Religious Liberty - Pat Robertson
Pat Robertson - CBN
“My next Witness is Pat Robertson; he will testify via video conference.”
It took a few minutes to set up the equipment. CBN had provided a satellite truck and feed set up. Robertson appeared as soon as the cue came.
The Defense attorney started after the witness was sworn in.
“Thank you for giving us your valuable time. Please tell us what you can about your relationship with the Thompson family.”
“I contacted Senator Thompson when he was leading in the party primaries. I asked him to appear on my show because he’s such an outstanding proponent of conservative Christian values.”
“How many times have you had Senator Thompson on your ‘700 Club’ program?”
“About 20 times since that first appearance. He’s a favorite among my viewers.”
“Did he share your views on homosexuality and transsexuality?”
“Yes, we both consider homosexuality a vile act that goes against the laws of god and the laws of nature. As for transsexuals, I understand there are hermaphrodites, but those are so rare, there are probably only a few hundred in the entire country. Doctors correct most of them at birth.”
“So, what’s your theological stand on transsexuals who were not born hermaphrodites?”
“The Bible says they are an abomination and should be put to death.”
“So it wouldn’t be out of the question that someone could see your program and feel that it was their duty to attack, punish, even kill a transsexual?”
“I couldn’t say that I would condone that. It’s not like we get on the 700 Club and tell people to go out and kill some faggots. I suppose that if they read those passages that apply, they could think that was their duty. We quote those related passages in the program frequently. I don’t advocate violence. I only repeat what the Bible says.”
“Thank you, Reverend Robertson. No more questions at this time.”
The prosecutor stood up.
“Exactly how many verses are you talking about that apply to transsexuals.”
“I believe there are four verses that apply, one condemns cross-dressing, the other three condemn boys who pretend to be women.”
“Dr. Robertson, how many verses are there in the standard Bible?”
“Roughly 30,000 verses, not including Maccabees.”
“So let me make sure this is clear. There are 4 verses that apply to transsexuals, out of 30,000 verses. This is the basis for violent attacks on transsexuals that often result in their deaths?”
“Those few verses do state that the penalty is death. There are also all the verses against homosexuality.”
“How many verses is that Reverend Robertson?”
“There are eight verses that apply to homosexuality. Only three mention the death penalty.”
“So, you’re suggesting that your followers beat, torture, or murder transsexuals based on 12 verses out of 30,000 verses?”
“I suppose some of my millions of viewers might see it that way, yes. They consider those verses to be very important.”
“Who would consider them that important?”
“Senator Thompson seemed to think it was very important. He felt he could get a lot of extra votes by pounding the anti-faggot message. It seems to have worked. He got himself elected. Seems that many people think that anti-gay legislation is important enough to vote for.”
“Reverend Robertson, in the past year of the 700 club, how many episodes have you dedicated to gay or transsexual issues?”
“I believe we’ve had about 60 episodes on these issues. It gets lots of viewers and lots of donations!”
“Thank you, Reverend Robertson.”
“This won’t be shown to the public, will it?”
Defense just buried his face in his hands.
The entire jury was sitting with arms folded over their chest, leaning back.
The Defense
The following is an excerpt from "Religious Liberty on Trial"
The trial resumed the following week. As the jury came in it was obvious that they were not happy. They had not originally been told they would be sequestered, and they had already been isolated for a week. They all knew it was because of the surprises motion of the defense. He had not won their hearts and minds with this stunt.
The defense called Pastor Grey of Calvary Baptist Church first.
