MP
Megan Phelps-Roper
99quotes
Megan Phelps-Roper
Full Name and Common Aliases
Megan Phelps-Roper was born as Megan Phelps, but is commonly known by her married name.
Birth and Death Dates
Megan Phelps-Roper was born on October 18, 1986. There is no record of her death date, indicating that she is still alive.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Megan Phelps-Roper holds American nationality and has worked as a former member of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), an anti-gay hate group.
Early Life and Background
Megan grew up in a fundamentalist Christian family. Her father, Fred Phelps, founded the Westboro Baptist Church, and she was exposed to its extremist views from a young age. Megan's early life revolved around the church, where she participated in protests and demonstrations with her family members.
Major Accomplishments
Megan's most significant accomplishment is leaving the Westboro Baptist Church in 2012 after realizing the harm caused by its actions. She publicly denounced the group's ideology and has since become an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and religious tolerance.
Notable Works or Actions
In 2013, Megan Phelps-Roper co-authored a book with her sister Lauren titled "The Prayer Box: A Novel", but it is not directly related to her experiences with the WBC. However, in 2019, she published an article in The New Yorker titled "My Life After Hate", which detailed her journey away from extremism and into advocacy work.
Impact and Legacy
Megan Phelps-Roper's decision to leave the Westboro Baptist Church marked a significant turning point in the group's history. Her departure was followed by that of several other high-profile members, weakening the organization's influence. Megan has since become an influential voice for peace and tolerance, speaking at events such as the TED Conference in 2017.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Megan Phelps-Roper is widely quoted and remembered due to her unique position as a former member of one of the most notorious hate groups in the world. Her transformation from an adherent of extremist views to a passionate advocate for human rights has made her an inspiring figure, and her message of redemption and forgiveness resonates with audiences worldwide.
As an outspoken critic of hate groups and intolerance, Megan Phelps-Roper continues to share her story and inspire others through public speaking engagements and written works. Her unwavering commitment to promoting love, acceptance, and understanding serves as a powerful reminder that individuals can change and make a positive impact on society.
Quotes by Megan Phelps-Roper
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Even though I was 27 when I left, I still was largely treated like a child, because I wasn't married. My parents, my mother specifically, knew where I was and what I was doing at all times.
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Because of the dynamics on the picket line all my life, I had these expectations of people. It was all the things that I had learned about outsiders from the time I was tiny, that they were evil, that if they were being nice to me they were trying to seduce me away from the truth.
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I always joke about how I get excited to go to the grocery store without permission.
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My family thought - and thinks - very seriously about words. About language and what it means and how it shapes us and how it should shape us and change us.
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Whenever people would speculate about the death of my grandfather it was always this very retributive thing. That they were going to picket his funeral after all the things that he had done to so many other people. That vindictiveness is obviously completely understandable. It would make perfect sense.
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All I could do was try to build a new life and find a way somehow to repair some of the damage. People had every reason to doubt my sincerity, but most of them didn't. And - given my history, it was more than I could've hoped for - forgiveness and the benefit of the doubt. It still amazes me.
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I wrote an apology for the harm I'd caused, but I also knew that an apology could never undo any of it.
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Once I saw that we were not the ultimate arbiters of divine truth but flawed human beings, I couldn't pretend otherwise.
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How could we claim to love our neighbour while at the same time praying for God to destroy them?
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We played video games and read books, and we went to public school. And yeah, we went to amusement parks. We did all of those things, but we also - that was all sort of organized around this nationwide picketing campaign.
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