The first image that pops up on Google Images when I typed in “why religion is bad”, is a young boy holding two extremely radical and hateful posters. The poster in his left hand says “GOD HATES YOU” and in his right, “YOU’RE GOING TO HELL”. As the viewer’s attention is drawn to his bright red shirt, it reads “GodHatesFags.com," a URL that captures the entire idea of why he is holding these very extreme posters. The boy, looking no older than six years of age, has blonde hair and a massive scowl on his face. This picture, taken by photographer and journalist Kevin Seele for the Arizona Daily Star, has gone viral through out the entire nation, and has spilled over into other countries. The big question arises, who is this boy holding these posters, and why is he holding them?

When I typed in the URL on the boy’s shirt, it lead me to the home website for Westboro Baptist Church, located in Topeka Kansas. Westboro Baptist Church was built and established in November of 1955, but didn’t become well-known until their first protest against homosexual activity at Gage Park located just a few miles from the church. However, this was just the beginning of thousands of protests nation wide. Their first well-known protest that got the nations attention was at the funeral of Matthew Shepard in October of 1998. It was reported that over 100 members of Westboro Baptist Church picketed at the funeral, holding massive and hateful posters very similar to those that the boy is holding in the initial image. Beginning in 2005, followers of the church began picketing at the funerals for American soldiers, claiming it was God’s way of punishing the nation for its tolerance of homosexuality. In fact, the protests became so extreme that over nine different states enforced laws against protesting within 150 feet of a funeral.

In 2006, Jeff Brown founded the Patriot Guard Riders, an organization that protected families from protests at the funerals of their loved ones who died serving in the army. However, these laws and organizations didn't stop Westboro Baptist Church, as their protest numbers increased exponentially starting in 2005. By 2009, the church reported that they had participated in more than 41,000 protests in 651 cities since 1991. One of Westboro’s followers estimated that the church now spends over $250,000 a year on protests and picketing.

Organizing and leading these very extreme protests up until his death in March of 2014, was Pastor Fred Phelps. Phelps and his followers frequently picketed various events, such as military funerals, gay pride gatherings, high-profile political gatherings, university commencement ceremonies, performances of The Laramie Project, and mainstream Christian gatherings and concerts with which he had no affiliation, arguing it was their sacred duty to warn others of God's anger.

To gather more information from primary sources, I made a call to Westboro Baptist Church on February 12, and asked them a variety of questions to hopefully get some much needed answers on why they’re so extreme. Caroline Adersman, a woman who has been attending the church since she was a little girl in 1964, answered my call. I proceeded to ask her three basic questions: why they are so extreme with their protests, what influenced them to begin the process of picketing at funerals, and what kind of message it sends to others about Christianity and their church. Within our 30 minute phone conversation, Caroline answered all of my questions very honestly.

"Our protests are our way of conveying God’s message that homosexuality is a sin. Many churches these days are beginning to accept homosexuality, and that is very concerning to us because it is specifically stated in the Bible that it is an immoral behavior that is not tolerated by God. Pastor Phelps was tired of the common toleration and decided to do something about it, and many of us stand by him and admire him for the incredible ways he leads our sermon and members of our church to Christ.” My final question Caroline answered in a very long and general way, but overall stated that the Bible was written by the influence of God and the Holy Spirit, and anyone who doesn’t follow the Bible exactly does not deserve to make it to heaven. “We [Westboro Baptist Church] take a lot of pride in our religion and in our devotion and love for Jesus Christ. It’s our duty to spread His word, and we have every right to do it as we wish.”

When I first saw the image of the boy, I was flooded with emotions of anger, fury, but most of all, sadness. The fact that these kinds of posters are being held that spit such hatred towards a large group of people around the globe leaves me dumbfounded. As someone who has a gay aunt, it is my personal opinion that the homosexual lifestyle is not one that is a choice. You’re either born that way, or not. From the time I was born to the time I was thirteen years old, I attended church on a very regular basis. I went to Sunday School, participated in VBS (Vacation Bible School), and even traveled to other cities for church retreats.

When I got old enough to attend regular service with the adults, my personal relationship with God and Christianity changed. I can remember sitting in service and our Pastor talking about how sinful and horrible the gay lifestyle is. I started thinking about my aunt, and how incredible of a person she is even though she’s gay, and began to question if Christianity and the word of God was something I completely agreed with. It wasn't until my senior year of high school that I dove into my own research on Christianity, and other religions around the world. Homosexuality was a big part of my research, and Westboro Baptist Church came up thorough out the course of my research multiple times.

As someone who is now Agnostic, I don’t quite know what the afterlife holds, or if there is a God. But if there is, I would assume that he loves and accepts all humans and creatures, no matter their color, gender, or sexual orientation. I find that the use of posters and picketing at funerals is extremely despicable and horrifying. If anything, phrases such as “God hates fags," “You’re going to hell," and “God hates you” are all very demoralizing towards Christianity, and are a terrible way of conveying the word of God to others.

The other part about this photo that I disagree with, is the fact that it is a young boy that is holding the posters. When I was around that age, I went to church because it was what my parents wanted me to do. I wasn’t necessarily sure what Christianity was or who exactly God and Jesus were. It was just apart of my daily lifestyle that I would go to church every Sunday.

To me, forcing religion on young kids is a way of brainwashing them. Instead of allowing them to grow up learn about faith and various religions or beliefs on the world we live in themselves, they are told to believe a certain way. And if they don’t, they will go to this horrible place underground that is full of fire, lava, and never-ending torture. Instead of spending forever with Jesus, it is lead by none other than a dark red man with teeth of razors and two pointy horns, with a spear for a tail, and who walks around holding a pitchfork and fiery steam coming out of his nose. It’s all the hatred and negativity in this photograph that upsets me the most. Teaching young children to be so violent with their actions and words, and to be extremely unkind to others who aren’t like you will only reflect badly on our country, and will only teach them to grow up being an angry and unfriendly person.

As for Westboro Baptist Church in general, since the death of Pastor Phelps in March of 2014, there hasn't been much more said about them on social media or the news. Although they still protest and travel to various cities on a regular basis to picket, I’m hoping that some of the local and federal laws will keep them far enough away from harming any other families or causing disturbances to others while they mourn the loss of a loved one or are simply participating in a public day of pride.

Over dinner one evening I decided to talk to my dad, who is a very devout Christian, about how he felt towards the issue. He responded by telling me that he and his other fellow friends who are believers, as well as his Pastor at Foothills Bible Church in Littleton Colorado, find that the work and protests of Westboro Baptist Church are absolutely despicable and horrific. “What they (Westboro) are doing reflects so poorly on Christianity and just Christians in general. I love my country and the people who fight for it everyday. The deaths of those men in women are in no way a sign from God that we are too accepting of homosexuality in America. And although I may not agree with the homosexual lifestyle, it's not my job to tell someone who they can and can’t be.” After my conversation with my Dad, I have come to realize that they are an extreme from the reality of what Christianity truly is. Even though I am no longer a Christian, I feel bad for those who have been judged so quickly for being Christians due to the terrible things Westboro Baptist Church has done.

It is no question that Westboro Baptist Church is full of extremists and what I’d like to call “radical Christians”. During the course of my research, I am happy to say that my opinion of them no longer impacts my view on Christianity and other Christians as a whole. It pains me to see pictures similar to the one I have used, with people who look so angry and hateful. But, at the end of the day, I’m happy to know that Westboro Baptist Church and the people who attend it are only a small percentage of a very extreme side of Christianity.