Before watching this short documentary on the Westboro Baptist Church, I already had my own prejudices about their so-called "religious organization": I thought what they were doing and preaching was deplorable and really sad. Now that I have known their beliefs more intimately, I can better and more informatively piece together my personal opinion of them. What I understood about the Westboro Baptist Church from this movie is that they are completely narcissistic. They truly believe that they are the only ones destined for heaven and that everyone else who disagrees with them will eventually go to hell. There is nothing in between, no middle ground. You are either with them or against them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the opening minutes of the documentary, Louis Theroux, the BBC reporter, asks Shirley Phelps, the daughter of the founder of Westboro, if she considers herself to be in a cult (9:40). She defensively replies that she doesn't care about "all that nonsense" regarding the accusation of being a cult and that "we are the ones who strictly adhere to the doctrines of faith of all the main religions." I don't believe it. that their behavior is purely religious as their core ideologies are based on sociopolitical positions. From extremely dehumanizing homophobic views to the belief that Barack Obama is the antichrist and will lead the apocalypse. What I found interesting was that their views were in line with those of white supremacists, but throughout the film is their apparent hatred for the United States and the flag. In some parts of the film, you can see them hanging the US flag upside down and tying their feet to show that they are walking on it. However, there is no extreme public uproar over these “anti-patriotic” acts, unlike when Colin Kaepernick peacefully protested what the US flag represents by kneeling during the American pledge. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay One question I would ask a group member to better understand their religious motivations: What are the paths they must take to achieve salvation? The documentary focused more on the hatred involved in the organization, but didn't touch much on what makes their religion different from others. Is yelling these disgusting and discouraging insults and statements a way their God will save them from going to hell? What constitutes for them the fundamental aspects of religion such as the soul, the self or forgiveness? Overall, I believe the attention Westboro Baptist Church receives is what drives them to continue expanding their hate and prophecies..