The Case for Christ Page #8

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to interview.

- A ps-psy...

- Psychologist. That's right.

A guy with... with a lot

of academic street cred.

Knows the human mind

better than God does.

KENNY:

No pressure, kid.

LEE:

Don't listen to him.

ROD:

Dr. Roberta Waters, president

of the American Association

of Psychoanalysts, agnostic...

LEE:

Ah, agnostic. Finally.

ROD:
and a leading authority

on human behavior

at Purdue University.

LEE:

Indiana. Great.

Dr. Waters.

Ah. Hello, Mr. Strobel.

As much as I would like

to help a fellow skeptic,

what you're proposing

is completely impossible.

But how can you say that?

I mean, if Charles Manson

can turn his followers into...

murderous zombies, surely the

followers of the Christ cult

could be convinced

of their own delusions.

Listen, hallucinations

are like dreams.

They happen in individual minds.

They don't spread

like the common cold.

Okay, so... a hypnotist

turns a stage full

of insurance salesmen into...

into clucking chickens...

Then that's...

that's not really

happening or...?

No, of course it is.

The power of suggestion

can be very profound.

But it's one thing

to be mesmerized

into making animal noises.

It's quite another

for 500 people

to have the same dream.

To be honest, that would be

an even bigger miracle

than the Resurrection itself.

And without an empty tomb,

you and I, we're not even

having this conversation.

If Jesus recovered

from his injuries,

that solves that problem.

All these people could have

easily seen him, yes?

Yes, but I'm afraid

that's not a brain issue.

You need to speak

to a medical doctor.

Of course.

Dr. Waters, again,

thank you for your time.

You've been most gracious.

Before you go,

may I ask you something?

Sure.

It's about your father.

I'm just curious

what your relationship

with him is like.

(chuckles)

Um...

Complicated.

Let me guess.

Distant, cold,

doesn't give much affirmation

or express love?

Guilty on all charges.

Why?

I imagine, as a skeptic,

you're familiar with history's

great names in atheism.

Hume, Nietzsche, Sartre, Freud.

Of course, yes.

Some of my greatest heroes.

Did you know that all of them

had a father

who either died

when they were young,

abandoned them,

was physically

or emotionally abusive?

In the world of therapy,

it's called a father wound.

No, I...

I was not aware of that.

But with all due respect,

Dr. Waters,

I did not have a loving father,

but that doesn't mean

that I have a problem

with those who do.

What I have a problem with

is some made-up loving father.

If God was real...

I could accept that He loves me.

I just don't believe He is.

I don't disagree.

Well, unfortunately,

my wife does.

The problems that it's

currently causing my marriage

are very real.

Again...

thank you.

LESLIE:

"I will give you a new heart

"and put a new spirit in you.

"I will remove from you

your heart of stone

and give you a heart of flesh."

"I will give you a new heart

"and put a new spirit in you.

"I will remove from you

your heart of stone

and give you a heart of flesh."

[]

LEE (muttering):

Oh, interview...

Alexander Metherell.

(clicks tongue)

Found you.

California.

Better than Wisconsin.

(clears throat)

Uh, Mr. Strobel?

- Yeah?

- You have a visitor.

Hey. Officer Koblinsky.

How you feeling?

Eh, getting there.

Good. Thanks, Rod.

Just wanted to come by

and, uh, you know,

say thanks for the story,

for telling the truth.

Yeah, well, it's my job

and, uh, in this case,

my pleasure.

Yeah.

So, you got everything

you need on Hicks?

Wrapping the story up?

Yeah, well, that's...

that's all done.

Uh, you don't have to worry

about him shooting anyone

- for another, uh, 15 years.

Ooh. -Uh,

still have bullet fragments

in my spleen.

- Ah, right, I forgot.

- Yeah.

Price for doing my job,

I guess, huh?

Right.

- Thanks again, Strobel.

- Yeah. Feel better.

[]

(muttering quietly)

[]

Not sure why you want

to do this now.

Hicks has already been

sentenced.

Just humor me, Marlow.

LEE:

And here's what's weird.

He's got...

bullet fragments in his spleen,

but the entry wound is up here.

It's-it's as if...

it's as if the weapon barrel

was pointing inside

the breast pocket.

Yeah, you can see

the powder burns right there.

Now, a couple years back,

I was doing research

on concealed weapons.

People disguising firearms

as cigarette lighters,

belt buckles.

That's a pen.

It's a writing utensil.

LEE:

ls it?

What is that?

Spent shell casing.

That, Mr. Marlow, is a gun.

That is a...

a .22-caliber pen gun.

Look at that right there.

That's what shot Koblinsky.

This is illegal, for any cop

to carry a weapon like this

while on duty.

How could nobody have seen this?

'Cause nobody

was looking for it.

Koblinsky had a secret.

He played the victim card,

and I bought it.

Well, so did the cops.

Unbelievable.

He's actually innocent.

He was wrongfully prosecuted,

is what he is.

You gotta get back

to that judge.

You gotta get Hicks

out of lockup.

Can you get this stuff in...

I got it. I got it.

Just, you go.

DUBOIS:

How could you miss this?!

LEE:

Koblinsky played me.

No.

You let yourself get played,

Mr. Best Seller.

And you put the integrity

of this paper at risk,

not to mention putting

an innocent man in harm's way.

Whatever's been

distracting you lately,

it got in the way

of your reporting.

Now, go write me a retraction.

I gotta call downstairs

and have them hold the presses

so we can remake A-1.

Yes, sir.

After this, um...

I'd like to take a few

personal days, if I could.

Take more than that.

DUBOIS:

Get me Production.

PREACHER:

Leslie Strobel,

today is very much

like a wedding ceremony.

By taking the step of baptism,

you are publicly proclaiming

that you are a follower

of Jesus.

Do you believe He is your Savior

and died for your sins?

I do.

PREACHER:
And is it your desire

to make that belief public

b)' being baptized?

Yes. Yes, it is.

PREACHER:

Then...

it is my privilege

to baptize you

in the name of the Father,

the Son and the Holy Spirit.

[]

(car engine revving)

(tires screech)

(engine shuts off)

Thank God.

Where were you?

I was just out celebrating

on my own.

- Okay. -And then I remembered

that I need to go

to Los Angeles tomorrow,

so I have to pack a bag.

No, no, no, no.

Los Angeles? No, no.

What happened today?

- You left. You left.

- Uh-huh.

- What happened?

- Well, I didn't want to...

I didn't want to interrupt

the wedding festivities.

It's... that's a big deal.

Congrats.

- It's a metaphor.

- Uh-huh.

You know what

a metaphor is, right?

You're a smart guy, Lee, right?

- Married to Jesus. Yep.

- Hey. Come here.

Come here. Listen to me.

Today was important to me.

You know that.

I don't understand

how you could just...

- That makes two of us, Leslie.

- Lee, I'm trying here!

- I know you're trying.

- I'm trying... Hey, listen!

I know you're trying.

- I can feel you trying, Leslie.

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