Inside Westboro Baptist Church (Photos)

By Melissa Bell



Services at the Westboro Baptist Church. (Anthony Karen)

Anthony Karen, a photographer for Life, spent a week in 2008 with the people of Westboro Baptist Church. Life asks, "Why do they routinely disrupt funerals of fallen American troops? Celebrate the carnage of 9/11? Hail the pain of AIDS sufferers? What, at heart, do they believe -- and what are they like when they're not brutalizing the grief-stricken?"

Some of the things he learned: The church has about 70 members, and almost all are part of the Rev. Fred Phelps's immediate and extended family. The 80-year-old has 13 children -- 11 of whom are lawyers -- and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The church is involved in a highly watched Supreme Court case that will decide whether the protests are protected free speech or intentional harassment that can be banned.

See more photos of Karen's time at the church and read more about his time with the family here.

Currently, the Westboro Baptist Church is creating controversy in Arizona. After the tragedy in Tucson, the church backed down from planned protests at the funerals of victims in exchange for airtime on KXXT-AM, CFNY-FM and "The Mike Gallagher Show" on Arizona radio, despite counter-protests petitioning the radio stations to rescind their offers.



Signs used during pickets in storage at the Westboro church garage. (Anthony Karen)



Fred Phelps's daughter and church spokeswoman Shirley Phelps-Roper holds a sign during a protest at Topeka's Gage Park in June 2008. The Westboro church's first protest was held here in June 1991 after an incident in which, according to Pastor Phelps, a gay man tried to lure his then-5-year-old grandson into the park. The church still pickets at the park on a regular basis. (Anthony Karen)

More on this story:

Westboro Church meets its match in counter-protesters

Court considers Westboro Baptist Church's anti-gay protests at military funerals

Westboro church backs down from protest -- sort of