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Deacon Paul and Me
Oct. 5th, 2006 11:48 amFirst, some background on Protodeacon Paul Weyrich:
http://www.freecongress.org/about/pweyrich.asp
I was raised under the Melkite Eparchy of Newton. Melkites are a mainly Lebanese and Palestinian branch of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian tradition. When I was 15, I went to the Melkite Family Life Conference at St. Anne's in North Hollywood. There, I confronted Deacon Paul on television about his stance on homosexuality.
About three years ago, when I moved to Washington, I twice attended Holy Transfiguration Melkite Church in McLean. It is the closest Melkite church to Metro Washington or Metro Baltimore. It is also Deacon Paul's home parish. When I attended, I was offended and upset by a sermon that said, IN CHURCH, that "Christ cannot be present in a homosexual relationship." The same day, I saw Deacon Paul again, and reminded him of our previous meeting. He remembered me, and was quite nice to me. I was impressed by his ability to be at one and the same time a truly charitable person and a total ignorant fear-driven asshole. It's a rare combination. I felt (and feel) sorry for him.
Needless to say, that parish was not for me. I am now joyfully ensconced in the Orthodox Church in America. I intend to remain there for the rest of my life.
Last night, Deacon Paul was on NPR. He had called for Dennis Hastert's resignation over the Foley incident. But he changed his mind; "Denny" said he'd never heard a thing about it, and Deacon Paul believes him. He says that the real problem was that Rep. Foley was a homosexual, and "Homosexuals are preoccupied with sex." He backed this absurd contention by saying, "Psychiatrists and psychologists who deal with them say so."
As many an old Arab woman would say, with total sincerity and total vitriol, God bless him.
http://www.freecongress.org/about/pweyrich.asp
I was raised under the Melkite Eparchy of Newton. Melkites are a mainly Lebanese and Palestinian branch of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian tradition. When I was 15, I went to the Melkite Family Life Conference at St. Anne's in North Hollywood. There, I confronted Deacon Paul on television about his stance on homosexuality.
About three years ago, when I moved to Washington, I twice attended Holy Transfiguration Melkite Church in McLean. It is the closest Melkite church to Metro Washington or Metro Baltimore. It is also Deacon Paul's home parish. When I attended, I was offended and upset by a sermon that said, IN CHURCH, that "Christ cannot be present in a homosexual relationship." The same day, I saw Deacon Paul again, and reminded him of our previous meeting. He remembered me, and was quite nice to me. I was impressed by his ability to be at one and the same time a truly charitable person and a total ignorant fear-driven asshole. It's a rare combination. I felt (and feel) sorry for him.
Needless to say, that parish was not for me. I am now joyfully ensconced in the Orthodox Church in America. I intend to remain there for the rest of my life.
Last night, Deacon Paul was on NPR. He had called for Dennis Hastert's resignation over the Foley incident. But he changed his mind; "Denny" said he'd never heard a thing about it, and Deacon Paul believes him. He says that the real problem was that Rep. Foley was a homosexual, and "Homosexuals are preoccupied with sex." He backed this absurd contention by saying, "Psychiatrists and psychologists who deal with them say so."
As many an old Arab woman would say, with total sincerity and total vitriol, God bless him.
