Editing Fred Phelps (section)

==Religious beliefs==
[[Image:WestboroBaptistChurch Opening.png|thumb|Advertisement for opening service of Westboro Baptist Church, ''[[Topeka Capital-Journal|Topeka Capital]]'', 1955]]
Phelps described himself as an [[Primitive Baptists|Old School Baptist]], and stated that he held to all [[five points of Calvinism]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.godhatesfags.com/faq.html|title=Westboro Baptist Church FAQ, Question 1|publisher=Godhatesfags.com|access-date=July 9, 2010}}</ref> Phelps particularly highlighted [[John Calvin]]'s doctrine of [[unconditional election]], the belief that God has elected certain people for salvation before birth, and [[limited atonement]], the belief that Christ only died for the elect, and condemns those who believe otherwise.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.godhatesfags.com/written/sermons/outlines/Sermon_20071230.pdf|title=Sermon Outline for Dec. 30, 2007|date=December 30, 2007|access-date=July 9, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327111518/http://www.godhatesfags.com/written/sermons/outlines/Sermon_20071230.pdf|archive-date=March 27, 2009}}</ref> Despite claiming to be an Old School Baptist, he was ordained by a [[Southern Baptist Convention|Southern Baptist church]], and was rejected and generally condemned by Old School (or Primitive) Baptists.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ydr.com/living/ci_16259961|title=The gospel according to Fred Phelps|publisher=The York Daily Record|date=February 24, 2014|access-date=March 16, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323210017/http://www.ydr.com/living/ci_16259961|archive-date=March 23, 2014}}</ref>

Phelps viewed [[Arminianism]] (particularly the views of the [[Methodist]] theologian William Elbert Munsey) as a "worse [[blasphemy]] and [[heresy]] than that heard in all filthy Saturday night fag bars in the aggregate in the world".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.godhatesfags.com/written/sermons/outlines/Sermon_20080907.pdf|title=Sermon Outline, September 7, 2008|date=September 7, 2008|access-date=July 9, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327111442/http://www.godhatesfags.com/written/sermons/outlines/Sermon_20080907.pdf|archive-date=March 27, 2009}}</ref>

In addition to [[John Calvin]], Phelps admired [[Martin Luther]] and [[Bob Jones Sr.]], and approvingly quoted a statement by Jones that "what this country needs is 50 [[Jonathan Edwards (theologian)|Jonathan Edwardses]] turned loose in it."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mars-hill-forum.com/forumdoc/m070opgu.html|title=Debate with John Rankin, opening statement|publisher=Mars-hill-forum.com|access-date=July 9, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807155240/http://www.mars-hill-forum.com/forumdoc/m070opgu.html|archive-date=August 7, 2008}}</ref> Phelps particularly held to [[equal ultimacy]], believing that "God Almighty makes some willing and he leads others into sin", a view he said is [[Calvinism|Calvinist]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mars-hill-forum.com/forumdoc/m070quest.html|title=Debate with John Rankin, Q&A session|publisher=Mars-hill-forum.com|access-date=July 9, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014225625/http://www.mars-hill-forum.com/forumdoc/m070quest.html|archive-date=October 14, 2008}}</ref>

Phelps opposed such common Baptist practices as [[Sunday school]] meetings, Bible colleges and seminaries, and multi-denominational crusades.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.godhatesfags.com/written/wbcinfo/memoonthechurch.pdf|title=Memo on the Church|access-date=July 9, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419130119/http://www.godhatesfags.com/written/wbcinfo/memoonthechurch.pdf|archive-date=April 19, 2009}}</ref>  Although he attended Bob Jones University, and worked with [[Billy Graham]] in his Los Angeles Crusade before Graham changed his views on a literal [[Hell]] and salvation, Phelps considered Graham the greatest [[false prophet]] since [[Balaam]].  He also condemned large church leaders, such as [[Robert Schuller]] and [[Jerry Falwell]], as well as all [[Catholicism|Catholics]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.godhatesfags.com/written/sermons/outlines/Sermon_20070617.pdf|title=Sermon Outline, June 17, 2007|access-date=July 9, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327111536/http://www.godhatesfags.com/written/sermons/outlines/Sermon_20070617.pdf|archive-date=March 27, 2009}}</ref>