Addicted to Hate: The Fred Phelps Story
Brief Background & Table of Contents

Go To: Table of Contents | Cover: Notes from the Anti-Phelps Underground | Court Documents: Original Petition for Declaratory Relief | Introduction: Background and Cast of Characters | Chapter 1: Introductions all Around | Chapter 2: Daddy's Hands | Chapter 3: God's Left Hook | Chapter 4: Dog Days for the Pastor | Chapter 5: The Children's Crusade | Chapter 6: The Law of Wrath | Chapter 7: Nightmare of Twelfth Street | Chapter 8: Over the Wall at Westboro | Chapter 9: The False Prophet

Once upon a time some very nice people, Jon Michael Bell along with Joe Taschler and Steve Fry, decided to write a story about Fred Phelps.

On June 29, 1994 Jon Michael Bell, a former reporter hired to investigate Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church by Stauffer Communications, Inc.,filed a lawsuit in Shawnee County District Court in Topeka, Kansas against Stauffer Communications alleging the Topeka Capital-Journal owed him compensation for overtime and to clarify ownership of his notes and work product. The work product in question, "Addicted to Hate" chronicling the life and times of Fred Phelps, was attached to the lawsuit as Exhibit A making it, therefore, a public document. Learning of the suit, members of Topeka's anti-Phelps underground delivered a certified copy of the lawsuit to a copy shop near the courthouse.

Addicted to Hate, as reproduced here, is the full contents from Addicted to Hate of Exhibit A of the lawsuit filed in Shawnee County District Court in Topeka, Kansas by Jon Michael Bell against Stauffer Communications in June of 1994, Case number 94CV766. It was transcribed into digital form during the course of the lawsuit by persons unknown, and distributed first as pamphlets and then over the internet.

Feel free to copy and distribute this important material. The authors claim no copyright. For additional background and details start with Cover and work your way forward.

• Cover
  Notes from the Anti-Phelps Underground
• Court Documents
  The petition for declaratory relief in which "Addicted to Hate" was Exhibit A.
• Introduction
  The cast of characters, background information, history of "Addicted to Hate" and preface.
• Chapter 1: Introductions All Around
  Where we are introduced to the Phelps family and most of the characters.
• Chapter 2: Daddy's Hands
  We see that Fred Phelps never spared the rod where his children were concerned.
• Chapter 3: God's Left Hook
  A glance back at the early years of Fred Phelps, including his own childhood.
• Chapter 4: Dog Days for the Pastor
  The early days of flock and pastor where Fred Phelps decides that his following is limited because his message is strong and drugs begin to play a part.
• Chapter 5: The Children's Crusade
  Where Fred Phelps decides that a little child shall lead them. His little children. On his behalf. And just where is the money raised going?
• Chapter 6: The Law of Wrath
  Fred Phelps starts to use the Court system to his advantage. Like the energizer bunny he just keeps suing.
• Chapter 7: Nightmare of Twelfth Street
  More on Fred Phelps rather unique (we hope) child rearing techniques.
• Chapter 8: Over the Wall at Westboro
  What happens when the children start forming additional relationships and Fred Phelps starts passing judgment on love interests.
• Chapter 9: The False Prophet
  When Fred Phelps has to stop beating his family into submission and his legal bully pulpit abilities are limited by the loss of his license to practice law.