Ask the Author: Megan Phelps-Roper
Answered Questions (1)
Megan Phelps-Roper
Hi Jenna,
There are many! I write about quite a few of them in UNFOLLOW. They fell into two general categories: (1) internal inconsistencies within Westboro’s doctrines, and (2) emotional arguments about how our protests were affecting people. I feel strongly that because of the way I was raised, the latter had very little chance of changing my mind until I could grasp the former. For more than two decades, many people (both on and off social media) had used emotional arguments, but I had been taught that any feelings we had that contradicted Westboro doctrines were evil—quite literally (“God Hates Your Feelings”). There are a lot more details in the book, tracking how my mind was changed over time, but this is the general idea!
Thanks so much for your question, Jenna, and I hope this helps clarify a bit!
Megan
There are many! I write about quite a few of them in UNFOLLOW. They fell into two general categories: (1) internal inconsistencies within Westboro’s doctrines, and (2) emotional arguments about how our protests were affecting people. I feel strongly that because of the way I was raised, the latter had very little chance of changing my mind until I could grasp the former. For more than two decades, many people (both on and off social media) had used emotional arguments, but I had been taught that any feelings we had that contradicted Westboro doctrines were evil—quite literally (“God Hates Your Feelings”). There are a lot more details in the book, tracking how my mind was changed over time, but this is the general idea!
Thanks so much for your question, Jenna, and I hope this helps clarify a bit!
Megan
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