As CNS News reported yesterday, Westboro Baptist Church, a virulently anti-gay organization that has picketed the funerals of US soldiers killed in Iraq, had threatened to picket the funerals of five Amish teenage  girls recently murdered in an act of mass violence in a Pennsylvania high school.

'State-based' divine retribution ?

[ CNS News ] The Westboro Baptist Church -- described as a hate group by the Anti-Defamation League -- has made a name for itself by picketing the funerals of U.S. troops killed in Iraq. The troops are dying as punishment for America's tolerance of homosexuality, the group says.

The Westboro group says the Amish school girls were "killed by a madman in punishment for Gov. Ed Rendell's blasphemous sins against Westboro Baptist Church.

"Gov. Ed Rendell -- speaking and acting in his official capacity to bind the State of Pennsylvania -- slandered and mocked and ridiculed and condemned Westboro Baptist Church on national Fox TV," the group says on its website.

Today, however, the Kansas based church group has stated, on a Pdf file available on its website, that its planned picket of the Amish funerals has been called off.

The statement reads:

"In consideration for having WBC's representative on the Mike Gallagher show, from 10 AM to 11 AM, Thursday, October 5th, WBC has cancelled the above picket."