Westboro Baptist Church to Picket Elizabeth Edwards Funeral

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church, known for its anti-gay protests at the funerals of U.S. soldiers, plan to protest at the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards, the estranged wife of former presidential candidate John Edwards, The News & Observer reported Thursday.

“She INSISTED upon her son’s death, an unremitting disease raging in her body, a whorish husband bringing their family to open shame, & now her death & final judgment,” a press release from the group reads, referencing the 1996 death of Edwards' son in a car accident and John Edwards’ affair with videographer Rielle Hunter.

“When they were visited from the Most High God with the death of their 16-year-old son, they did not humble themselves before His mighty Hand,” the statement said.

Elizabeth Edwards died Tuesday at the age of 61 following a six-year battle with cancer. Her 16-year-old son Wade was killed in a car accident in 1996 and she will be buried next to him Saturday at Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh, N.C., following a funeral service at 1:00pm local time at University Methodist Church, also in Raleigh.

The Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church believes that the misfortunes of the U.S. are due to God’s wrath for failing to follow a doctrine that condemns gays, Catholics, Jews and others, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The group has picketed tens of thousands of funerals and other events. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in October on an appeal by the father of a fallen Marine who wanted to sue the group for attacking the character of his son.