(Cross-posted on infidelica.)
I'm a sucker for "Law & Order," the original franchise anyway. (Slightly less so for "SVU" and not much at all for the other two. I watch too much TV as it is.)
Last night's episode was rather good, thought-provoking, and ultimately left me angered. Not by the show, mind you - it was a fine show, avoided hysterics, and had that great "L&O" plot device where it starts out with one crime then sneakily shifts gears to another entirely different one.
No, I was angered by thoughts of the subtle, pernicious ways religion, specifically Christianity, insinuates itself into American life, on which "Law & Order" shined some light last night.
In short, a fluke discovery led to the arrest of a man for a murder he committed nine years previously. A white man, he had shot and killed his sister's black boyfriend, and managed to get away with it.
The thing is, though, within days of the crime, overcome with guilt and suicidal, he turned to Jesus. He quit his high-paying job, gave up his fancy Manhattan apartment, and went to work for a church charity group, spending the ensuing nine years selflessly doing good deeds for the community.
His lawyer tried to have the murder charges dismissed, on the grounds that a) we put people in prison to rehabilitate them, and therefore b) he was already rehabilitated, was a completely changed man doing good work for society, and therefore there was no good reason to put him in prison. He was more valuable to society on the outside, continuing what he was already doing.
The judge, thankfully, threw out the motion, and ordered that the man stand trial.
To the man's credit, the transformation was genuine, and he immediately insisted that he be allowed to plead guilty, go straight to sentencing, and accept responsibility for what he had done. Which really was what he wanted to do from the beginning - the motion to dismiss wasn't his idea.
Now here's where I got angry. I'm agnostic, but I have no dislike for people "of faith," regardless of what that faith may be. And I can acknowledge that people can use their faith as a transformative power and a force for good.
But let's put aside the ridiculous notion that several characters in the show had that, because of his "transformation," this man did not have to face responsibility for his actions. (Admittedly, I have a meager knowledge of Christianity, but I would think that taking responsibility for one's actions is important. I know it's a big part of the rightwing conservative doctrine.)
And let's forget about how, if the guy's name was Ahmed and he had embraced Islam (or any non-christian religion), these very same Christians would have been out for blood. That's another discussion for another time.
No, riddle me this: what if this man were an atheist, or agnostic, or "secular humanist," and this man had a secular epiphany, realizing he had been a very bad man, embracing destructive values and irrational, destructive hatred? And, finally developing a mature, humane understanding of right and wrong, decided to devote his life to doing good - purely because he now understood right and wrong, not because "Jesus told him to" - would anyone rise to his defense in the same way?
I am tired of the little nods of favoritism that our society gives to "people of faith," especially when that "faith" is the false, disingenuous "Christianity" favored by these "culture of life" death cult fuckwads, the Frists, Dobsons and Robertsons of the world. I'm sick of these unconstitutional gestures towards religion that our government makes - "In God We Trust," prayers to open Congressional sessions, swearing upon a bible and "so help me God." "Testify" and "testimony" actually derive from the old tradition of ordering a man to clutch at his testicles while taking an oath of honesty - let's go back to that, how `bout?
(I know this is unfair to women - maybe we need to have some kind of bailiff in court whose sole duty is to let women hold onto his balls when they swear their oath. I volunteer right now. I'm very civic-minded.)
I am an agnostic - meaning, there may be a god, there may not, I don't know. And I don't need to know. If there is a god, I think that he/she/it is mostly concerned with how we live our lives and how we treat each other, and doesn't suffer from the kind of human vanity that demands, above all else, that we worship he/she/it.
I don't need to join the club, I don't need to learn the secret handshake.
I was raised by two decent parents who taught me right or wrong without bringing religion into it. I am very capable as an adult to know the difference between right and wrong, and to try, as best as I can, to do good and do the right thing, because it's the right thing - not out of fear of the wrath of some vengeful god.
And I don't expect any favors or any special treatment just because I know right from wrong. But I sure as hell don't expect to be treated as a lesser person because I don't need to be motivated by sectarian fear.