Table of ContentsIntroductionHistory of the Westboro Baptist ChurchThe First AmendmentIs it right to place limits on the Church?LogosPathosEthosConclusionIntroductionWhen the majority of people think of the Church, they think of the Bible, the teachings and people greeting each other in an atmosphere of love and acceptance. But there are also those who are a little more controversial, thus having opinions and feelings different from those of the traditional Church. This article will discuss the Westboro Baptist Church to include the history of the Church, the First Amendment to the Constitution relating to the Church, considerations regarding the boundaries of this church, the Logos, Pathos and Ethos in relation to this topic, and a conclusion that brings all the information together. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay History of the Westboro Baptist Church The Westboro Baptist Church was incorporated in the late 1960s and is a non-profit organization. Church members consider the church to be a Primitive Baptist church whose leader, Fred Phelps and his family, make up the majority of the group's membership. The Church has no official affiliation with what are considered traditional Baptist churches (ADLs). Members of the Westboro Baptist Church are protesting such things as the fact that Jewish institutions across the country include Israeli consulates at synagogues as well as Jewish community centers. This group also distributes materials at protests, including anti-Semitic flyers that are used to let people know where future planned protests will take place. In 2010, the group began sending anti-Semitic DVDs to Jewish organizations and leaders. DVDs have also attacked President Obama by portraying him as the Antichrist. The group has targeted homosexuals, Catholics, and other Christian denominations that the organization considers unorthodox (ADL). The group said it believes the majority of Americans and American institutions are committing sins by planning to target any individual or organization at will. The group announced a planned trip to Britain in 2009 and visited Canada in 2008. In Canada, the group demonstrated at the funeral of an individual murdered on a Greyhound bus. Canadian authorities attempted to prevent the group from coming to Canada, but the group claimed to have managed to evade patrol officers (ADL). The First Amendment One of the most important documents created in American history is the United States Constitution. The Constitution is important because it protects individual liberty by placing the power of government in the hands of the citizens who live in the country. An amendment to the constitution that is relevant to this article is the First Amendment which has several annotations. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution states that the United States Congress shall not pass any law which does not respect the establishment of religion, or which prohibits the free exercise of, or abridges the freedom of expression or the press or the right of people to peacefully assemble or petition the government for redress of grievances (Findlaw). This amendment allows for freedom of religion, which is an important part of the American concept of freedom. Although the First Amendment cannot be used to violate fundamental laws, the free exercise of religion is not considered toleration but a natural right (Findlaw). Is it fair to imposelimits to the Church? Because of the First Amendment to the Constitution, there is no legal way to impose limits on the Church; however, it is somewhat confusing whether Westboro Baptist Church is actually a church or simply a group of people with similar concerns. Although the organization has incorporated itself as a nonprofit, it doesn't really behave like a church. According to Hitchcock, the separationist clause of the First Amendment is fundamentally general, with some states maintaining church-state relations that later constitutional doctrine has deemed unacceptable. Regarding religion, the First Amendment contains two clauses, the second confirming the free application of religion; however, the scope of the free exercise clause is not. There are no restrictions on religious freedom, except in extreme cases, including the Mormon practice of polygamy which existed in the 19th century (Hitchcock). Some might believe that this group is closer to extremists than to being a member of a church. Logos When discussing the Westboro Baptist Church, there are three different perspectives to consider to include the Logos (logic versus reason); Pathos (emotional appeals or appeals to the heart); and perspectives Ethos (ethics/credibility/character). These three aspects can provide a rational view of the Westboro Baptist Church and its purpose. Logos is about logic versus reason, because logic is a fundamental description of cause and effect. When considering reason and logos, reason is not defined because it is a process that transcends logic. The word reason is translated as “The Word” being associated with Christ the Son of God with the paradigm of LOGOS which is the source of reason. Throughout Scripture, Christ, the Son of God, is described in the form of love and not hatred (“LOGIC versus REASON”). Yet the Westboro Baptist Church member says hatred of God is one of his sacred attributes, with picketing being a form of preaching. The group focuses more on doom and gloom rather than love and peace. In 1998, members of the Westboro Baptist Church sparked a nationwide angry backlash by attending the funeral of a gay murder victim carrying signs reading "No Fags in Heaven” and “God Hates Fags” (“An Anti-Gay Hate Story”). While everyone has the right to believe in what they choose to believe in, the Church is seen as a place of refuge where everyone can attend and be accepted. PathosPathos is about emotional appeal which is considered by some to be the most effective method of persuasion. . Emotional appeals help change people's minds based on their feelings. There are six traditional human emotions to include (“Shot To The Heart”): happiness and pleasure, love and compassion, desire, fear, guilt and anger. Words as well as pictures and music can be used to encourage others, thereby providing a degree of rationality. In today's society, the Church plays a major role because the Church is considered the place where people can go and get what can be considered the "spiritual solution", because the church is considered as a hospital for the sick and not as a simple club for religious people. Throughout Pathos, the church is seen as the place to meet people's spiritual, emotional and physical needs. Even today, many people who attend church literally struggle to meet the basic needs of daily life feeling.