(Editorial) Abortive justice, Religion must never contest the law of the land By Eric Hill, Opinion Editor
Last spring Scott Roeder walked into the church service where Dr. George Tiller was serving as an usher and allegedly shot him in the head at point-blank range. There is no lack of evidence or admission: He simply believed that by sticking a gun to Tiller’s temple and pulling the trigger, he would be saving yet-unborn children because of a radical interpretation of the Christian holy book, the Bible. Suspected to be a member of extremist group The Army of God, Roeder believed that his faith in the concept of defensive action granted him the right to kill with impunity. That’s ridiculous–if he did indeed kill Tiller, Scott Roeder is a terrorist.
It was reported on Jan. 12 that Kansas Judge Warren Wilbert has granted Roeder’s legal defense permission to argue in favor of “voluntary manslaughter” (which carries a much shorter sentence) because of his belief in the concept of defensive action. As such, further evidence may be admitted on the behalf of his defense in order to convince jurors that Roeder was “an individual using deadly force in the unreasonable but genuine belief that he was compelled to do so,” which is the definition of “voluntary manslaughter” according to Kansas state law.
This judge’s allowance spits corrosive venom on the face of justice. It reveals the hypocrisy of a country that has become half deranged by fear and obstinate religious idiocy.
This country is at war with Islamic fundamentalist terrorists. We sacrifice daily the lives of countless civilians in the countries we have invaded, shattering the lives of our own countrymen so we can honor principles we revere: justice and freedom. If our nation is to believe regardless of the individual religions we endorse, that we are truly defending pure justice and are building nations with the purpose of extending rights and freedoms, then no office vested with the power of law can withstand this obvious bias to which this court has admitted entry.
The bias I speak of is the bias of a so-called “Christian nation.” Should Roeder be admitted to argue his case in the name of a belief derived from a holy book, the state of Kansas is by approximation giving entry to an argument handed down by the Christian God. It is making God a party to the process of law and granting legitimacy to the religious terrorists who gather ideological strength from faith-based, erroneous reasoning. It violates the principle of the separation of church and state.
The acceptance of this bias sends the signal that our justice system endorses a brand of Christian justice to every other nation. To nations where Islam is prominent, it undermines every positive message of religious equality under the law spread by United States. Consider for a moment what would happen if we granted radicalized Islam the same bias. Would domestic terrorists be given the right to argue for lesser sentencing because they were conducting a Jihad? It makes no sense that any faith-based argument should be tolerated in a court of law.
If Roeder did not gather his reasoning from a holy book (let’s say he had a profound belief that killing George Tiller would save countless lives because his vegetable garden told him it would) then the judge would strike down that defense as utter nonsense, because the state does not agree with Roeder that his vegetable garden is a valid source of life wisdom. Normally Roeder’s defense could argue for an insanity plea, but Roeder doesn’t believe he is insane because a fair number of other Christians happen to agree with him.
These legal inconsistencies reveal themselves everywhere. Why do we swear on the Bible in court? Why don’t churches pay taxes? Why does everything open late on Sunday? These biases are often left uncorrected, considered traditions by those who still practice and benefit from them. Occasionally we uncover something sinister, like when ABC news reported in early January that the U.S. defense contractor, Trijicon, was manufacturing rifle-scopes with Bible verse codes at the end of their serial numbers. Isn’t it amazing when terrorists claim the United States is waging a Christian crusade and then we go and prove them … right? Since this information was divulged Trijicon has announced it will no longer stamp the Bible codes into scope serial numbers.
The trial lawyers are now selecting the jury for the Roeder case, 11 jurors have already been dismissed because of bias. I find it difficult to believe that Scott Roeder will be tried under the full weight of the law, for killing an abortionist in the center of the Bible belt when the judge has granted his defense the option of submitting evidence to bolster Christian sentiments. The jury will “forgive” him and he will be delivered from the death sentence or the life imprisonment, which is the just reward for murder in the first degree. Welcome to American hypocrisy at its worst.
