God's Not Dead 2 (2016)

Ray Wise: Peter Kane

Photos 

Quotes 

• Judge Stennis : Young lady, your youth is no excuse for disturbing the sanctity of this court.

  Brooke Thawley : But this case is supposed to be about me. I'm almost 17 years old; it's not like I can't think for myself. I just don't have the right to speak.

  Catherine Thawley : Brooke, what are you doing?

  Judge Stennis : Not unless you are called as a witness, young lady.

  Tom Endler : [quietly to Grace]  If I put her on the stand, what am I gonna hear?

  Grace Wesley : That she asked a question and I answered it.

  Tom Endler : Your Honor, we'd like to call Ms. Brooke Thawley to the stand.

  Pete Kane : Objection, Your Honor! Ms. Thawley is a minor. Her parents do not want her subjected to the emotional pressure of testifying against her own teacher.

  Judge Stennis : Ms. Thawley, are you willing to testify on your own behalf?

  Brooke Thawley : Yes, Your Honor.

  Judge Stennis : And do you understand that you will have to answer all the questions truthfully, regardless of your feelings, and that failure to do so is punishable by law?

  Brooke Thawley : Yes, Your Honor. I'm not afraid of telling the truth. I'm only afraid of not being able to tell it.

• Pete Kane : Your Honor, we'd like to challenge for cause.

  Judge Stennis : Why is that?

  Pete Kane : Oh, Your Honor, the man's an ordained minister. Need I say more?

  Judge Stennis : The juror is excused.

  Tom Endler : Objection, Your Honor.

  Judge Stennis : Basis, Mr. Endler?

  Tom Endler : Discriminatory, Your Honor. Preemptory challenges cannot be used to discriminate against a certain class of juror based on race, ethnic background, religion, or gender. And the fact that religious belief is tangential to this case doesn't change that.

  Judge Stennis : Upon further reflection, I find the respondent's assertion is correct. Sustained.

  [meaning Grace] 

  Judge Stennis : You're not her pastor, are you?

  Rev. Dave : Uh... no, Your Honor.

  Pete Kane : Your Honor, I must protest here.

  Judge Stennis : Mr. Kane, now, you had a set number of preemptory challenges, all of which you have used. Therefore, it's up to opposing counsel.

  Tom Endler : We accept him, Your Honor.

  Judge Stennis : Welcome to the jury, sir. Henceforth, juror number twelve. I hope you enjoy your service to the community.

  Rev. Dave : [disappointed]  Better chance of being struck by lightning.

• Catherine Thawley : The last thing we need is a bunch of religious fanatics protesting outside of our house.

  Pete Kane : We'll work to keep it out of the media for now. But next year, when you're applying to all the colleges, you'll be able to tell the story of how Brooke was part of a landmark constitutional case concerning the separation of church and state. And believe me, there is not an Ivy League admissions board that could resist that. And think of the other children out there, innocent children who are subjected to their repressive belief system.

  Simon Boyle : And not forgetting the financial opportunities.

  Pete Kane : Yes. Ms. Wesley is an employee of the school board. We win in court and we establish her misconduct as said paid employee, well, there's nothing that changes policy faster than a big, expensive settlement.

• Tom Endler : Mrs. Rizzo, in the school's initial inquiry into this matter, you were Ms. Wesley's representative on behalf of the teacher's union, were you not?

  Mrs. Rizzo : Yes.

  Tom Endler : And did you ever consider that your disapproval of her faith might taint your ability to represent her properly?

  Pete Kane : Objection, speculative.

  Judge Stennis : Sustained.

  Rev. Dave : [one of his fellow jurors sneezes]  God bless you.

  Tom Endler : Careful, or you might end up on trial.

• Pete Kane : Ladies and gentlemen, in a jury of this size, I'm imagining that there are, probably among your ranks, a few Christians. Hopefully practicing ones, and that's a good thing, that's fine, because Christianity is not on trial here, even though my opponent will try to convince you that it is. Nor is faith on trial. Only Ms. Wesley is on trial here today. Now, ask any fourth-grader and they're probably familiar with the phrase "separation of church and state," and that is guaranteed to us under our laws. The plaintiffs are the parents of a student in Ms. Wesley's class who was subjected to hearing the teachings of Jesus Christ being favorably compared to the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. We all know that Jesus is part of a particular religious tradition. These parents, who are trying to raise their daughter to be a free thinker, free of any religious dogma, are wholly offended by what went on in that classroom. And she, reciting the words that were allegedly attributed to Jesus, who allegedly lived 2,000 years ago, gave a clear and compelling indication of what she believes, what she supports, what she endorses. Now, let me put it this way. I-I don't mean to offend anyone who may be a Muslim here, and I do not want to slight the prophet of Islam, but if you were to ask me a question concerning the Quran, the sacred text of Islam, and I could come up with the answer with great speed and accuracy, and I could quote the proper surah, or chapter, then it would be reasonable for you to infer that I was not only a follower of Islam, but that I considered it to be superior to all other forms of religion. If I did this in a house of worship, that would be fine. But if I did it in an 11th-grade classroom in a public school, that would be preaching, not teaching. So, why? Why in the world are we here today? Why? Because Ms. Wesley refused to apologize, and that means that her true motivation in that moment in her classroom was to take an innocent question and turn it into an opportunity to preach, not teach. If we grant Ms. Wesley the right to do that, and by extension, everyone else, to violate the law solely on our own private beliefs, then our society will crumble. I believe that. So I implore you, please do not set this precedent. Do not. The future of our republic depends on it.

• Pete Kane : Mrs. Rizzo, did Ms. Wesley talk about faith issues on the school campus?

  Mrs. Rizzo : All the time. Everybody knows she's a Christian. I don't think she'd chew a stick of gum without praying first. It makes everyone feel awkward.

  Pete Kane : Thank you. No further questions, Your Honor.

  Judge Stennis : Your witness, Mr. Endler.

  Tom Endler : Mrs. Rizzo, you stated that Ms. Wesley talks about her faith all the time. I'm curious, can you give me a specific instance?

  Mrs. Rizzo : Well, not off the top of my head.

  Tom Endler : Well, has she, as far as you're aware, ever started her class with a prayer?

  Mrs. Rizzo : No.

  Tom Endler : Has she ever asked anyone in the teacher's lounge to pray with her?

  Mrs. Rizzo : No.

  Tom Endler : Has she ever asked you personally to pray with her?

  Pete Kane : Objection, Your Honor.

  Mrs. Rizzo : No.

  Pete Kane : Cumulative. The question has effectively been asked and answered.

  Tom Endler : Your Honor, Mrs. Rizzo's sworn testimony states that Ms. Wesley talked about her faith all the time, yet she's failed to cite a single instance. I'm merely trying to discover some basis for her opinion.

  Judge Stennis : Sustained. Mr. Endler, we're done with this line of questioning.

• Pete Kane : Mr. Thawley, how did you feel when you found out that your daughter had been exposed to faith-based teachings in class?

  Richard Thawley : Well, it felt like we had been violated. I mean, this was supposed to be a history class, not Sunday school. My wife and I are free thinkers. We're rationalists. We believe in a non-theistic worldview, and that's how we were trying to raise our daughter.

  Pete Kane : Uh-huh. And did you discuss this incident with your daughter?

  Richard Thawley : Well, I tried, but it's hard discussing anything with kids that age. She's 16. Some of you know what that's like.

  [laughter from the gallery] 

  Richard Thawley : It's hard enough trying to maintain credibility as a parent without a teacher jumping in and arguing against your position. Now, we trust the school not to overstep its bounds in terms of what is and what isn't appropriate. Is that too much to ask?

  Pete Kane : No. Thank you, Mr. Thawley. That's all, Your Honor.

  Judge Stennis : Your witness, Mr. Endler.

  Tom Endler : No questions, Your Honor.

• Pete Kane : You can't win.

  Tom Endler : Thanks. I'll take that under advisement.

  Pete Kane : Oh, come on, you know I'm right. I mean, why do it? Why go through this whole exercise, huh?

  [paying the man shining his shoes] 

  Pete Kane : Here, thanks. You know, I looked up your history. You're better than this. You were third in your class at Stanford Law. You clerked for a judge on the Ninth Circuit. Why are you slumming like this?

  Tom Endler : Maybe I believe that people that don't do anything wrong shouldn't suffer at the hands of the law.

  Pete Kane : You know what hate is, Tom? I'm not talking about the fairy tale stuff, I mean real hate. I hate what people like your client stand for and what they're doing to our society, and Stennis does, too, even if he doesn't admit it.

  Tom Endler : Well, the jury doesn't hate her.

  Pete Kane : Ah, but that's the secret, Tommy. They don't need to hate her. They just need to see a tiny flaw in her, a half-truth, a small inconsistency, just a little bit of doubt, and they'll find against her.

• Pete Kane : [during the voir dire process]  Number two just screams Marine. I don't want him.

  Simon Boyle : It'll mean blowing our last challenge.

  Pete Kane : Well, we have no choice. I mean, what part of "God, Country, and Corps" do you wanna put on that jury?

• Tom Endler : In your orientation at the beginning of the semester, your memo to the staff stressed diversity and tolerance, did it not?

  Principal Kinney : Yes.

  Tom Endler : Well, would it be fair to say that except for Christianity, all other forms of diversity are welcome?

  Pete Kane : Objection! Your Honor!

  Tom Endler : I will withdraw the question.

  Judge Stennis : Mr. Endler, you seem to have a penchant for injecting commentary where it doesn't belong. You would do well to avoid further provocation of this court.

  Tom Endler : I apologize, Your Honor. I'll look to curtail it in the future.

• Bailiff : All rise.

  Judge Stennis : [sitting down at the bench]  You may be seated.

  [Pastor Dave remains standing] 

  Judge Stennis : Juror number 12, is there something you'd like to say?

  Rev. Dave : I'm sorry, Your Honor, I gotta...

  Judge Stennis : [Dave collapses]  Bailiff, call paramedics.

  Pete Kane : [to his second chair]  Well, I guess that proves there is no God, 'cause they just lost the only juror they could count on.

• Tom Endler : Ms. Kinney, can you tell me the full name of the high school over which you preside?

  Principal Kinney : Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Memorial High School.

  Tom Endler : I noticed that the name fails to mention Dr. King's title as Reverend Doctor.

  Principal Kinney : It's his work in the field of civil rights that we prefer to highlight.

  Tom Endler : But that's the whole point. You consider his faith and politics to be separate things, but I don't, and he certainly wouldn't have.

  Pete Kane : Objection, Your Honor. Counsel is testifying.

  Judge Stennis : Sustained. Jury's instructed to ignore Mr. Endler's preceding remarks.

• Tom Endler : Ms. Kinney, are you familiar with Dr. King's letter from the Birmingham Jail?

  Principal Kinney : Yes, it's a seminal piece of civil rights history.

  Tom Endler : In that letter, Dr. King makes numerous faith-based references, does he not?

  Principal Kinney : Offhand, I don't recall.

  Tom Endler : Allow me to refresh your memory. He cites the example of the three youths from the Book of Daniel who were tossed into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar because they refused to worship him. Elsewhere, he urges action with Jesus, and here, I quote, "Extremist love." And in his speech "I've Been to the Mountaintop," he stated that he just wanted to do God's will. Is this coming back to you now?

  Principal Kinney : Yes.

  Tom Endler : In your opinion, would Ms. Wesley, had she chosen to do so, have been allowed to present the examples that I just mentioned in her class?

  Pete Kane : Objection. Speculative.

  Judge Stennis : I'm going to allow it. Overruled. Witness may answer.

  Principal Kinney : No. If it were up to me, she would not have been allowed.

  Tom Endler : Why not?

  Principal Kinney : Because those examples are too closely associated with faith.

  Tom Endler : In other words, they're... they're facts, but they're just facts that are too dangerous for discussion?

  Principal Kinney : The word I would use would be "controversial".

  Tom Endler : But aren't facts just facts? I mean, there's nothing controversial about two plus two equaling four, or E=MC squared, or the date man landed on the moon. So, why the controversy about these facts?

  Principal Kinney : I think the fact that we're all here today speaks for itself.

• Pete Kane : Principal Kinney, what was the school district's final determination?

  Principal Kinney : Well, Grace has been suspended without pay pending the result of this trial.

  Pete Kane : Hmm. Isn't it rather unusual, leaving it up to a third party to determine whether Ms. Wesley is fired?

  Principal Kinney : We've decided to accept the court's interpretation of wrongdoing either way.

• Tom Endler : Would you state your name and experience for the record?

  Jim Warner Wallace : My name is James Warner Wallace. I'm a retired homicide detective from Los Angeles County.

  Tom Endler : And are you the author of the book "Cold Case Christianity"?

  Jim Warner Wallace : Yes, I am.

  Tom Endler : Can you share the subtitle of the book with the court, please?

  Jim Warner Wallace : "A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels."

  Tom Endler : Would I be correct in saying that your... your duties as a homicide detective include investigating cold-case homicides?

  Jim Warner Wallace : Yes, that is and was my expertise.

  Tom Endler : Don't most of those cases get solved with DNA evidence?

  Pete Kane : Objection. Leading. And counsel is testifying again, Your Honor.

• Pete Kane : Ms. Kinney, I understand that you attended a service at Ms. Wesley's church a short while ago. Is that correct?

  Principal Kinney : Yes, that's correct. It was an event honoring several students who attend that church for their community service.

  Pete Kane : Mm-hmm. And who was it that invited you to that service?

  Principal Kinney : Grace Wesley.

  Pete Kane : I see. And where were you when this invitation was extended?

  Principal Kinney : At my office.

  Pete Kane : On school grounds?

  Principal Kinney : Yes.

  Pete Kane : During work hours?

  Principal Kinney : Yes.

  Pete Kane : Thank you. Oh, one last question. Is it true that Ms. Wesley accepts donations for a faith-based charity, Convoy of Hope, right there in the classroom?

  Principal Kinney : Yes, she does.

  Pete Kane : Thank you again. No further questions, Your Honor.

• Pete Kane : Ms. Thawley, do you like Ms. Wesley?

  Brooke Thawley : Yes.

  Pete Kane : Would you say she's your favorite teacher?

  Brooke Thawley : Yes, absolutely.

  Pete Kane : Do you think Ms. Wesley likes you?

  Tom Endler : Objection. Speculative.

  Pete Kane : Your Honor, speaks to the state of mind of the witness, if not Ms. Wesley herself.

• Tom Endler : Grace, I want you to do something for me, something for everyone in this courtroom. I want you to apologize. I want you to say you're sorry and that you made a mistake.

  Pete Kane : Your Honor, what's going on here?

  Tom Endler : Do it, Grace.

  Grace Wesley : I can't do that.

  Tom Endler : Why? Why can't you do that, Grace?

  Grace Wesley : Because I don't believe I did anything wrong.

  Tom Endler : Well, as your attorney, I'm advising you to do it anyway. To at least pretend that you're sorry and throw yourself on the mercy of the court.

  Brooke Thawley : [watching from the gallery]  What?

  Grace Wesley : That would be a lie.

  Tom Endler : So what? Everyone lies.

  Grace Wesley : Not everyone.

  Tom Endler : Are... are you looking to become a martyr?

  Pete Kane : [quietly to his second chair]  What in the world is he doing?

  Simon Boyle : I have no idea.

• Pete Kane : After all of your Bible readings, do you feel now that you're a believer?

  Brooke Thawley : Yes.

  Pete Kane : Maybe even a Christian?

  Brooke Thawley : Yes.

  Pete Kane : At the risk of seeming redundant, do you think any of this, the Bible readings, the question about Jesus in class, the newfound commitment to Christianity, is it likely that any of that would've occurred without Ms. Wesley's direct involvement?

  Brooke Thawley : No, it wouldn't.

  Pete Kane : I thank you for your honesty.

• Pete Kane : What did you mean when you said that you had talks about faith outside of school?

  Brooke Thawley : My brother died in an accident six months ago. Ms. Wesley noticed that I wasn't doing so well, so she asked me if everything was all right after class.

  Pete Kane : Mm-hmm.

  Brooke Thawley : I told her I was fine, but I went and found her later on at the coffee shop.

  Pete Kane : And did Ms. Wesley refer you to any kind of psychological counseling?

  Brooke Thawley : No.

  Pete Kane : Uh, did she suggest that perhaps she wasn't the right person to be discussing this with you?

  Brooke Thawley : No.

  Pete Kane : Well, then what did Ms. Wesley do?

  Brooke Thawley : She was really nice. We talked for a long time and I could tell that she really cared.

  Pete Kane : Mm.

  Brooke Thawley : I asked her how she kept it all together so well, and she said, "Jesus."

  Pete Kane : So, she's the one who brought up Jesus? Did her endorsement of Jesus move you to explore Christianity?

  Brooke Thawley : Yes, at first. But when the Salvation Army came to pick up my brother's things, one of the ladies found his Bible and she gave it to me. I didn't even know that he had one.

  Pete Kane : Mm.

  Brooke Thawley : So I started reading it, and once I started, I realized that I didn't wanna stop. That's why. That's why I came up with the question that I asked in class.

  Pete Kane : Now, if I understand you correctly, without Ms. Wesley's direct involvement, you never would've asked that question in the first place, would you?

  Brooke Thawley : I don't know.

• Pete Kane : Do you think there's any possibility that in answering your question, she may have tried to share some of the ideas of her faith, a faith that she holds most dear?

  Brooke Thawley : No, uh, no, not at that moment.

  Pete Kane : Not at that moment. You mean to say that there were other moments in which she talked to you about her faith?

  [the courtroom notices her react] 

  Pete Kane : Hmm? Ms. Thawley, please?

  Judge Stennis : You must answer the question, Ms. Thawley.

  Brooke Thawley : Yes, but it was outside of school and it was only one time.

  Tom Endler : Move to strike. Your Honor, this is irrelevant. No actions off the school campus are at issue here.

  Judge Stennis : Denied. Mr. Kane seems to have found a loose thread. I'm inclined to let him pull it. See what unravels.

  Pete Kane : Thank you, Your Honor.

  Tom Endler : [quietly to Grace]  Why didn't you tell me about this?

  Grace Wesley : You didn't ask, and I didn't think it mattered.

• Pete Kane : Detective Wallace, I'm not gonna try to match biblical knowledge with you. But isn't it true that these gospel accounts vary widely in what they say, that there are numerous discrepancies between these accounts?

  Jim Warner Wallace : Absolutely, but that's exactly what we should expect.

  Pete Kane : I don't quite understand that.

  Jim Warner Wallace : Well, reliable eyewitness accounts always differ slightly in the way they recall the story. They're coming to it from different geographic perspectives, their history, even where they are located in the room. When I examined the gospels, I was trying to determine if these were accurate, reliable accounts, in spite of any differences there might be between the accounts.

  Pete Kane : Ah, and as a devout Christian, you feel you succeeded?

  Jim Warner Wallace : Ah, Mr. Kane. I think you misunderstand me. When I began this study, I was a devout atheist. I began examining the gospels as a committed skeptic, not as a believer. You see, I wasn't raised in a Christian environment, although I do think I have an unusually high regard for the value of evidence. I'm not a Christian because I was raised that way or because I hoped it would satisfy some need or accomplish some goal. I'm simply a Christian because it's evidentially true.

  Pete Kane : Motion to strike, Your Honor.

  Judge Stennis : Granted. Jury's instructed to ignore Detective Wallace's last remarks.

  Pete Kane : No further questions.

• Pete Kane : We are going to prove once and for all that God is dead.