Dozens of counter-protesters showed up at two South Whitehall churches and two others on Sunday where the controversial Westboro Baptist Church said it would picket.
Westboro Baptist Church's threat to protest at two South Whitehall churches and two Allentown ones on Sunday was, in the end, an idle one. The controversial church known for its extreme views on homosexuality and protests at military funerals, was a no-show. But the Kansas-based church rallied a diverse crowd that included a Sunday school teacher, a cigar afficionado club, motorcyclists in chaps and college students, to get up early on a frigid Sunday morning to publicly and peacefully take a stand against Westboro's message of hate and intolerance. Westboro's potential presence here was enough to get Ryan Bitler, 22, of Bethlehem, out of bed and attend his first protest. Bitler is a Pennsylvania National Guardsman who served a year in …
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First Baptist Church
1808 N 19th St, Allentown, PA
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/locations/8641070
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Asbury United Methodist Church
1533 Springhouse Rd, Allentown, PA
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Westboro Baptists did not show up at Asbury United Methodist and First Baptist churches in South Whitehall, or two Allentown churches, Sunday morning but counter-protesters were there in case they did.
Update: 10:45 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 20 Westboro Baptists do not show up at First Baptist Church in South Whitehall, which was the group's fourth targeted church in the Lehigh Valley. South Whitehall Police Lt. John Christman, who is at First Baptist, said, "It’s a non-event. It’s been non-violent. It’s more social than anything." As for the controversial Westboro Baptists, he said, "I feel fortunate they didn’t show." Counter-protesters came to First Baptist, as they did to three other churches earlier Sunday, turning out in case Westboro Baptists did show up. Many carried signs against hate. There were two South Whitehall police cars and several officers at the church location. Update: 10:20 a.m., Sunday, Jan. 20 Counter-protest group at the…
Pastor Mike
10:35 am on Monday, January 21, 2013
they do not care to come to Allentown PA, they still get the same media attention they thirst for without actually traveling here keep it up and give them what they want with no cost to them it would be better if the media did not promote their activities and let the local police handle the situation on an as needed basis more ›