Something that has always fascinated me is the extremist views of certain religious sects. What is the reason they have come to a certain conclusion about a certain thing? How are their views similar or different from other pious groups? How does their following affect them in day-to-day life? How are these groups influenced or not influenced by changing political opinions on controversial topics such as war and gay rights? Thus, I believe one of the most interesting TEDxTalks is given by Megan Phelps-Roper, a former member of the Westboro-Baptist Church, a notorious hate group in Topeka, Kansas.

The Westboro Baptist Church has made a sort of infamous name for itself in the most recent years. They have been known to praise the death of US veterans in the middle east due to their heavy anti-war stance and have often disrupted funeral proceedings of deceased military personnel. In addition, they are known to have an extreme hatred for homosexuals and anyone that supports their rights and civil liberties.

The reason I find this specific talk so interesting is that it comes from the perspective of not someone who had encountered the group and chose to talk about it, but someone who was once directly involved with and a part of the church and the group itself. I think that having a first-person account of an experience is really important to the overall understanding of the experience itself. Ms. Phelps-Roper provides a sort of primary source for the audience to be able to make valid interpretations with instead of only listening to the words of those that seek to antagonize the group.

Another reason this talk is so intriguing is the fact that Ms. Phelps-Roper mentions humility as part of the reason she left the group. At one point she speaks about “Dave, a person I had been having heated debates with” who came to visit her one day. This stuck out to me because as opposing as their ideologies were, they were still able to have a civil debate about it and over food. This then sets a direct contrast for Ms. Phelps-Roper. “People on the other side were not the demons I had been led to believe they were.”

All in all, this talk both illuminates into the life of a group that is shrouded in mystery as well as emphasizes one of the most important virtues of life, humility.