Church exorcism protected by First Amendment
A US woman who was injured during an exorcism by a Texas church is having to take her case to the US Supreme Court after state judges said that the Church was protected under the First Amendment.
Laura Schubert Pearson suffered a two-day exorcism in which she claimed she was held captive for two days. During this time she was pinned to the ground and “pummelled” because the church group was convinced she was possessed by demons. The experience left her bruised and traumatised. After the ordeal at the age of 17 she attempted suicide.
A Texas lower court awarded her damages but this was over turned by the Texas Supreme Court because they saw her injury as little more than a religious despite and the US First amendment prohibits government interference in the free exercise of religion; no matter who gets hurt.
In Oz we don’t have a Bill of Rights. Our liberties and rights essentially come from the High Court of Australia through its interpretation of the Australian Constitution ( a very dull and boring document). There is a move to enshrine our rights in a Bill of Rights, something in general I agree with. But stories like this make me wonder if we’re not better off the way we are.
I just hope that Laura wins in the US Supreme Court and gets some justice for the insults she has suffered.
