JUST SAYIN’

By Gillis Leonard

Many times I have said that I lost my faith. Now I realize that is not true – for to lose something you must first possess it – and faith has never been mine. At least not the kind of faith exhibited by true people of God like Father Mike of St. Pius or Ron “the Rev” Allred of Church of God (Holiness). I envy such people for this blessing and the comfort it must bring during times of great strife and pain.

True faith, I am told, covers every fiber of your being like the quilt your favorite grandmother made for you. The quilt, during household moves, you handle personally. The quilt you hug when you are struck with the flu or having a good cry.

True faith is not limited to one religion or one people. There is enough God to go around. However, how this faith is followed and how this faith carries each of you through the day is as varied as snowflakes – no two the same. Further, how each of you applies your faith to your life and the lives of others is uniquely personal and to some degree fluid depending on where on life’s road you are and the demands/pressures you feel. And your life experiences must play a role in your pursuit of faith.

Perhaps that is why faith has eluded me. Throughout my life, I have witnessed and been damaged by faithless acts perpetrated by people who profess deep faith. On the other side of the coin, I have seen and benefited from acts of kindness, compassion, and understanding (all elements of most religions) by people who would be called atheists.

I ask: When you are called to jury duty, what role, if any, should your faith play? This is a prickly issue and one frequently faced by trial attorneys. How deep do we question you and your faith during voir dire – the process by which attorneys attempt to secure a fair and impartial jury? Should we even do so? Do we risk embarrassing you? Will you be offended? Will you be honest?

What do trial attorneys do about their clients’ faith? Especially if the faith is not mainstream (Buddhism) or is not held in high regard (Islam)? If your client’s faith requires a certain “dress code,” do you risk alienating jurors who hold a different, yet just as strong faith by petitioning the court to allow your client to dress in accordance to his/her belief (Head cover or a burka)? If your client’s faith is an element of your defense (use of corporal punishment per scripture), how aggressive should the defense lawyer be to determine whether your beliefs would impact your fairness and impartiality?

It is clear that if you are called to jury duty, your religious beliefs should be left outside the court room. The vastness of religious beliefs – with the potential of undue influence and misunderstanding, creates an unnecessary risk to those being judged by a jury of his/her peers. Remember, you may be the one in the defendant’s chair. Would you want your fate determined by those whose faith – different than yours- play a part in the verdict?

Just sayin’