@@christophercoddington7607 I wouldn't hold your breath on her changing. She is evil to her core. Praying for her just let's her continue to behave that way.
@@gentlemanfox1326 Gays shouldn't be murdered or hurt or attacked but told the truth. If they continue in that particular sin they won't inherit the kingdom of God. I won't inherit it either if i dont stop my sin either. Its the sins not the "gay community" that God wishes you to repent from if i dont repent. SATAN doesn't discriminate. He wants us all in hell with him.
The smart and decent thing would be to reconnect with your children and grandchildren! Surely being a good mother > pride. But I agree with other comments she is a victim and shes brainwashed.
@@petergreen2552 you mean the brainwashing is. We dont know what happened in her childhood. Megan was only saved cause she had the internet to connect with normal people. Shirley never had that, I doubt shes ever been shown proper compassion in her life.
@@burnedflowers141 I've seen enough of her and that ghastly family on TV programmes down the years to conclude that their "beliefs" have poisoned their minds and made them figures of hate. They know full well the hurt they are causing. There's no place in any by heaven for them" even Satan is thinking twice. 😵
To emphasize is not the same as to forgive. She's a human whose made some awful choices and she's feeling it. There will be no change for her until she can see that. The problem with some very religious people is not so much that they don't view others as human, but they can't view themselves that way. They think they're above the consequences of that reality. I believe the popular term for this is "spiritual bypassing,"
Four - I’ve read Megan’s book on the church. There was an older son, Josh, who left in the early 2000s. Then Megan and Grace, and then Zach. UPDATE: And now also Noah, who you may remember as the little boy from the Louis Theroux documentary on them. The children remaining: Sam, Rebekah, Isaiah, Gabriel, Jonah and Luke.
Please break away form this church Shirley!!! We will accept you, you’ve caused pain and harm, but there is forgiveness if you seek it! Your identity is not in the church but is from god who is LOVE. There is always a second chance for those who want it.
Do you really think Shirley would jump out of the frying pan into the fire. How could she believe in any god that apparently inspires such hate and suffering, not just for those that Shirley has touched by all religion the world over. If they can totally distort gods message then she must know every religion is doing it. No one of you is better than the other.
@@Potterhead50 Any human being has the capability to change, even if the likelyhood of it happening is very low. I'm not saying she should have no consequences for what she has done to hurt many, many people but we should still leave the door open for her to escape the toxic religion and mindset that she was brainwashed in since birth.
I used to see pure evil in this woman’s eyes, now all I see is pain and regret. I never thought I’d say this but I really do feel sorry for her. I hope one day she realizes the errors of her ways and can heal her broken relationships.
same here, I can't believe that people like her and Fred, who I once saw as pure evil - you can slowly pull back the curtain and see that they are just normal people who are brainwashed and scared.
The thing about extremism is that it is like an intense flame of hate and anger where the moment it goes out the people who were extreme become exhausted because they just spent their whole lives hating and full of anger where now all their energy has been blown out and they don't know what to do to light the flame again.
Well obviously. They all do. You don't just switch off if you love your kids. And most people do love their children. It's human nature. But it's their cult isn't it. It comes before everyone and everything. They are not just doing it because they are evil nasty people. They truly believe this bullshit. They believe what they are doing is for the greater good. And emotions like love or pity do not matter. That's what a cult mentality does.
I have no sympathy to anyone who gives up there children for a god who loves you conditionally, we’re as her children loved her unconditionally who knows they may still love her.
@@Demonoicgamer666 if you refuse to have sympathy when someone is in pain, especially if that pain can be clearly seen as a struggle between indoctrination and nature, then you are no different than she is - or perhaps used to be. How someone thinks tells you much more than the details of what they think. Your pattern is no different than her own.
@@ryguy7392 you’re forgetting she is a parent, you won’t know this but I am not. However I know enough to say good parent’s don’t give up she has given up, if she wanted her children back they would be there but her belief is more important than her own kids to her so until she has a break thought she doesn’t deserve it. If she’s unhappy she needs to change it. There is a saying “you must lye in your bed the way you made it.” Until she says I f*cked up no sympathy from me when she abandons the cult she’s in she gets my respect.
@The why not gamer no one is expecting you to let her cry on your shoulder. But keep in mind that her father was very abusive and he indoctrinated all of his children into this cult and she truly believes, or she used, the things she preaches. She doesn't think she's evil. She's not a comic book villain. We saw here, for the first time ever, real human emotion. Her daughters leaving may he the tipping point. And since this documentary, another child has left. So she's lost almost half her children to this cult
This actually makes me feel compassion for Shirley, she's been fighting someone else's war so long and there's no denying it's turned out awful for her.
@you It's not that. It's becasue the ever-charming Steve Drain, along with 7 other guys, decided to enforce a strict interpretation of the scriptural inferiority of females.
@@ThePlataf Don't get me wrong, there is a lot to forgive where She is concerned but it's a start in the right direction for Her to change Her ways if She gives Herself that chance.
@@delduvall How can she change? That would be to admit that her father was an abusive mongrel and she's wasted her life screeching her shit at passers-by, and sniffing endlessly to find faults with non- WBC members, and condemning them all to Hell.. If she changes, she will be forced to leave the cult. She has too much invested in it to leave. As I said, anyone who can gloat over a baby being burned alive is utterly vile.
@kalico kat That's like telling a person of colour that they can't forgive a former KKK member because they were never directly hurt by the KKK. It's like telling a Jewish person that they can't forgive a former Nazi because they were never in the Holocaust. A hateful group of people can still affect others, even if those people never were *directly* harmed by the group
I truly believe she’s crying because she feels deep down that her whole life is a manifestation of her father’s horrible ministry and it’s keeping her permanently where she is. And seeing her children leave is subtly making her recognize how awful her life is now in the Church.
I’m close friends with Shirley’s son Zach. He’s a former member of the cult and he’s a wonderful, compassionate, humble, loving human being. He’s nothing like the hateful members of WBC. He does nothing but advocate love, tolerance, and acceptance for everyone. He’s a great guy. He told me how the members believe in corporal punishment (child abuse) and he constantly felt terrified. I’ve never seen Shirley show so much genuine emotion here. I think she’s settled down a bit and is slowly realizing her religious beliefs aren’t more important than the relationship with her children. I may be wrong, though.
Jacob Harrison Believe me, I know the story. Shirley actually cried hysterically when he announced he was leaving one morning. He said he was done with hatred, he was done with Topeka, and he was done with them. She actually begged him not to leave. But to the public, she tries to act like she doesn’t give a shit whether or not her children leave. Lol. That’s so untrue. But he wants nothing to do with her. He called her toxic.
It's not a freaking cult. The very fact her son could leave shows it's not a cult. People are not allowed to leave cults and when they do, they get stalked.
@@heatherhorsfall1343 So is your sad little life. You are apparently too stupid to realize that you have been brainwashed as well. Or do you actually think your parents are the only ones in the world who have a completely neutral outlook on life and hold a monopoly on life's unanswered questions? Dumbo.
@@heatherhorsfall1343 Even as you're attempting to speak positively you are spewing hateful venom all around you. Who are you trying to fool honey? It's just a comment thread.
When she said "they're my... they were... were my children" and then looked away... She used to have a crazed determination in her eyes. She used to have what she thought was a purpose. Now she's lost 3 children and she's broken.
Not to get on my high horse but even after the first documentary around ten years ago I said Shirley was a victim of mental abuse herself and in turn it has been passed down the generations. Fred Phelps is the one to blame for this. I hope she has the strength to leave.
shes showing so much pain. i just hope someday she can accept that others dont hate her. we feel bad for her and want to love and forgive her as god does.
@@Aeorocks She has been an asshole and a rude spectacle. She has not perpetrated 1/1000 of the moral transgressions of the punk in the White House, and she is obviously in pain, and probably confused, because she was malformed by a brutal lunatic. Maybe her heart will soften.
@@Aeorocks it doesn't excuse her behaviour and i can't forgive her but she was brainwashed since she was born. I get why people still hate her. I'm not sure I like her either, even after this but I just pity her.
That sadness in her eyes is unmistakable. If she left that church today and gave this all up I would give her a big hug and forgive her for all the awfulness she’s done. Go be with your children before it’s too late, Shirley.
This is the first interview with a parent of a child that left WBC that actually showed emotion at their child(ren) leaving. I can't help but feel pity for this entire situation - especially for the children.
She lost two kids (and maybe a third, not sure), plus nieces, nephews, her father, and her hope. Her mom is getting older, now, too, so she could be moving on soon. I used to be completely afraid of her, but seeing her like this, I realize what she has been through. No, I don't agree with her (AT ALL), but, I see her as a bit more human. Jael, too. Jael gave an interview where she describes her job as a nurse, and she starts to cry. It's weird, my heart breaks for what they lose when they leave, and the pedestal they are trying to stay up on.
There have been other interviews where people have asked her how she feels about her kids leaving. She typically says something to the effect that it doesn't bother her, but you can see in her face and voice that she's not being truthful.
She might feel trapped. People who are deep into Scientology often resist leaving because the church is their entire life, and she might feel the same. Like she would be trashing all her responsibilites and her father's legacy. She seems very depressed, I hope she can find help.
@@floridaman2000 You don't have to be a dope or smoke it to have compassion for other human beings that are trapped in a no win situation. If you look at it from her point of view or anyone that was born into any fundamentalist religion or cult, or I would go as far as saying any religion at all,. Almost all of them are in that position because some one made that decision for them as a very young child. The religion and family is their life. Everything is bound up in it. For them to leave that means a whole lot of ongoing suffering and when you think about it it's not fair. None of them asked to be born into it, they also didn't ask for the brain washing they suffered for most likely their entire lives. Just like any other religious person they think they are right fighting. They believe they are called to spread the word. They think that they are saving people from their own wicked ways. They have been taught to think that a whole lot of suffering in this life buys you piece and happiness in the next. Just like any other religion. Their MO and message is the same, it just comes in a more brutal package.
@@NJSMKMMS She's the mother of children. How any mother can laugh and rejoice when another woman's baby is burned alive in a bushfire is beyond my imagination. She's a woman who openly rejoices when other women get breast cancer. She revels in it! Now, maybe i could find an excuse for her if she was some hillbilly living miles from 21st century society, but she's a lawyer, she has college degrees, she is not a backward ignoramus, she's IT -savvy, so all the more shame on her for behaving with such utter lack of human feeling.
I'm not defending any of the ways the entire family, not just Shirley, got the public's attention, not at all. I recall being horrified by it when I watched the very first BBC doco about it. I suppose, I was just as disgusted as the next person. However as I have kept up with the family I have been able to understand the family and various recruits far better than at the very start. I might remind you that all fundamentalist religions, at least the ones that I know of have the same basic message and that is if you do certain things you will burn in hell. It's only the delivery of the message that differs. The Phelps family are just far more blatant about it. Do you blame other religious people for the views they hold, just because they are not so in your face about it? I honestly think you are fooling yourself if you don't. They are all just as gleeful as the Phelps family to see you burn in hell, just because you don't agree with them. You get into heated arguments with enough fundamentalist religious fanatics and you see these very same sentiments spew forth. My main point and reason for commenting on this at all is because I see the ways all religions brain wash their subscribers. If you are going to point the finger at any one in particular then why not go for Fred Phelps. Although blaming him< I think is also very limited. For the purposes of this argument though we can blame him far more easily than we can blame Shirley. Shirley was obviously fed this rubbish from day dot. She was obviously isolated from any clear and logical thinking outsiders (which is a well known tactic for any religion you would like to mention) Shirley might be the most intelligent person on earth but being isolated from the free thinking world and fed a steady diet of hate from the most influential and powerful people in her life.The likelihood of attention and or praise for conforming and deliberate abuse if she didn't, in childhood. Then as an adult not trusting the outside world. Perhaps even hating outsiders and lets face it like her own children she was most likely treated terribly by them, just for the crime of being different Having her whole extended family and religion bound up together, as tight as any family could possibly be, when there is no one else. All keeping watch over one another, under constant threat of being exposed as not being totally faithful to the religion and Gods mouth piece here on earth, her father. Having hoards of her own children that she had to stay around to nurture and that kept her in the fold, even if she did have doubts, how the hell else would you expect her to be in any way different that what she was? Now that her father had shown real doubt in his religion in his last days and proceeding to pass away Shirley's rock in this world is no more. Everything she ever believed in is in a state of flux. She seems to have been toppled as the mouth piece of the religion and others have taken over. It seems there have been dramatic changes in her fathers absence. The woman is obviously struggling. Not to mention that she has already lost many of her children. At a time she is at her lowest ebb, I can most clearly see her struggle. She is a human being, just like any one else..I can see she is conflicted but making changes when she is so low is as hard if not harder than it has ever been.
I've seen Shirley in a lot of interviews talk the words her father taught her. I've never seen her as humbled until now. I listened to her brother Nate's words on how Fred punished them if they stepped outside the scripture and it was brutal and sad. Shirley is a product of her environment, and I just wanted to hug her.
please leave shirley. your children obviously love you and want you in their lives. and yes horrible shit was said and done but so many people out there are forgiving. i remember watching old videos and it was difficult to not be angry at you but watching this was so much harder. the pain is much more evident here than in the other videos. please leave and be happy with your family!!!
I've never seen her this humanized... for lack of maybe a better term. Did I spend my teen years hating these people? Yes, admittedly. Did I spend most of my adult life so far hating these people? Yeah, same answer. The issue was, looking back, I thought I hated everything about each one of them, from the signs to their existence. Since then I've grown to see that if Megan was brainwashed into this nonsense, since she'd been doing it since she could hold a sign... is Shirley the same? Is she just a brainwashed person who never did see the light? Do I really hate the person? My answer would have to be, now, no - I don't hate the person. I hate their message, I hate the belief... and I hate what Fred Phelps must have done to those people since they were kids (brainwashing, for lack of a better term... or maybe it's the best term, idk), to grow them up with this much hatred and intolerance. What loving parent who knows better does this to a child? Now I see this video, and see how Shirley reacts when being asked about her kids leaving (I remember an interview, or a few, for a year or so after, and Shirley was so cold-hearted about it, like - they're gone, they stopped believing, oh well, they'll go to hell as well. I think she even said that in an interview on a few occasions. Now though, seeing this, I'm wondering if she ever does question her convictions and beliefs in the years since.
Planet Sidewinder Gaming A really good comment. Agree with everything you say above as I felt the same developing the way I see them and Shirley in particular.
It's a difficult question for her because she thinks she's doing the "word of God" but at the same time, her children whom she raised all these years have been leaving or "rebelled against God" from her perspective. She is emotional because she believes her children are on the way to hell but in another instance, she probably wonders what it would be like if she left with them.
the fact that someone caused nothing but harm all her life to other people now everyone wants to feel sorry for her? are you on crack? drugs kills the brain cells #dontpeeinthegenepool
Michael Hutchinson right? She chooses not to associate with them cause they left her cult. Megan would be glad to speak to her but she chooses her cult over her own child.
This is heartbreaking. And also a very strange feeling to want so badly to give Shirley Phelps a hug. She’s never known anything but her father’s beliefs. They aren’t evil. They are just indoctrinated. She looks so vulnerable here, so human, that it’s impossible to not feel the ache she has for her kids.
Everybody is indoctrinated in something. These people seem to have the same religious beliefs that the average rural person in the 1920s would have had. People cannot fathom Christianity being taken to such a literal and hardcore extent. But people still do.
I think she has always been human. I think society has painted nothing but an angry woman yelling on the streets and not caring to know anything else besides the controversial signs until this moment.
This hurts my heart. It looks as though she’s fighting to hang on to the self she’s been indoctrinated to be, but has become so exhausted from the heartbreak of losing her loved ones that the mask is slipping. Even when she’s asked “would you care to enlighten me” and she replies no, not even a second later she sort of painfully smiles and nods her head a bit like she desperately wants to pour out all the pain and doubt she’s held inside. And yet she cannot or will not because she’s pushed such feelings away for so long. It’s like she’s becoming disillusioned with the whole thing, but she just can’t bring herself to say it out loud because it’ll become real. And this is made especially scary to her because of what she believes in and what she’s been taught, that she’ll be tortured in the afterlife for leaving. I really do feel for this woman, despite all of the things she’s said and done. She is a victim of a cult, and one that her whole family belonged to at that, which makes it all the more personal and therefore harder to leave. But it’s never too late. It seems her children who have left miss her terribly, and it’s obvious Shirley loves and misses them deeply. I don’t know man. The whole thing is devastating.
sharon anderson me too. I was in it from 2 years of age to 2017, when I turned 22 is when I got disfellowshipped and it was weird how all of a sudden these people you grew up with and shared food, gatherings, and laughs see you dead in a heart beat. Talk about feeling cheated
Kaibo101 I was talking to whom I thought was a close friend of mine about my opinion on certain standards of the organization that I wasn’t on par with. Word got out and the elders found out and they had a meeting with me and they asked me if I was willing to “adjust” my attitude towards “the Bible’s” standards. I told them straight to their faces that I have a mind of my Own, and I refuse to “adjust” my thinking to theirs. So they announced I was disfellowshipped at the next meeting, and I got up, and left. To this day, I’m a ghost to those people. Which is totally fine. It hurt like hell, but it felt good to not sugar coat my perspective anymore.
I’ve just finished reading Megan’s book “Unfollow”. And when you read it you realize just how much Shirley loves her children. I hate her message, but I don’t hate Shirley. We’re all a product of our upbringing. Imagine being a young child and getting taught all those hateful things actually thinking you’re helping people. You don’t stand a chance because you don’t know any better. I hope she’ll find the strength to leave and reunite with her children. It’s never too late to do the right thing.
My heart breaks for her. She was raised this way and knows nothing different but you sometimes catch a glimpse of humanity in her. She is a very hurt human.
I have always been fascinated with Shirley. She has always been so strangely charismatic and funny, despite the chaos she has caused. And as a gay person everything in me should hate her, but I can’t. I never have hated Shirley. I’ve always known she is a deeply brainwashed, disturbed person, but there was a genuine love and humanity within her. And this really shows it. Despite what she says, her soul is being tortured. She is so intelligent, it baffles me how she just doesn’t get it. She is so close to breaking through but I’m really afraid she never will. I hope she does though, because I really believe (and this sounds crazy) that Shirley Phelps is a good person.
One of my little personal proud moments was watching the original documentary and actually really liking Megan in spite of everything. I didn't guess she'd leave but I felt vindicated for liking her. Now she's left the WBC I can see the good in her Mother came out stronger in Megan.
@@lina-zz9kk as someone who was raised Christian, I don’t understand this obsession with the Bible. There are sacred books in many religions like Islam and Judaism, the Bible is one more of them. I don’t understand how you can believe in it, it’s just nonsense with mesmerizing made up stories, society would be terrible if it were to follow such a book that believes women that have sex (consensually or not) outside the marriage should be stoned to death and other nonsensical rules
Shirley, I have seen numerous interviews of your daughter since she left, she is an absolute delight, a loving human. I don't know her, but I am so thankful that she woke up and walked out. That would have taken enormous courage, it's obvious that she loves you dearly and misses you. It is also obvious to me, being a father who adores his own daughter, that you were born into a very unfortunate situation, being taught from day one that your dads way was the way. The man was a mere mortal, not a god, not to mention that the bible was written by common men too, not by god. The tears you shed during this interview snippet tells a great deal. It not too late for you and its not your fault.
I am so moved and surprised to see the beautiful outpouring of forgiveness in the comment section, and how willing we all are to embrace her and forgive the pain she's caused. Thank you so much to all of you who can open your hearts in such a brave and loving way. I swear to God this is what humanity needs to repair. I promise that this is where good happens and I love you all. I forgive Shirley.
I read abou this scene, when people from the church saw this, they wanted Louis to remove this scene, but she said she no and wanted this scene to be shown
Poor Shirley. She is so broken from her family being torn apart. Megan’s reaction to her sister and brother’s engagements later in this doc was equally hard to watch
Omedchazak613 yes- Surviving the Westboro Baptist Church. There was a reddit page that posted it but I can’t seem to find it. It was on the BBC first- not sure if it has aired on US tv yet.
I never thought I’d see Shirley cry. Her inner pain and suffering is really starting to manifest itself and she is nearing her breaking point of how much emotional agony she can bare.
I think that after decades of being brainwashed by her parents, abandoning some of her children, and being hated by so many people, she’s finally realizing the church is wrong.
Gordi V what the fuck are you talking about?? lmfao you sound schizophrenic she said nothing about bossing people around she’s just asking what would happen if she left😂😂 the girl you’re replying to is clearly not an old woman either lol, seek help
Shirleys entire identity is the WBC. She’ll never leave, she doesn’t know a life outside of it. I hope she breaks protocol to reconnect with the kids she’s lost, and maybe see that there is more to life than preaching hate.
Break away Shirley ..and I hope you read this. Even though you have shown so much hatred to us in the past, we will embrace, forgive you and love you. That is God, that is love.
Her mother's heart is hurting, that makes me sad. Lord have mercy on her, she means well. Holy Spirit reveal the truth to her, she is a very smart woman. Let's pray for her.
No, this has nothing to do with praying. What you don't realize is that you are also brainwashed in believing that prayers and an imaginary man in the sky will answer your calls and wishes. Dead with reality and not make believe.
@@Danimal77 I agree that prayers don't do anything but it's cruel to take away that coping mechanism from someone. It scares and mostly baffles me that the concept even works, but it just does. Humans are spiritual by nature and there will always be religion, whether we like it or not.
Even though she has said some awful things in the past, like most of the younger members (many of whom who have left) I have always felt Shirley had a more human side to her unlike her sister Margie Phelps or father Fred Phelps, or even Steve Drain who seemed genuinely nasty and narcissistic. I got the sense from watching many of her lesser known interviews that she was in "WBC mode" largely to please her father and now she seems to be just going through the motions. Now her children have left her she is emotionally crippled and broken and clearly wants to see them again but is far too afraid of the consequences of it/set in her ways. Suppressing that much humanity for decades must be exhausting. *edit* As of March 2021 her son Noah has also left the church!
She definitely had a side to her that was kinder than her sister Margie, Fred Phelps or Steve Drain, but you also have to remember she headed the church for much of its "glory days". She herself participated in tearing apart families by excommunicating members of the Hockenbarger family. Her sister Margie is just straight up mean, but also very smart. Shirley has both a kind and nasty side. It wasn't merely about attempting to please her dad, the venom she spewed was something she truly believed in.
@@OhMaDayzz Well said. Shirley is guilty of countless nastinesses towards her own clan and outsiders, which is why I have zero sympathy for her. "As you sow, that you reap." Steve Drain is an arsehole extraoridinaire, a wannabe who has to content himself with being Zod in that tiny cult.
@Skunky Stinkerson You're right about Zod joining to exert control- he found his element and forced his family into it. Now he's an "elder", if you please, bullying other members of WBC. They deserve each other.
Honestly I got super infuriated watching the remaining WBC Phelps women submitting to a bunch of mouth-breathing idiots like Steve Drain. LOL I know that sounds like missing the point: yes obviously I abhor everything the church has to say about pretty much everything, that's a given. But Shirley and her daughters have always been really strong and smart and powerful even when they're being hateful. Megan is an astounding young woman and demonstrates what they're all capable if they escape.
Personally, I believe Steve Drain to be a raging narcissist with a strong desire for power and control. He revealed his true colors by making the bid for power with the “council of elders” backing him up.
I never, in a million years, thought I would want to hug Shirley Phelps. She is mentally disturbed, brainwashed, and a victim in her own right. She causes a lot of harm, but a lot of harm has been done to her, too.
I’m praying for Shirley to find peace in the genuine love of Jesus Christ, a love that is open and welcoming to all people and a love that’s fully capable of granting forgiveness. It’s clear she’s hurting.
Random Random Well, that’s expressive. I know the things she and her family have done. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve respect. She’s lost everything because she was afraid of losing everything. She has done terrible thing, I completely agree. But that doesn’t change her situation, nor the fact she needs love right now. Maybe, just maybe, by giving her love and compassion she can see a way out.
@@johndoe8114 he's telling the truth, belief in fairy tales is highly damaging to the human psyche, look what happened when her daughter left... became an atheist pretty much.
Blufor 4014 she also acknowledges that they twisted the Bible terribly, and aren’t a good representation of faith. I’m sorry that whatever going on in your life or whatever has happened causes you to call something that means a great deal to others as fairytales. I hope that changes for you
@@Blake4014 Shirley wasn't lucky enough to live in the time of twitter, when she was young. They sheltered all of their children and brainwashed them into thinking the entire world was against them and what they believe. When that is how you are raised .... and you communicate with NO ONE else, you have no chance to see the wrong in it. It's not like she decided from age 50.
A mother always loves her children 😢 I've been following the events & activities of this family for some time and the one family member I think that those of us who take the time to learn about this family are more drawn to b/c of her genuineness in love is this woman. There is one in particular member out of the whole group that you can see has a lot of love that overrides the bitterness. I suspect others would say the same if they took the time to observe. 💗
Wow, can I just say beyond this video of Shirley, of which I echo everyone’s comments. I am so joyful to read and see all the goodness and love coming from the RU-vid world! I had just about lost faith in humanity in 2020, but your willingness to forgive and encourage the wellbeing of someone who has done such sick and egregious acts; is uplifting. It really is the good that we need in this world!! 🥰
@@Joshua-dc1bs Exactly!! If they can be so cruel to their founder, what would they do to her if she stepped out of line? They all monitor one another constantly. It must be like living in North Korea.
@@tomismop yup you're right when Louis asked her back in 2011 if all of her kids left if she were too leave but she still said that she wouldn't leave bc she fears going to Hell.
4 года назад
@@Bella-Mae0422 yet the sad thing is according to her bible, her being hateful will take her to hell 1 john3:15"Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. "
It’s nice to see emotion from her. Puts into prospective that she is also human. Sad to know that the pain she feels is the same pain she laid unto others who buried their dead children and she may never actually understand that.
I hope one day she will be able to face her children and open herself up to them. They may be grown but they still need their mama and I know she still needs them. I hope that she doesn't die keeping them away. Even if she doesn't agree with them and that she still believes in her way of thinking, I just hope that, at the very least, she doesn't continue to act like they're dead to her. They're still your children Shirley and they still love you just like I know you still love them.
But she loses the other 8 children still in the church. Not to mention hundreds of nieces and nephews. She’ll never be able to hold her grandchildren in her arms again.
Seeing her cry and listening to her pain because her children left makes me cry shes Human and she's a Mother and it shows ! I hope she can receive forgiveness from those she has hurt and offended and I hope she finds peace in her heart.
I recently broke away from a cult led by my father. He didn't promote genocide or anything like the Westboro Baptist Church promotes (but he did not like anyone of the LGBTQ+ community and called me a d*ke and other slurs on multiple occasions), but he did teach me and my siblings that we were not actual people and that the world was going to end and that everyone we loved was going to be burned to ashes and we would be forced to carry on the population (which I've been avoiding thinking about the implications of ). Luckily with the help of some lovely people on the internet and my own real life friends, I was able to break away from his brain washing and control. When I look at Shirley, she scares me because she reminds me so much of my own father but she also scares me because she is what I could've become if I hadn't broken free. She's probably as much as a victim as her daughters are, but she also became the abuser too. It's the cycle of abuse and it's utterly terrifying. I hope that she eventually works herself out of the brain washing her father forced her through and I also hope that she apologizes what she put her children through.
I feel really bad for her. Growing up, I’ve learned to hate her. Now after watching this, I empathize with her. I hope she can break from this church and be a real person.
I have so much compassion for Shirley and her kids who have left. It is very painful on both ends. She isn't a Monster. She has feelings and pain like any of us. I hope one day Westboro will reunite with ex members, even if it means they have difference of beliefs.
It was telling that father Fred never attended these picket protests. Instead, he sent (mainly) the women and children. Must have been nice for Fred to collect 10% of everyone's earnings and not have to work. When you hear Shirley or any member speak, it's really Fred talking. Can't begin to imagine the physical abuse that went on in that house. Funny part is they tell the world they are going to hell but in the docus the members think they are going to hell too. Praying for u Shirley that you come to understand the true grace and mercy of the Lord God.
You actually think they made money with those pickets? That's pretty dumb. And if you want to pray for someone just go somewhere quiet and pray. You don't have to announce it and inform other people about it.
I’m praying for Shirley. She was a image of pure evil in my childhood, a teenager who loved to rage at evil people. Now she seems broken and alone. If I could meet her I wish I could give her a hug and tell her it will be okay. I know she never accept but it’s strange to see a villain become a victim as I’ve grown and learned about humanity.
The level of forgiveness Shirley would receive if she would only surrender her pride would be so immense. The world would forgive her, I know it. She can turn all of that hateful indoctrination into something positive and healing. I hope she can make a change before it’s too late for her.🙏🏽
You know, Shirley was abused emotionally by her deranged father. She has perpetuated that brainwashing onto her children and other people in her family. They all need help!
I'm stunned by the empathy displayed in the comments section. I'm a lifelong Kansan who has been shouted at by Shirley Phelps while picking my husband up from work at Ft. Riley. WBC was a partial cause of the suicide of my best friend in 1992. They picketed 6 funerals I attended. I should hate them. But when Fred Phelps died, I couldn't rejoice like so many of my native Kansans. Maybe it's bc I knew what it felt like to see someone rejoice while I grieved. I hope that she, too, can step out of Fred's shadow of hatred & Love a just a Little bit more. 💝
She needs to meet with her kids in private somehow. They can show her the wrongs of the church and maybe she'll finally come to her senses..... Watching this video and you can tell something is different about her and the first time she's shown any emotion other than hate and anger!
This just shows she’s human like the rest of us. She’s made many mistakes that she regrets but she’s trapped in a cage of self righteousness. I hope that some day she finds peace in her soul.
When I was a teen I felt mostly anger and disgust towards the people in the Westboro Baptist Church but as I get older my feelings have changed. They had planned to come to my town to protest after a school shooting at a local college but thankfully ended up not showing up b/c they were given a chance to do a radio interview the same day. They did have a protest 3 or 4 years later but it only consisted of 3 adults and 3 children. As angry as I had always been towards them before, seeing 3 little kids standing down the street holding up these signs that they probably didnt even understand just made me want to cry. I know they hate everything about me and think I'm part of what's wrong with the world but I still can't help but feel sorry for all the kids raised in that church. They were born into it and don't know anything other than what their parents have taught them.
I always knew she had a heart. She is such an interesting woman, fascinating. I actually don't believe she hates anyone, including gays, in fact, she probably likes them. It's a role she plays. All a game.
After watching Louie's other programs surrounding the church, I've come to realize in their own really fucked up way, they do genuinely think what they're doing is good and that they're trying to help people that handle the "truth." They're also defensive because everyone hates them. Louis honestly should be applauded for getting this out of them. Screaming angrily at them and returning their hate would never allow someone like Shirley to speak candidly about her sadness about her kids leaving on camera like this.
@m0reb3it No, she's not waking up- her way of thinking is to accept all calamities as God's will. If they happen to her, she snivels and sobs. If they happen to other human beings, she laughs and rejoices.
I just think of all those times the WBC have arrived home after a long day on the pickets, tired and exhausted... whiles grieving mothers who have lost kids are laying in bed with a massive hole in thier hearts.. thier lives completely destroyed.. Thank the Westboro Baptist Church for giving us Megan..
I was beyond scared of Westboro as a young closeted bi man. But I'm 32 now, and I can feel her deep sorrow which makes me feel bad for her. Her own mind is causing her all this pain.
Where fundamentalism can take you. Any ideology can be taken to autistic extreme, it is the nature of human beings to do so. I mean look at communism, I'm sure when Marx was concocting it he never would have foreseen the deaths of 100,000,000+ people in 20th century as a result of his ideology.
@@PURPLE.REIGN.1999 The fact you think a person's opinion is invalid just because you don't agree with them is the reason so many Democrats like me will be voting for Trump in 2020. We don't want to fall in line with the rotten libs anymore!
@@lrdenn73 ROFL. Facts and Democracy apparently don't matter to you. Oh yes, and having a President that follows and respects the Constitution doesn't matter to you either.
First time I’ve ever saw real, raw personally driven emotion from her! She clearly loves her kids and misses them dearly. I really wanted to give her a giant hug when I saw her get upset! She can have both her faith and her family if she wants to! It must be tough for her, she’s a strong, independent, successful woman, she could have it all ! If she’s ever reading these comments, I wish you well , be open minded for your family’s sake but still have your values! You can have both!
Upset of this degree is healthy considering the situation. It wouldn’t be good if she was so ruthless even her children’s abandoning her didn’t distress her. I think this is actually the most mentally healthy I’ve ever seen Shirley.
@@OneFabFisher Well, I am not a psychologist but I am a neuroscientist. She should come down to my lab and let me do an MRI or PET on her. It would be quite revealing, especially alongside a K10 test.
This is her punishment for unquestioningly inflicting so much misery on grieving families, and for all of her church’s awful deeds. If she won’t reject the lies she was taught and express remorse for the hurt she has caused, then may she grieve until her dying breath.
From a Christian to a Christian, i love you Shirley Phelps Roper. And I Hope that you will break away from this prison of hatred which has wounded you as it has so many others
I have had the sincere pleasure of meeting and befriending Meghan Phelps. And I would swear that she is one of the gentlest and sweetest souls I have ever met. If her mother would just f..ing let go of the hate, she'd be happy too. You see on this video a very miserable woman who is smart enough to know that she personally may have been wrong. If she were to let go, life would change for the better. PS: Meghan gets choked up when she speaks about her mother. There is absolutely no hatred there at all whatsoever.
There’s still good in her I see it now. A tiny glimpse, a ray of light. Come to this side Shirley and be reunited to all of your family, it’s never too late.
I've never seen so much true, unbiased, caring love in a comment section. Even with the cruelest of people, others want them to see the light and to better themselves. It truly give me hope for the future of this nation and the world as a whole.
My heart breaks for this woman. She was dealt such a bad hand. Even her father gave up in the end and needed to stop carrying so much hate around. It consumes a person in the end and he wanted to let in a little bit of love for his fellow humankind. Bless him. I hope this lady will see the light of the god that I belief in, who doesn't hate, but who shows compassion and empathy. Who guides with understanding and love. I pray that she will see the light and be reunited with her children. It is so heartbreaking.
