The law scares me. It’s not because I think justice is impossible, or I’ll somehow end up victimized by it. However, there is always a moment in our lives when we may run up against it, and if such a moment ever arose for me, I am utterly terrified at the prospect of being judged by a jury of my peers. Reading stories like this one reminds me only a small minority of people actually bother using their logical minds when trying to decide something as important as a man’s fate.

In 1999, Kristian Oliver was found guilty of bludgeoning an elderly man to death during a botched robbery. When it came time for the jury to decide his fate, a number of them decided to consult the Bible (specifically the Book of Numbers) for guidance. One of the jurors, Donna Matheny, had highlighted this passage:

And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

10 years later and Oliver’s lawyer is still trying to get the sentence overturned, arguing the Bible had no place in the jury room during deliberation. But because this is fucking Texas, a judge found insufficient evidence that the Bible significantly influenced the jury’s decision. Of course, this same judge also strictly forbade Oliver’s lawyer from directly asking jurors if the Bible had been used to influence their ruling, so how anything was properly determined, I have no idea.

So if you live in Texas and you don’t believe in God, do everything in your power to avoid being involved in the legal system. You’re likely to get totally fucked over by a bunch of Neanderthals who think the Bible is an instrument of law. This is the same book that commands you stone your children to death if you catch them swearing.  Feeling terrified yet?