In a recent case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the membersof a church in Kansas called Westboro Baptist have the right toprotest at military and other types of funerals with their messageof divine judgment on America. The church teaches thatAmerica is corrupt for allowing homosexuality in the country andtherefore God is judging the U.S. by inflicting death (particularlysoldiers\' deaths) and certain diseases on America.

In 2005, the church group picketed the funeral of Lance Cpl.Matthew Snyder (a 20-year-old killed in Iraq) with signs such as\"Thank God for dead soldiers\". Matthew\'s father brought alawsuit against the church. Earlier that year (March 2011),the Court ruled 8-1 that the church had the right to protest atmilitary funerals as part of the guaranteed right to freespeech. Justice Samuel Alito was the only dissenter,arguing that Albert Snyder, the father, was not a public figure andthe actions of the church were not protected under the free speechrights of the Constitution since this was a private funeral. And yet, the church lawyer argued that they were there to get amessage about America to America\'s people and leaders that thiscountry is under God\'s judgment. They won theircase.

offer some of your reflections on the case: Do you agreewith the court\'s majority ruling that the Westboro Baptist Churchmembers have every right to protest at funerals such as that of thesoldier Matthew Snyder? Why or why not? What would beyour moral reasoning?

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The case of Snyder v Phelps raises complex questions about the balanc... View the full answer