Why does the Rev. Phelps do it?

I don't understand. The Westboro Baptist Church claims to adhere strictly to the tenets of Calvinism, in particular to the 5 principles of TULIP: mankind is in a condition of depravity because of the original Fall; God chooses who will be saved; those whom God chooses to be saved cannot resist their salvation.

So I take it that, if you are a sinner, then God has chosen not to save you. Or not chosen you yet (but see below--God doesn't operate in real time). If and when God does choose you to be saved, then you will, whether you want to or not, cease to be a sinner. And there's nothing that you or anybody else can do about that.

So what does the Reverend Phelps and his flock think they are accomplishing by picketing funerals? Do they want us to change our ways? Why should they? Our behavior just shows that we haven't been chosen to be saved. And there is nothing that either we or they can do about that. They can't bring any sinners to redemption; only God can do that. So what is the point? Why spew hatred on us? You would have thought that they, as the chosen ones, would have pity and compassion for the rest of us sinners who are condemned to eternal damnation. And condemned, not because of anything we did or didn't do. No we are condemned just because God didn't choose us.

And there's nothing I can do to change God's mind. Because God has known from the beginning of time that he wasn't going to choose me. Makes you wonder why God bothered to create me in the first place. Guess he just decided to be mean to me.

Picked last for 5th grade baseball; picked last for eternity. Pretty much sucks, eh?