Trial
My trial
was scheduled for the following week. The prosecution demanded ultimate
punishment on the grounds of heresy and blasphemy.
I didn't
quite understand the reason for the case. I had only criticed the
teaching of religion at school - the kind of rubbish that was force
fed to the pupils.
The teacher
had noticed markings in my text book. She took the book from my desk
and inspected the pages. It was, of course, forbidden to damage school
property, and that already angered the teacher, but it was my notes
that made her furious. "What on earth have you done!" The
teacher pointed her finger to a paragraph, which discussed Resurrection
and Judgement Day. Next to that paragraph I had written "Seriously?"
The text continued by explaining the notion of original sin, and there
was more of my handwriting asking "Eh?"
The teacher
said this was pure blasphemy, requiring more than a reprimand. My
book was confiscated and the case was taken over by criminal investigation.
It didn't
take long for the police to solve the crime. They reasoned that the
damaging of school property was an obvious fact, since the markings
were done with my handwriting. But the alleged blasphemy was harder
to prove, so the case was transferred to the prosecution's responsibility.
The evidence
was examined at length. Eventually they found incriminating proof
in my choice of words: "Seriously?" indicated clear rejection
of truth, and the questioning "Eh?" further revealed my
antagonistic attitude. The prosecution concluded that this was blasphemy
for sure, punishable by law in Heaven and in Earth.
Waiting
for the trial, I went to school as usual. Still, the case weighed
heavy on my shoulders. I didn't understand why I should be accused
of such things - simply because I happened to think for myself? It
was hardly a crime to use one's brains, quite the contrary. And how
could anyone suggest that it was a sin to question beliefs that went
against one's reason?
Around
that time my sense of justice was further offended by a speech given
by the principal. Each morning he spoke through the loud speakers,
and now he preached in the following fashion: "Alarming news
have reached the ears of the school teachers. We have come to understand
that immoral, unnatural acts take place in the school yard. It appears
that one of the vilest sins has found its way to our school. To make
my point absolutely clear, I assure you that this kind of indecency
will be rooted out once and for all: from now on those found to be
homosexual will be thrown out of this school immediately."
I didn't
understand the headmaster's position. Wasn't one's sexual orientation
proven to be an innate quality, determined at birth? Was behaviour
based on genes sufficient reason for condemnation?
In dark
thoughts I took the train back home. There didn't seem to be much
reason in this world.
Submerged
in my thoughts, I didn't notice that there were two teachers sitting
opposite to me. Raising my eyes I realized that they had been watching
me for quite some time. I was about to say something, when my Finnish
language teacher said, "Don't you worry about the trial. Everyone
knows that the whole thing is ridiculous."
"Then why don't anybody do anything?" I asked.
"There's nothing to be done," my history teacher said, "You
just have to bear the burden and see what happens."
The teachers'
kind words gave me solace. Even if they didn't offer any concrete
help, I realized that everything was all right. There were sensible
people in this world after all.
