Religious Liberty On Trial

by Debbie Lawrence

  Defense thought he had an opening "What makes you think Angels were eunuchs?"

  "There are no bible verses that cite examples of Angels having sex with anybody. Even the angel who visited Mary didn't impregnate her, he told her the Spirit of the Lord would do it."

  Defense was skeptical "That's quite a leap, quite an assumption."

  Tina smiled "Eunuchs were often used as messengers because they were not considered a threat. The first gentile Christian was a eunuch carrying messages for the queen of Ethiopia."

  The Jury had clearly been impressed. Tina had not been rude, even if her language was a bit crude in the moments it was necessary, but it was clear that she knew these verses quite well.

  Tina smiled, leaned forward, and looked the defender directly in the eyes. "What next?"

  “Deuteronomy 22:5 – The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord they god”

  Tina nodded “My favorite, I really struggled with that one. I had a Jewish friend translate directly from the Hebrew from the Torah. All it mentions is FORCING women to dress up in armor and carry weapons. It’s disgusting. Keep in mind that at the time the original verse was written, men and women pretty much wore the same clothes, a log shell that usually went down to the ankles, and a cloak, which was normally kept open during the day and closed during the cooler nights. For all practical purposes, women and men wore the same clothes. Only armor would be specific to a man.”

  Tina continued. “If the women were fighting, and the town won the battle, they would need women that have been killed in the battle, and they would be needed to help repopulate the town. If a woman wanted to VOLUNTEER, and she was a good fighter, that was her own choice.”

  Tina giggled “Joan of Arc CHOSE to wear the armor, and therefore, was not in violation of this verse. However, the English wanted her dead, and the Pope accommodated by revising the verse. Again, the word translated to Abomination or Disgusting is the same work as for eating pork or shell fish. Seems like King James was rather fond of making things Abominations if he didn’t like them.”

  The defense made one last attempt to cast doubt on her credibility.

  Defense knew he had lost this round. "I think we can stop now. Thank you for your rather imaginative interpretations. Quite creative, and unique. I’m sure none of the other previous Preachers would agree with you."

  Prosecution objected, and the Judge sustained.

  The defense thought to himself "I wish I could stop this whole trial now!"

  Defense sighed "Your witness"

  The prosecutor stood "Tina, you seem to have a rather deep understanding of the Bible. Why is that?"

  Tina smiled "I've been reading the Bible since I first learned to read. My grandfather used to read the Bible to me as well. He read me stories, parables, and so much more. I've been reading some version of the Bible almost every year since I was 6 years old, at least a dozen times, probably more. To keep it interesting, I like to read different translations. My favorite is the Living Bible, which does a much better job of capturing the spirit and intent of the scripture than word-for-word translations. Some words in Greek and Hebrew just don't translate word for word."

  The prosecutor nodded "Why is that?"

  Tina smiled "For example, there are a dozen Hebrew words for Love, and half dozen Greek words for love, yet in word-for-word translations, they can only use the word love. To get the full context, you'd have to translate Agape to at least 3 or 4 words of English. Same with Fidele, Amore, or Mitzpha. Even a simple word like Shalom, which is often transliterated to "Hello" has a much richer and robust meaning, more like "May the peace and blessings of God be on you and your family."

  The jury let out a chuckle.

  "Do you have other experience in theology?"

  Tina smiled and nodded "Yes, I sing in the church choir, I teach adult bible study, and I'm ordained as a Deacon and Elder in the church. When our church does communion with the Catholic church that shares our building, I function as a Priest."

  "And why is that?"

  Tina giggled "I'm the only member of the session who is celibate!"

  The jury gasped.

  The prosecutor smiled "Are you saying you've never had sex with anyone?"

  Tina smiled "I'm celibate, which means I'm not married. I haven't had sexual intercourse or coitus with anyone either, but only a few orders, like the Franciscans take vows of chastity."

  Prosecution smiled “So you’re a virgin?”

  “I’m a virgin” Tina crossed her arms. “From the waist down.”

  The Jury laughed.

  The prosecutor smiled "So what were those noises that were mentioned earlier?"

  Tina smiled "My penis has always been pretty much useless for sex, but I still have two hands, a mouth, and I'm not intimidated by toys."

  The prosecutor nodded "Toys?"

  "Yes, dildos, vibrators, massagers, and such. As I have said before, I'm a lesbian"

  The prosecutor nodded "So you please your partners sexually, but you don't use your penis?"

  Tina smiled "Yes, I guess you could call me a handmaiden, like Hagar was to Sarah!" She held up her hands as she said it, and the jury laughed.

  The prosecutor smiled "You said your church has joint services with another church, tell us about that."

  Tina smiled "I was on the session, our church’s ruling body. There was a Catholic Church group that had been meeting at a local school. They wanted to do contemporary Christian music, with guitars and drums, and the bishop didn't want them using the school anymore. Their story made the paper and we offered to let them use our sanctuary for their services. It eased our budget issues, and it gave them a place where they could grow to a much larger congregation."

  Tina smiled "Then we decided to do a joint service together. There were lots of logistics and theology to be worked out. Presbyterians don't get uptight about transfiguration, but Roman Catholic Churches tend to be more concerned about that."

  The prosecutor nodded "What exactly is transfiguration again?"

  Tina smiled "Roman Catholics believe that when the priest blesses the bread and the wine, they actually become the body and blood of Jesus. Of course, they are still wafers and wine, but they believe that the elements are imbued with the Holy Spirit so that all who take communion will experience a renewal of the Holy Spirit within them.

  One of the Jurors nodded "Best explanation I've ever heard."

  The judge had to remind the Jury not to make comments or conclusions until all evidence was presented and the case was submitted to the Jury.

  The Defense objected "Where is all this leading, what is the point?"

  The prosecutor nodded "Your honor, the point we are making here is that it wasn't the Religious Liberty of the defendants that were violated, but the Freedom of Religion of Tina Clark that were violated.

  The Judge nodded "I think that's a very valid point to consider, please continue."

  "Tina, did you also have another church approach you?"

  Tina nodded "Yes, we were approached by the Metro Community Church, a Christian church that focuses on the needs of the gay and lesbian community."

  "But your church refused their request?"

  Tina smiled big "Yes we did refuse that request, we invited them to be full members of OUR Church. As a result, a dozen gay and lesbian couples did join our church, and they are very active members. Some are even Deacons and Elders!"

  The prosecutor acted surprised "But doesn't the Presbyterian church frown on gay deacons and elders?"

  Tina smiled "We made the case to Presbytery and the Synod that those we had chosen were in long term committed relationships. If they could legally marry, they would be married, and in the eyes of God, they are married."

  "How did they react to that?"

  "Getting the Synod to even consider our proposal was a challenge and took a few months, but they eventually cam
e around. Presbytery had agreed to allow the ordinations which would be revoked if the Synod rejected the proposal. Now one of our gay members is on Presbytery and another is on Synod"

  "It sounds like your church didn't have much problem with gays in their church."

  "I think the biggest awakening for members of the Session was to find out that a few of their own children we're gay. One member had a gay son and didn't know it, until he brought his partner to the church again. My parents thought I was gay, because I was transsexual, but were even more surprised to find out that I was a lesbian."

  "I'm not sure I understand. Could you explain this for me?"

  Tina grinned "Our sexual preferences and sexual identities are both pretty firmly established by the time we start having romantic and sexual fantasies, usually before we are five years old."

  Tina continued. "If you are man who fantasies about romance and love with a woman, then you are straight, and it would be nearly impossible to make you gay. If you are a man and you have fantasies about men, then you are gay and will probably never be straight."

  The prosecutor asked, "What about conversion therapy then?"

  "There are some people who have fantasies of being with both men and women, either together or separately. These are bisexuals. They have a bit more flexibility, for example, they might fall in love with a butch looking woman, or a feminine man, or even a transsexual."

  The prosecutor asked, "What were your fantasies like?"

  "In my fantasies, I was always the princess being rescued or kissed by the beautiful princess. I had no desire to be the prince, or to be kissed by the prince."

  The prosecutor smiled "That must have been really confusing!"

  Tina smiled and chirped "You bet it was! I'd see a pretty girl in a pretty outfit and part of me was attracted to her and wanted to ask her for a date, at the same time I wanted to know where she got her dress and shoes, and could she teach me how to do what she did with her eyes! I didn't know whether I wanted to date her, BE HER, or BOTH!"

  The entire jury started laughing and nodding.

  The prosecutor then changed tacks. "So what were you doing with Tommy? Were you trying to seduce him?"

  Tina shook her head "Actually, I had been dancing with several of the girls, because Alice was tired. Tommy came up and started dancing with me and grabbed me when the slow dance started."

  "So, you weren't attracted to him?"

  "He was nice enough, and cute, and I was flattered, but I really had no interest in having sex with him. He was the one who asked me to take him to my room. That's when I told him about my "undesirable equipment", at which point, he excused himself and joined his friends."

  "So, Tommy had no reason to feel threatened by you?"

  Tina smiled "Some guys, when they find out after making a pass at you, that you aren't 100% girl, think it means they might be gay. It's ridiculous when you think about it. I am more girly than many of my girl friends at school, I'm even more girly than Alice. I like being feminine, pretty, even sexy. I like wearing skirts, dresses, heels, and hose. I'm by no means the prettiest girl on campus, but I am one of the many pretty ones on campus. So, a guy who found me attractive would probably be about as straight as they come."

  The prosecutor switched again. "What about Betsy?"

  Tina smiled "Alice and I were dancing, and Betsy cut in. She was giving several lesbian vibes and signals, from the way she cut in, to the way she touched me when she danced. I suppose that if I had been single and she had been a bit more aggressive, I might have been interested. She was pretty, but at the same time, I saw strength and intelligence, which for me are very exciting. However, I am in love with Alice and had no interest in doing anything that would hurt her. In fact, I was trying to check on Alice when I outside. When I knew that Alice was safe and OK, I was ready to go back inside, but the drug she gave me was starting to make my head swim."

  The prosecutor dug, "You said that she wasn't aggressive enough?"

  Tina smiled, "I am NOT a pick-up artist. If I start a conversation with a woman, we will probably be friends. I have a lot of girl friends, but very few girlfriends, as in lovers. ALL of my lovers have taken control very early and made it clear that they wanted to make love to me."

  "Why is that?"

  "My mom was raped by the son of a powerful Nebraska politician. They tried to make her forget everything by wiping her mind with electroshock, drugs, and counseling. To this day, she has never told anyone who her attacker was, other than that his first name was Chris. She made me promise never to try to pressure or force a girl to do anything sexual, to wait for her to make the first move. The lesson was so intense emotionally, that I have always honored that."

  The prosecutor looked at Defense and smiled "Your witness?"

  Defense shook his head "No thank you! No more questions your honor. The defense calls Doctor John Freed"

  Tina saw the doctor walking in. As a sequestered witness, there was nothing she could do. He didn’t even notice her.

  Dr. Freed Testifies

  Dr. Freed was sworn in.

  Defense realized this was a last resort and could easily backfire.

  Dr. Freed, please tell us your occupation.

  "I am chief of Emergency; I oversee all operations of Emergency room staff and doctors at Phillips Hospital."

  Defense led "Is your hospital affiliated with any other organization or religion?"

  Dr. Freed nodded "Yes, we are funded and managed by the Seventh Day Adventist Church."

  "I see. Do you recall treating Tina Clark at your hospital?"

  "Tina Clark, I don't know of anyone by that name."

  "Here is a picture of Miss Clark."

  Dr. Freed looked at the picture, "Oh yeah, the freak! She isn’t a lady, HE is a filthy faggot freak who came into my ER."

  Prosecution did not object. Another trap?

  "Dr. Freed, did you treat Miss Clark?"

  "Hell no! I didn't want that faggot in my hospital, he was an affront to the other patients, to the staff, and to our board of directors."

  "So, you did not treat this person, because it was against the religious teachings of your parent organization?"

  "That's correct. I knew that the board wouldn't approve, so I had them take her to Colorado General?"

  "Did you examine her?"

  "I started to, but as soon as I saw that mangled up crotch, I realized that she was a he, and probably some sicko pervert who had mangled himself up in a misguided attempt to be a girl!"

  "Once you saw the groin, what did you do?"

  "I told you, I told the ambulance driver to take him to Colorado General! I did not want that sissy faggot freak in my hospital, I figured CG had enough experience with freaks like this, they'd put a Band-Aid on his boo boo and lock him up in the psych ward for a few years. Not my problem."

  The Defense tried to pound the point home "And you did this because it was against the religious principles of yourself and your hospital?"

  "Yes, absolutely. That THING is an ABOMINATION and should be put to death, not coddled like some princess."

  "Did you report this incident to your superiors?"

  "Yes, and they commended me for my quick thinking and decisive action."

  "Thank you doctor. Your witness."

  The Prosecution smiled as he began?

  "Doctor Freed, did you examine any of the injuries other than the groin?"

  "No, I told you, I didn't want that thing in my hospital."

  "I see, and what did you do with her medical records?"

  "I threw them in the trash. I should have shredded them and burned them, but it was late. I just wanted to forget the whole disgusting thing, I still do!"

  "I see. Before you threw the chart in the trash, did you notice the blood pressure?"

  "No, I didn't even bother to look at the damn chart."

  "If you had, you would have noticed that her blood pressure was critically low, 80/40 and her heart rate was 40 beats per min
ute."

  "Oh"

  "Yes, OH Doctor Freed, what happens to people with those vitals?"

  "If the heart rate drops below 35 beats per minute, the patient dies. If the BP drops much lower, the patient dies."

  "How long does this usually take?"

  "An hour, sometimes more, sometimes less."

  "This is assuming they are stationary, being monitored, and in a hospital bed, correct?"

  "Yes, that's correct."

  "How about if they are riding in an ambulance racing against time?"

  "I'm guessing there might be much less time."

  "Do you remember what time you sent her away?"

  "No, I told you, I threw away the records."

  "I guess it's a good thing I have the dispatcher’s records."

  "Could you please look at this?"

  "It's a death certificate for Theodore Clark, but that's impossible!"

  "Actually, Doctor Freed, Tina WAS dead, for nearly 2 minutes, which is why there is a death certificate. She was legally dead."

  "That's ridiculous!"

  "No Doctor Freed, it's Criminally Negligent Homicide"

  "Doctor Freed huffed "More like HOMO-Cide!"

  Crickets!

  "So you admit that you refused to give life-saving treatment to a patient who ended up dead because of your callous and reckless disregard for human life?"

  "That THING isn't human! It's a freak that should have been put out of its misery years ago."

  "Is that your medical opinion or your religious opinion?"

  "Both!"

  "OK, I guess we'll have to let the medical board review your unusual practice of medicine. Let's talk about your religious views, shall we?"

  "Fine!"

  "Dr. Freed, could you tell me which scriptures for the basis of your deeply held religious belief?"

  Dr. Freed was trapped, and he knew it. "I'm not a theologian, I just heard it in church. I think there's something in Leviticus about a man shouldn't have sex with another guy because it's an abomination, and they should be put to death."