“What do you want?” said this 6 foot 5 inch, 300 pound brute of a man.

 

“Hello there,” I responded politely. There was no point in taking it personally. This is how these thugs say hello. “I’m here from the missionary. I’m here to talk to the accused. Here are my orders,” I said, passing him the papers. 

 

As he reads over the order, I look over at the accused through the one-way, interrogation window. He was a middle-aged priest sitting at the table wearing his religious garbs. He was resting his face in his hands. It looked like his eye was bruised. “He’s only accused,” I said to the brute. “He’s not convicted yet. You had no right to beat him without…”

 

“This gives me the right,” the brute responded, pointing at the insignia on his shirt. There was no point in arguing with him. Even though they weren’t the police, they still had no accountability. They were above the law. There was no point in fighting it. “You have 15 minutes,” the brute said, giving me back my papers. “Then, the heretic will be processed. No exceptions. Got it, Missionary?” He opened the interrogation room door and pushed me inside.

 

The priest looked up from the table. “I can get you some ice for your eye,” I offered. 

 

The priest shook his head. “I know how to take a punch. I'm fine,” the priest responded, not looking up at me. 

 

It looks like he took more than one punch. I continue. “My name is Falos Prophet. I’m from the local missionary. I’ve been allowed 15 minutes to get your confession. Truth be told, I don’t think I’ll need that much time,” I said, sitting down at the other side of the table. “This will be an easy sell, Reverend. Here’s the offer: If you confess to the 3 major charges, I have permission to drop the 3 lower charges. You repent to me and another member of the State. Then, you would publicly admit that you were wrong. That you were tricked into heresy. And then, as part of your confession, you would say the names of 3 people who have also committed the same heresy. And that’s it. No corporal punishment for you. No jail time. You could be back preaching at your church by tomorrow morning. So, as you can see, it’s a very good deal. The first step is for you to confess to the 3 major charges. Once you give me that in writing, then I can start processing your release and work to bring the government…”

 

“I’ll admit to doing these things, but I don’t identify them as crimes,” the priest interrupted. “I stand by everything I’ve done.”

 

“The law is very clear.”

 

“The law is wrong.”

 

He’s going to be one of those types. “You don’t recognize your heresy?”

 

“It’s not heresy. I’ve been preaching Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior for years. A lot longer than this law has been around. I have the religious freedom to do this under the US constitution.”

 

“The US constitution is overruled by this law,” I responded.

 

“Like I’ve said, I’m not confessing to a crime because I committed no crime.”

 

I leaned forward. “After everything that President Trump has done for this country, after everything that he has done to protect us, you refuse to abide by the law. Have you no respect for our institutions? Have you no respect for law and order? Or for President Trump?”

 

“I have great respect for our institutions. For law and order. And for President Trump. Always have.”

 

“Then why do you insult him?”

 

“I'm the one being insulted. You're doubting my respect for law and order. I’ve insulted no one. I’ve supported the President from the beginning. That hasn’t changed. He’s a remarkable man. But that’s what he is: a man.”

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