Westboro Baptist Church pickets Salem churches

A handful of protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church picketed three Salem churches on Sunday, but counter-protesters showed up with three times as many people to support churchgoers and share more positive messages.

The Westboro Baptist Church is notorious for picketing funerals and for their anti-gay messages. They made stops at the Salem Alliance Church, St. Vincent de Paul Parish Community and Peoples Church.

About six people stood on sidewalks by the churches while singing along to popular music with their own anti-gay lyrics that warned of divine punishment.

The counter-protesters took a variety of measures to mock and minimize the WBC.

Same-sex couples kissed in front of the picketers. A group of metal enthusiasts played Slayer on a boom box to counter WBC's own music and singing. Some held mocking signs that read, "God hates figs," and "Dog hates dyslexia." Others prayed.

At their final stop, Peoples Church, WBC cut its protest short within 10 minutes and drove off as the counter-protesters chased them down Lancaster Drive NE.

Salem Alliance Church executive pastor Robb Childs stood outside to monitor the protests.

He said his church and Westboro have opposite beliefs. While Westboro condemns and judges, Salem Alliance Church embraces all people, he said.

According to the WBC website, the group took issue with Salem Alliance Church's women pastors, its message that "God loves everyone" and that salvation is available to all people.

Keizer City Councilor Amy Ripp, a Salem Alliance Church member of 10 years, wasn't fazed by the WBC's presence.

"The enemy's at work where God's work is strongest, she said.

Matt Steele and Katie Drew stood together facing the WBC picketers, Steele praying from the Book of Common Prayers with an arm raised. Steele said he prayed for healing and the people who have died by suicide because of hateful speech.

"We just believe that prayer is the only thing that can fix this sort of thing," he said.

At St. Vincent de Paul, West Salem High School seniors Brittany Haddock and Haleigh Fischl approached the WBC group hand-in-hand then turned to kiss each other, while supporters cheered.

"Everyone should be able to love who they love," Haddock said.

Fischl said while she isn't religious, she supported people's right to believe what they believe without intimidation.

The youngest counter-protester in the crowd, 6-year-old Thaddeus Patterson, held a sign of a Bible verse. He was accompanied by his parents and grandfather, who joined the opposition group at St. Vincent de Paul.

"I told him that we live in a free country, and people can say what they want, but some people choose to say hateful things," father Tye Patterson said. "And we're going to let them know we don't appreciate that."

Shirley Phelps-Roper, a WBC picketer, said her church's protests are a warning that people will be punished for their sins.

"It's a kindness," she said. "It's loving our neighbor."

The WBC group also picketed in Portland on Saturday, first at a conference for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Christians and then at the Trail Blazers game.

Counter-protesters at the Blazers game had a dance party in the Rose Quarter, after the church group left after less than 20 minutes, according to media reports.

syoo@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6673 or follow at Twitter.com/syoo