Immediately after 9/11, some Lebanese Maronite Christians I interviewed feared that they would be dragged into any Muslim-bashing that might come about because they're Arabs, and many people don't understand that not all Arabs are Muslims. I thought about them just now when I read this story from Florida:
A Marine reservist is facing charges after police said he attacked a priest visiting from Greece who he believed was a terrorist.Police said that Lance Cpl. Jasen D. Bruce, 28, hit 29-year-old Alexios Marakis in the head with a tire iron, then chased him for three blocks.
According to reports, the incident happened when Marakis, who was visiting from Crete and speaks only limited English, got lost near a Channelside apartment complex after performing the blessing of another priest.
Police said Marakis drove into a garage and tried to ask Bruce for help, but that he was instead attacked. Bruce then called 911 during the ordeal and told the operator an Arabic man was trying to rob him, the report said.
Bruce said he was going to take the priest into custody, police said. When officers arrived, they said Bruce told them the priest was a terrorist.
Had Father Alexios really been a Muslim, his (alleged) attacker would have been merely wicked. But it turns out the dude's not only wicked, he's an idiot too.
UPDATE: Ruh-roh! Jasen, who is now implausibly and despicably claiming that the priest tried to sexually assault him, might have been a little on edge about that sort of thing because some beefcake photos of him have turned up on Mad About the Boys, a gay-oriented site (he's not naked, but this isn't really safe for work). To be fair, he might not have known these shots were going to be licensed to a gay site ... but the story does get curioser and curioser.
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hlvanburen,
Sherman, Texas native Russell, 44, walked into a stress-counselling center at Camp Liberty in Baghdad and shot five American soldiers to death. Maybe the military should get rid of any solider who has lived in Texas?
That should read "A few months ago, Sgt. John M. Russell..."
Rod, what happened to your sense of humor?
Patron of a gay bar is beaten to the point of a life-threatening injury by police officer during gay bar raid. Policeman (falsely) claims beaten bar patron made a homosexual advance at him. Rod thinks it's funny.
Lost Orthodox priest is beaten with a tire iron and chased three blocks by a marine reservist who (likely also falsely) accuses his victim of having made a homosexual advance at him. Rod considers it wickedness.
I've never seen an Orthodox priest who wasn't wearing a rather large Cross on the outside of his cassock.
Surely that would have been a clue that he wasn't Muslim?
For someone who was observant, intelligent, and thoughtful, yes.
For an idiot like the yahoo who attacked him, not so much.
Seems on the video the priest followed the marine into the undeground garage of the apartment building. There are beefcake pictures of the marine on a gay website, but it seems the marine didn't pose for that reason, some gays just liked his looks. So, you know, maybe it wasn't the marine who got confused. This priest is a graduate student at Holy Cross, so, you know, 'No English??' Please.
See the link for another story of a greek monk-priest graduate student who molested someone before making sure his would-be partner was gay. All the clergy who voted to expel the offender were fired, and Fr. Karambis was put in charge of the seminary. Fr. Karambis was himself removed later after pictures were released with a gay massuer. Notice also Fr. Karambis received one less vote to be Metropolitan of New Jersey for the Greeks than the winner. This, while the person who got just one vote less than that Fr. Graff, was removed for sexual activity with a minor boy.
So, there is a precedent for big-whopper stories covering this sort of thing up. As well there is a precedent for gay priests being not so smart about choosing who might be sexually interested in them.
It isn't clear the priest is so in the clear. Too bad he got hurt, but he could have done what the marine alleged.
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