Jesus On (Mock) Trial In Virginia

4/23/2011 10:40 AM ET | Filed under: Wacky, Tacky & True

Jesus trial

What would ~~Jesus~~ a modern jury do?

That's exactly what Mark Osler, a former U.S. Attorney, asked while holding a mock trial for Jesus in Richmond, Virginia.

Inneresting!

Church members and guests at the Church of the Holy Comforter played the role of the jury and used Virginia law to retry the sentencing phase of the blasphemy case against Jesus of Nazareth last week.

Osler wanted to hold the trial in part to call attention to the state’s use of capital punishment, which has the second highest amount of executions in the United States.

The former attorney-turned-professor believes “that story is very direct that we don’t have the moral authority” to execute prisoners.

So what did the modern day jury decide after hearing arguments from the prosecution and defense council?

While the jury believed the defendant would blaspheme again if not executed, the judge said:

“The majority of the juries voting on that issue found that the death sentence is not warranted. The defendant is remanded to the jailer for the rest of your natural life.”

So based on current Virginia laws, Jesus would live! Hooray! Only to rot away in prison. Boo! At least he'd be alive to appeal. Ha!

What do U think about this mock trial? Does it make U think twice about capital punishment?

Tags: attorney, death, defense, inneresting, jesus, judge, prison, prosecution, sentence, virginia

Pam's leaking Silicone Breasts says – reply to this

1

Jesus would be thrown in prison if he was making wine and illegally giving it to people at weddings & practicing medicine without a license for curing the crippled man….
Rocketboy says – reply to this

2

I don't get why he would be thrown in jail for life? You didn't state what his crimes were.
BlueRafael says – reply to this

3

How can you throw your imaginary friend in jail? I don't get it…
carisdee says – reply to this

4

as a Virginian, I'm glad this is where my tax dollars are going. God, we are dumb. And of course Christian Virginians didn't give him the death penalty. HE'S JESUS. But if he were anyone else that wouldn't make them feel blasphemous, they totally would. This is stupid and completely bias.
Muskratlove says – reply to this

5

It's irrelevant. "But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."
Christina Polo says – reply to this

6

Re: carisdee –

Uh, I don't think your tax dollars paid for this. Or rather I KNOW your tax dollars didn't pay for this. Reread it.
TORTEZ says – reply to this

7

Thin the dark herd.
Gilbert Bumpucker says – reply to this

8

The point is Jesus had to die unjustly for man's sins. It matters how because if only one person killed Jesus, where's the faith and religion in that? But, "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's…" "An eye for an eye…" "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time"
How many license plates has Charles Manson produced in all these 40 plus years?
rosebud99 says – reply to this

9

Whether or not he got the death penalty today would depend on how much he could spend on lawyers. With very few exceptions, the death penalty is for the poor.
GayRay says – reply to this

10

This is so fucking stupid…….Virginia needs a hobby
alittlebitlonger03 says – reply to this

11

The thing is if Jesus didn't die, we wouldn't have been saved. He willingly died because he knew he had to fulfill Old Testament prophecies and because he loves us. It took a perfect sacrifice to take away our sins and his resurrection to prove he is God. Thank you Jesus! Happy Easter everyone!
bamboozler says – reply to this

12

As someone who lives in Richmond (in fact, only a few blocks away from this church) I'm just going to put it out there that this…isn't news. I didn't even know this happened. I'm guessing it was just some sort of exercise in faith and obviously those people going to church aren't going to give Jesus the death penalty.

It's really weird that this is on perezhilton…it also makes me sad that it's what my city is being represented by. MORE INTERESTING THINGS HAPPEN IN RICHMOND. I promise.
Nizatalie says – reply to this

13

The sad thing is Jesus was a real living and breathing person who walked this earth, scholars pretty much agree to historical proof of the existence of a man named Jesus of Nazareth from the Roman Census, documents, etc. But the crowd chose to let Barrabas, a man more dangerous because he had murdered and led insurrection over Jesus whom, if you heard of him in that day you might have seen him as perhaps some guy who was maybe a faith healer and a bit of a zany dude. The sad part is they took a gentle man and brutally tortured and murdered him. If you believe he is the son of God is not necessarily important when you think about the indignities he suffered in the days and final moments of his life.
@v@ says – reply to this

14

He'd be rotting away in Guantanamo in between water boardings if it suited TPTB.

This Woman Just Found Out Her Childhood Molester Moved In Next Door -- AND IT'S LEGAL!

A sexual assault survivor's worst nightmare came true when she got home one day to find the man who molested her as a young girl had moved in next door.

Danyelle Dyer was "extremely shocked" when she learned that her abusive uncle would be moving in next door after getting released from prison on June 13 -- and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

After researching state laws in hopes of blocking the move, the 21-year-old's parents found out there were no restrictions in the state of Oklahoma on how far away a convicted sex offender must live from his victim.

Meaning Harold English, the uncle who sexually abused Dyer when she was a little girl, was legally able to move into his mother's home in Bristow following his prison release -- despite the house being right next door to where his victim has always lived.

Dyer admitted it was "disheartening to learn the law is not on our side," but she's refusing to let the unfortunate situation make her feel like a victim!

She explained to People:

[Image via Facebook/Oklahoma Dept. of Corrections.]