Washington – Paul Weyrich, a man who worked away from the limelight to galvanize conservative Christian political advocacy, died Thursday (Dec. 18).
Weyrich, 66, co-founded the now-defunct Moral Majority with the late Jerry Falwell and served as the first president of the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based conservative think tank.
“He was key behind the scenes in establishing the religious right,”
said Jerry Falwell Jr., who succeeded his father as president of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. “I think he recognized that there were people in many different faiths who shared the same moral values and he saw the need for a coalition to pull those groups together.”
Weyrich, who served as a deacon at Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek-Catholic Church in McLean, Va., used that coalition and others to advance policies, such as the maintenance of the anti-abortion plank in the Republican platform.
“Paul Weyrich fought tirelessly for three decades to protect the pre-born, preserve traditional marriage and ensure that people of faith had a voice in shaping the public policy that affected their lives,” said Focus on the Family Chairman James Dobson. “Had there been no Paul Weyrich, there would be no conservative movement as we know it.”
At the Values Voter Summit sponsored by the Family Research Council in 2007, Weyrich urged grass-roots activists to fight efforts to resurrect the Fairness Doctrine, which would require broadcasters to give a portion of their airtime to opponents’ views.
“The reason I am here is because I want you to talk to radio station owners, particularly those who carry news talk programming,” he said at that Washington meeting. “It’s going to be up to you to inform them.”
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said Weyrich was a Washington fixture who didn’t lose his fighting spirit despite his battle with diabetes. Two years before the summit appearance, Weyrich underwent surgery for amputation of both of his legs.
“He didn’t over-intellectualize about Christians `jumping into the fray,”‘ Perkins said. “He recognized early that the fray had jumped onto us. … Paul Weyrich was the first to show us how we could effectively petition our government for redress of our grievances.”
Through his 35 years of work in Washington, including his role as president and chairman of the conservative Free Congress Foundation, Weyrich gained the respect of supporters and opponents.
“I don’t think there’s anyone who knew more about grass-roots organizing or how to organize grass-roots conservatives to make a difference in political campaigns and in public policy,” said Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. “It was always about the cause, not about personal profit or personal gain. He was someone who was dedicated to the cause of conservatism.”
Interfaith Alliance President Welton Gaddy, who differed with Weyrich on many issues, nevertheless credited him with sharing a concern for the proper role of religion in U.S. politics.
“The religious right has lost a leader and strategist,” said Gaddy. “The nation has lost a patriot. And, I have lost a friend.”
By Adelle M. Banks
Religion News Service
Copyright 2008 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
Beliefnet
Advertisement
posted December 18, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Paul Weyrich might find redemption during his next incarnation on earth.
posted December 18, 2008 at 7:50 pm
His accomplishments would indicate maybe there is a Satan. Without him we’d probably have caught Bin Laden and not spent 4,500 of our troops needlessly in Iraq and already be doing something about global warming and perhaps not have spent the last eight years split against ourselves. He was apparently a very effective power grubber but not a useful person for his nation.
posted December 18, 2008 at 8:03 pm
“He was key behind the scenes in establishing the religious right,”
said Jerry Falwell Jr.
I didn’t know that members of the ‘religious right’ reffered to themselves as such.
posted December 18, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Previous post was mine.
posted December 18, 2008 at 8:08 pm
My older part of the family and old friends have made it to heaven without his help, they of course were Lutherans. I’m still trying to figure out why he was considered a patriot. Do you know why nnmns?
posted December 18, 2008 at 8:32 pm
I would not consider him much of a patriot. Perhaps his heart was in a right place, which would indicate his brain was way off. But people get to call whomever they want to patriotic. Hence the farce a few years ago when people wanting to get our troops embroiled in Iraq as fast as possible were called patriots and those who wanted us to think first were called traitors. It’s a tool people use to get other people to do stupid things, and it worked.
posted December 18, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Personally, he was no patriot as far as I can tell….more like a person who took this country BACKWARDS.
posted December 19, 2008 at 7:14 am
Thus always with tyrants….
posted December 19, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Now if the rest of the religious right would shuffle off this mortal coil. Where’s the rupture err rapture when you need one. The world would be improved with fewer religious fanatics.
posted December 19, 2008 at 2:19 pm
We have lost a great evangelical leader who stood up for that which is RIGHT, not that which destroys human life and throws moral rectitude out the window of defunct and bankrupt liberal ideology. The whole idea of right and wrong dies on the vine of liberal humananism idealogically opposed to anything good such as human lives being rescued from abortion butchers and people who believe in drilling holes in newborn baby’s heads. This nations downward spiral is embodied in the loss of morality and goodness which is hated by the leftwing ideologues running the universities of this nation and a new genration of morally bankrupt politicians taking control of Washinton. This is certainly not just a liberal thing, but also seen in Wall Street greed and avarice taking hold of the financial sector.
posted December 19, 2008 at 2:32 pm
“I choose gentleness…nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice let it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.” -Max Lucado
We are challenged to love our neighbors — not just the ones who think like us, but ALL of our neighbors — and to pray for their wisdom and wellbeing.
posted December 19, 2008 at 6:07 pm
If you don’t like our nation and you think it’s on a long downward spiral, why don’t you take your negative rear end to a more “traditional” country? I’ll be here enjoying the freedom that this great nation has progressed for me.
posted December 19, 2008 at 7:11 pm
America, love it or leave it.
Conservatives loved to say that; how does it feel to have the table turned?
posted December 19, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Your name at 2:19PM
) Personally, I’m staying here in the USA.
Every generation for centuries has said just what you’ve said …. basically that this country (or the “world”) is going to hell in a hand basket. Funny…we’re still here!!! As said above…if it is so very, very “bad” then there are certainly other places that MUST be better!!
The RR has screwed up a lot here…taking, or trying hard to do so, the rights of women to make decisions about their bodies. It isn’t up to a religion or a government to make rules about personal decisions such as to abort or not. No one is asking you to agree…you don’t have to do so. It is actually none of your business.
posted December 19, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Your Name: I chose gentleness….nothing is won by force and etc. by Max Lucado
Well obviously Max Lucado isn’t gay and doesn’t have to fight for his equality that our Constitution is supposed to guaranty Americans, so he lives a very different life. Things today in our country are won in Court Rooms, not by force and not by being entirely gentle either. So what was your point no name?
posted December 20, 2008 at 7:34 am
“We are challenged to love our neighbors — not just the ones who think like us, but ALL of our neighbors — and to pray for their wisdom and wellbeing.”
It’s too late for Weyrich to acquire wisdom and he has the wellbeing of the grave, which we’ll all have. What’s the point of this statement?