A woman from America’s ‘most hated family’ has spoken out about the daughter who left behind their lifestyle.
From picketing at soldiers' funerals to spewing the most shocking things about almost every other community out there, there’s one thing that this group constantly touts.
Their faith.
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As an extreme ‘Christian’ family, the Westboro Baptist Church, in Kansas first came to the attention of the world outside of the US after documentary film maker, Louis Theroux explored their way of life in 2007 documentary The Most Hated Family in America.
What he went on to unpack was extremely uncomfortable for many, particularly their views on the LGBTQ+ community.
Theroux again decided to film them in 2019 with the release of Louis Theroux: Surviving America’s Most Hated Family.
But since we’re rounding out nearly 20 years later, it’s time to revisit two members: Shirley Phelps-Roger, and her daughter, Megan, who left the group.
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Born and raised in the Westboro Baptist Church, Megan left her life of religious extremism in 2012 and has used the past decade as an opportunity to educate people on this type of life.
You see, the church founder was Pastor Fred Phelps, who passed away in 2014, but considering his family made up a large portion of the group, his children and their children are still very much active.
Such as Shirley Phelps-Roper, who is arguably the most committed of the members.
When Megan left the group, Shirely took it as well as you’d expect, and the young woman was cut off from the entire family.
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Since then, it’s not gotten any better.
In an interview with the Mad That Podcast, Shirley opened up about her estranged daughter.
When asked how she feels as a ‘mother rather than a preacher’ about having no contact with her children who left the church, she casually replied: “I don’t have a problem with the no contact thing because I’m absolutely crystal clear about that.”
She added: “I’m exceedingly sad I, of course, birthed them and raised them and taught them.
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“It’s exceedingly sad, and on one of the wises is because it would have been better had they not know. They’re in more trouble than the rank-and-file person talking down the street who didn’t know.”
Presumably, what she means is that she taught her children the ways of the church, and because they broke rules from within, they are more at fault (to Shirley) than to a passerby who didn’t know the rules to begin with.
She then said that her children who left as ‘going to hell’ and while she doesn’t want ‘anyone’ to go to hell, it’s ‘not my call’.
Asked whether she ever reads letters from Megan, she said: "Let me tell you what happens to them. They go in the shredder. She doesn't have any more right to reach in here and try and convince us to be a traitor against God than the next person walking down the street."
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Pressed as to whether she's curious about how Megan's two children are doing, she responded: "I'm supposed to be happy that this child, who has crucified the son of God afresh, who's in a terrible place, has now got children that she's going to raise to defy and rebel against God."
Another person who left was Lauren Drain, who joined the church with her family but was banished from the group when she was 21 for talking to a boy who wasn't from the group.
Topics: Louis Theroux, US News
Britt Jones