of the Westboro Baptist Church.She became a member of the church since the day she was born as her grandfather was a pastor of the church. Phelps-Roper: Cults have a lot to recommend them: an intense sense of community, of purpose and sanctity and identity, a promise of reward, a comforting sense of certainty in a chaotic world. [31] She is a member of Twitter's Trust and Safety Council and advocates overcoming disagreements between political and religious groups. She grew up in Topeka, Kansas in a compound with other members of the church. If you’re interested in talking to other influencers’ representatives, along with members of the Megan Phelps-roper management team, The Handbook contains over 127,000 verified influencer contacts for planning events, interviews and promotions. Megan Phelps-Roper To anyone who feels moved to help or share the gofundme set up by Maria’s family, thank you so very much. McMurdock: What did Louis Theroux think when you contacted him to say you’d left Westboro? Is there any way the two of you could lay your differences aside to just be mother and daughter? Details on Megan Phelps-Roper's book tour for UNFOLLOW: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church [1], Another point of contention for Phelps-Roper was how decision-making within the church changed. Grace (left) and Megan Phelps-Roper, former Westboro Baptist Church members, picket the 2010 Academy Awards (Flickr: k763). [5][15], In 2019, Phelps-Roper appeared in Louis Theroux's third documentary about the Westboro Baptist Church Surviving America's Most Hated Family. She is now committed to reaching out to people that she affected during her time with the group, including Jewish communities, homosexuals and the families of soldiers. [8][11], When Abitbol discovered they left the church he invited Phelps-Roper and her sister to visit Los Angeles. She disclosed her thoughts to her sister Grace, who convinced her to stay in the group. [6][7] Despite describing herself as an obedient child who worked hard to win the approval of her parents, she was regularly spanked during her childhood and teenage years. Those negative thoughts about people don’t really happen anymore and haven’t in a long time. Receive responses and to learn new information about her experience in the.! The word `` cult '' to describe the Westboro Baptist church ( WBC has... 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