TV's Frink said:

Insanely insensitive and irritating, but yes, it's a stretch to compare them to people who are (presumably) guilty of an executable crime.

Hmm...

While I know neither of you are actually really suggesting Fred Phelps or his likes be given the death penalty, this subject is something I find interesting and is a road of thought I wouldn't mind exploring... unfortunately, things have been rather volatile when it comes to any sort of opinions on damn near anything lately (I swear this place is about to collapse on itself), so I am hesitant to even attempt to do so.

But, telling my hesitations to take a hike, I do find it interesting that, in general not specifically here, it seems the very sort who strongly oppose the death penalty for, say, serial rapist and murderers, are often the very sort who are quick to say that we'd be better off if guys like Fred Phelps, or various other "Christian bigots" or "hate mongers" were to be executed.

Seems that the deep seated belief that all people are inherantly good and capable of rehabilitation (even when their kicks are getting off inside of someones disembodied neck cavity...) only goes as deep as their judgments on others. i.e. it almost (almost) seems as if I would be considered a person more worthy of death and less worthy of rehabilitation if I went around telling people (to be unnessecarily graphic) that my imaginary entity hated them because they liked to stick their penis in other men's anuses (or have penises stuck in their anus) than I would be if I myself had a fondness for killing people and then sticking my penis in all sorts of crazy places.

One of those two above examples makes me a sick individual in serious need of help (and love and the opportunity to be a better person), while the other makes me a very hateful individual whom the world would be a better place without.