Sometime ago our family had lunch with a genuine biker dude. He was covered in tattoos, fully clad in leather, hairy and kind of dirty… but he was a GREAT guy! We really enjoyed his company, and our girls just loved him!

During our conversation I asked him about motorcycle gangs. He said, “Bikers talk about the ‘One Percenters.’” Most bikers aren’t gangsters waiting to run you off the road and slice your throat.”

According to my friend, only a handful (e.g. 1%) are really that bad. The fact that you ride a loud motorcycle, sport some tats and don’t shave does not  mean you are a thug. In other words, most bikers are not thugs.

In case you haven’t heard, there is a group of people at a “church” called Westboro Baptist Church. These people are thugs. They stand outside of the funerals of fallen American heroes and shout shameful slogans. They make harmful and unhelpful comments about homosexuals and any other number of people with whom they disagree.

Today the Supreme Court ruled that they have the right to do these things (a ruling with which I agree… but that has to do with free speech, the constitution, etc. and is a conversation for another time). The ruling guarantees that these thugs and bullies will continue to carry out these mindless protests.

As a follower of Jesus and a pastor, I want to go on record and say that this church and these people are “One Percenters.” They are fringe and do not represent the Church nor her leader, Jesus. They do not represent me and neither do they represent any Christian that I know.

They are thugs and misrepresent Jesus, the church, and Christians around the world and throughout the ages.

Westboro Baptist Church is to Christians and the church in general what Hells Angels and other violent biker gangs are to good men and women who ride bikes… loud, minority and false representatives of the majority.