Louis Theroux: the Most Hated Family in America

In this programme Louis goes to find out more about the Phelps family who live in Kansas and devote their lives to a religious cult in which they preach hellfire and damnation to the outside world.

Not surprisingly, they believe that they are the only group of people going to heaven and everybody else is going to hell. Soldiers who die fighting for their country, people who have fatal accidents are God’s way of punishing sinners and they are all going to hell.

The clan, including the children, go to various venues with placards saying, “God hates fags” and generally condemning homosexuality in society. One passing motorist strikes one of the children with a carton full of coke and drives off.

Louis talks to some of the children who prefer to make acquaintances rather than friends at school. They are not allowed to have boyfriends and the mother seems obsessed with fornication and promiscuity.

Everything centers on the clans extreme views on the bible and it is sad to see that the children have been brainwashed by the adults. The more hatred that they receive from the public, the more convinced they believe that they are right.

Louis Theroux leaves the family unable to make them see the bigger picture and they remain convinced of their beliefs and look forward to the coming of God’s judgement on the world.