As the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq steadily approaches 2,500, the Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., knows the reason why: gay people.

Wait, what?

You may have seen images in the media of Westboro church members protesting at U.S. soldiers’ funerals. Not because they are opposed to the War in Iraq, but because they believe God is punishing the United States for condoning homosexuality. Their signs read, ‘God hates fags,’ ‘God Hates the United States’ and ‘Thank God for IEDs’ (the improvised explosive devices used by Iraqi insurgents). And they make sure the families of the fallen soldiers see them.

But, Phelps said, these aren’t protesters, they’re preachers. It doesn’t matter to them if the soldier being buried was gay or not; all that matters is the fact that God is supposedly punishing them for ‘accepting homosexuality as an innocent alternative lifestyle.’ How? Phelps wouldn’t say exactly.

‘America knows her abominations,’ Phelps said. ‘They turned America over to fags, and now they’re coming home in body bags.’

Oh, I forgot to mention that not only is Phelps an eloquent poet, but he also only refers to lesbian, gay and bisexual people almost exclusively as ‘fags.’ In fact, the Westboro church’s Web address is godhatesfags.com.

The last thing the families of fallen soldiers need right now are a handful of religious fanatics picketing only a few hundred feet from their son or daughter’s grave, and there are some lawmakers and private citizens who recognize that. This week, the governor of Iowa, Tom Vilsack, signed a bill prohibiting demonstrators from picketing within 500 feet of a burial procession at any funeral. He did so electronically, the first time in the state’s history, while traveling in Iraq in Afghanistan to prevent the Westboro members from causing trouble at a soldier’s funeral in Des Moines. Phelps said Vilsack was a ‘fool’ for signing the bill.

Iowa isn’t the only state pushing for new legislation. Lawmakers in Kansas, Wisconsin, Indiana and Florida are all currently working on bills that would limit the rights of protestors at funerals because of the Westboro church’s actions.

A group of Vietnam veterans are also standing up for the soldiers’ families. The Vietnam Vets Motorcycle Club, with a membership of more than 20,000, uses its sheer numbers to form a human wall between the protesters and those attending the funerals. If the protesters shout, the bikers rev their engines. Think of them as rebels with a cause.

The goal of religious institutions should be to promote acceptance of all people. What good does it do when the basis of an entire congregation’s existence is to promote homophobia? As if preaching hate wasn’t bad enough, belittling the death of one of our soldiers to do so is abhorrent.

Michael McQuitty, chaplain of the Baptist Campus Ministries at Syracuse University, said it is the responsibility of churches to promote their views in a responsible way.

‘You need to communicate in a proper manner,’ McQuitty said. ‘Don’t force people or yell at people so they change what they think.’

Naturally, the Westboro church has the right to say what they want. They can shout, chant and preach their nonsense at any funeral. They can call lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people all the names they want. But at a time that our country is at war, you would think a group that claims to be devoted to the Bible would put aside their war on the LGBT community instead of disrespecting our soldiers.