The death of Fred Phelps is a good occasion for saying gentle, nonaggressive things about tolerance, which is what we all seek, if we are people of good will. I've seen many good photos and quotations on Facebook over the last day. Amos posted a photo of a smiling, gentle Dalai Lama with this quote:

Whether one believes in a religion or not,
and whether one believes in rebirth or not,
there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate
kindness and compassion.
Amen.

Fred Phelps was a talented, dynamic man who appeared to be full of hate. But his hatred led many people to go in the opposite direction - toward kindness, tolerance, and compassion. His Westboro Baptist Church had 40 members - it was certainly not a megachurch. Their hatred inspired compassion and tolerance in the hearts of countless thousands. May his troubled soul finally rest in peace.

-Joe Offer-