By evening on the West Coast, Harrison and Prudence Harrison could not run anymore. Federal agents from both the FBI and the IRS swooped down on their compound and arrested the couple on numerous tax evasion and wire fraud charges. With Patrick's revelation he had been abused by his parents, the allegations made by the other adults in Saint Louis could no longer be ignored as he provided the "smoking gun," and the couple also faced twelve civil rights charges for abusing their son and the Saint Louis Eleven.
A two hour time difference away, the Gang of Six, their children and the Camden extended family were in celebratory mode when they got the news. It was well past eleven in the evening and they were still on a high after Felicity's and Hope's setting an entire crowd of Christians on proverbial fire, but the word of the arrests made them even happier. Several bottles of aged wine were uncorked, and even the children older than six imbibed.
While Annie was happy in the realization that Ruthie and Peter were finally able to make peace, and that her daughter was no longer a scorned woman, there were several things that still bothered her. She felt she had to confront Felicity first.
"Reverend Hunter," said Annie, still reticent about address Felicity by her given name, "I was among the congregation today, as was my and Eric's family. We think you and Hope were marvelous, and both outstanding ministers. If you are among the next generation's leaders, and your rises can rise above the Word of Faith, then the evangelical movement is in safe hands. But I watched you webcast last week as well and, well, I couldn't help but notice a few inconsistencies.
"Now normally I'd just let it drop, but since you're going to be the mother of my step-grandchildren - and the fact you're a very public figure, have been even before you began your life's adventure with Peter - I have to confront you and ask you to clear some things up. Because very soon, you'll have to testify in the criminal case and if you don't get your facts straight, your credibility will really take a tailspin."
"Anything to help, Annie - if I can call you that," replied Felicity.
"You may. Sure."
"All right ... fire away."
"In your broadcast last week, you said you're thirty-six. Today you said you're thirty-five. Which is it?"
"Thirty-five. I was so riled up in my rebuttal that I misspoke last week."
"You said today you lost your virginity - or your spiritual virginity, rather - in university. But last week you said you had boyfriends in high school."
"It was what I said last week," said Felicity. "About six months after I was gang raped, a wonderful guy who was in the same year as me, and I, began a relationship. He needed help with linear algebra and calculus, and I needed some help with geography and history. We tutored each other, and, well, one thing led to another. He was raped by a fellow jock in the locker room in our freshman year, so he could sympathize with what happened to me - and we both found comfort in each other's arms. It lasted only three months, but we're still friends. He just lacked the maturity I was looking for in a boyfriend. I got plenty of the maturity I wanted, in college."
"Next - you first said that you and Peter had no intimacy at all until you finally met face-to-face in Enid, and only after three days. But Peter admitted you two had cyber-sex. What's the story there?" asked Annie, getting more flustered.
"Peter and I not only had cyber-sex - sharing smut and fantasy sex online, both in text and video - he used a disposable SIM card to have phone sex with me too so there couldn't be a trace," replied Felicity. "I restrained myself for three days when we finally met, but finally I just couldn't hold back. And neither could Peter. We kept the cybering to ourselves until after the fact because we knew it would really hurt Ruthie - until she admitted she and Lisa made love and we didn't see the point of keeping it hidden."
'You indicated you were estranged from your parents after you became 'born again,' but today you said they died in a car crash."
"Annie, I was emotionally estranged from them from my early teens, maybe - well, actually, after I became a woman at age nine. They were unrepentant drug and alcohol addicts and didn't care a lick I was maturing at an age far below where I should have - in those days, about twelve or thirteen. And I filled in very quickly - going from a flat chest to a 38C in just two years really does wonders, especially when you've had back problems going back to age six! I'm lucky to be alive from the day the crash happened - Mom was behind the wheel and she was really drunk and on antidepressants. The only reason I'm alive is because I was wearing my seat-belt. For years after, I had nightmares about them. It was only when I gave my life to Jesus that the nightmares ended. So in a way, what I said last week was true from a certain point of view. When I finally accepted Jesus, I finally made my break from them, from their influence. They no longer control my emotions or my life. Christ does."
"You have never mentioned you tried to commit suicide, in any of your previous sermons, until today. Why is that?"
"Embarrassment," said Felicity flatly. "Shame. Just as I was about to overdose on pain killers, Jesus brought Himself into my life. I have never been the same since. I can't even bear to tell you how bad it was. It was so bad I was on several antidepressants. My comments about it today only scratch the surface and I didn't want to give the crowd today, nor any of you here in this room, the wrong idea for yourselves. No one in your family, or Eric's, has ever tried to do themselves in - other than for end of life instructions. Um ... sorry sir." She was referring to his parents who were unconscious at the end of their lives and at their wishes, Eric, Julie and George ultimately decided to pull the plugs.
"'Death is a side effect of living', so don't sweat it, Felicity," said Eric. He, unlike his wife, didn't mind addressing the young minister directly.
"How far back have you hated the Word of Faith?" continued Annie.
"Since my First Communion at eight," said Felicity. "It wasn't I hated Protestants, I never did as a kid. It's a no brainer - it's not at all compatible with Protestantism, real Protestantism. More than a few Catholics actually buy the crap too which I found even more offensive."
"Why did you leave the Catholic Church?"
"The sex abuse scandals, naturally. Too many of my friends were abused by sisters and religious brothers. The Diocese in northern Arkansas, where I'm from, only did internal investigations which were all self-serving. They never turned them over to the police and child protection authorities, which the law requires. A number of officials there are only finally, after many years, facing obstruction charges; after a new bishop did the right thing and reopened up the files - but too little, too late. I didn't leave the Church - it left me, as it has so many."
"Abuse happens in any Church, Felicity," pointed out Deena. "I'm Catholic but I haven't left it. Even after my parents divorced. They haven't left either."
"Yeah, but unlike any other Church, if it gets really hot for an accused, the Vatican can give them diplomatic immunity. Like a certain Cardinal from Boston. Sorry, Deena, but even most Catholics agree that's just plain wrong. I couldn't abide that. And that was two years before my reawakening."
"Your time at the think-tank," continued Annie. "You and the host of that talk show were more than just friends, weren't you? Oral sex in the broom closets, mostly. You had full-blown sex once or twice before your big launch, but he needed a 'vacation' so he could have sex with you full time behind the scenes for the sex - um, six weeks after that. And the straw draw - you made sure it was rigged so you'd go on the air during his absence. And the caller who dared you to sing - he was a plant from inside the ministry, matter of fact, he was your cousin. You couldn't break through via any Nashville record label the usual way, so you figured this would be a backdoor but blatantly open way to do so."
"How do you know all that?" screamed Felicity.
"The banter you and the other host had on air, after his 'vacation'. Like I said, you guys were having hot sex during all of those six weeks and for some time after that. The giveaway was some very discreet but still obvious innuendo during the broadcasts. Not noticeable to most of your listeners, but those with real discernment would have figured it out."
"Yeah," conceded Felicity. "But we both used protection. Matter of fact, from the time I was raped at fifteen - when I did take the morning after, despite my supposed convictions - I was on the Pill. I was on it until three months ago when I finally gave up on ever having another boyfriend - let alone two babies." She rubbed her stomach.
"And so - and I think we all want to know, and we'll keep it ourselves until you say so publicly - who is the intermediary? The guy who brought you and Peter together?"
"Jimmy Moon," said Felicity, Peter and Ruthie, together and quietly.
"GET OUT!" screamed Lucy and Rod. They were close friends with Jimmy after the three had been in a love triangle, but this was a bean ball from nowhere.
"It's true," said Felicity. "He presently runs an outfitting store for anglers and hunters in Enid - and it is fishermen, even for women. He's also a part-time minister. And he relayed messages between us until it became obvious to him that Peter and I were wanting to share much more than just indirect innuendo on the communications. So Jimmy backed away and that's when Peter and I started getting really smutty online."
"And my last question to you," said Annie. "Why did you just decide to admit all of it, now? Well, everything except who's the father of your children. Which will come out eventually - and it will cause all of us, you and Peter included, a lot of headaches!"
"'To thine own self be true'," said Felicity. "And better I say it before the tabloids do. Besides by Hope's turning on the You Know Whos, it's they that are on the run - or behind bars."
Annie pondered this for about 30 seconds. Then she faced Hope.
"You embezzled well more than a half a billion dollars of your parishioner's money," she said, "including a hundred for your own use -"
"Which has all been paid back," said Hope.
" - that's not the point, Hope, you should be in jail! People who have stolen way less are in jail for very long sentences. And you got immunity?!"
"It may have been, from the perspective of the federal DA, a deal with the devil," conceded Hope. "But half a billion versus half a trillion? It was a no brainer for them. The smaller fish usually are the rats. I needed to clear my consciousness."
"Which leads me to the more important question. Don't take this the wrong way, Hope - but are you, even in the slightest, sexually attracted to Reverend Hunter?"
"Yes!" said an exasperated Hope. "We actually had sex the other night! Normally, I'm as straight as they come, but if Peter hadn't met her before we finally met face to face, then I would have propositioned her. I've always been curious about it and who better than her? If only to get back at my parents for their two-faced approach to their sexuality - breathing fire and brimstone on anyone who even thinks about going or trying gay, while doing it themselves. I'd give a million bucks to see their faces when they got the porn tape of the two of us!"
"Are you crazy, sister?" said Felicity. "You want us to do it again? Pater and I are married!"
"You go both ways, sister," said Hope.
"I love Peter! And I thought Ruthie made clear she was pulling a joke on all of us, when it first came up!"
"If he was cool with a three-way, ..." meaning Peter and Hope already discussed it, "... would you join in?"
"I'm a woman. And yes, I've done it before. I'd gladly do it with you - and who cares what the press would say?"
"It won't be right away," said Peter. "But this is something I really look forward to. Who knows? Maybe Hope will have my kids too!"
"Bite your tongue, Peter!" said a horrified Mary.
"Have I - we - answered your questions, Annie?" said Felicity.
Annie stood quietly for a full minute.
"Yes ... Felicity. Some of the answers I don't like. Especially the last one. But I'm satisfied," she said.
"I know you'll never, ever, forgive me. I get that. But ... if this is your way of calling a truce, I'll accept it," said Felicity.
"Truce," agreed Annie, finally offering the right hand of fellowship. Felicity accepted it.
"Well, I guess it's another night of crashing here and at the Parkers," said Simon. "I don't think any of us has had this much fun, and with so much at stake too!"
"Just one thing," Kevin wondered. "What about this guy that the Anderson patriarchs are in league with out of convenience? Jackson Whirry?"
"You don't want to know, Kevin," said Felicity. "I have a huge file on his financials; but I thought maybe Ruthie should fill you in on the doctrine part, since she's a real expert on British Israelism. Matter of fact, her dissertation for her divinity degree was on that subject."
"Not quite an expert, girl," said Ruthie, "but these are real maniacs. This could take a while so gather around, all of you, please. You're talking about deal with the devil, then what Hope confessed to is small potatoes by comparison."
They headed to the den. This time, chairs from the dining room were brought it so everyone could sit down.
"Back in the early 1900s," said Ruthie after everyone sat down, "there was a guy who wrote that American and British whites - and note I said whites - are the descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel, ten of which were allegedly lost in time, until 'the key' was unlocked. The book is full of crap - like, Scone's Stone is David's throne when it is proven it came from the hills of Scotland. Or, that those who claim to be Jewish, really aren't. Or, believe it or not, the prediction that Israel when it was reconstituted would change its official language from Hebrew - to English! Well, we know English is a major language of communication in Israel and it is used on the government's website - but it is not an official language there.
"The list goes on and on, but these two sum up why I think BI is heifer dust. One, that so many places in Ireland and Northern Ireland have the name 'Dan' proves, they claim, the Irish are the House of Dan, even though the places names were there long before Christianity came there. In fact they were there before the House of Dan was founded. Two, but far worse, is that the book in question basically repackaged a form of British Nativism that dates back to at least eighteen twenty-four when a lot of people in Parliament were opposed to granting emancipation to Catholics and the Jews.
"The guy's name was John H Allen. During the Great Depression, another dude, Walter Abramson - yeah, him - started a radio program which basically rearranged Allen's ideas and he made it his own. When television came along, Abramson and his 'magazine' became worldwide sensations and ran for decades. But you put his two most important books, one from the 1930s and one published in 1985 just before he died, next to Allen's, and you'll see that he was a plagiarist. A very successful and eventually rich one. And his ideas, especially about the Books of Daniel and Revelation, made him an even bigger laughing-stock to those of us who have discernment. But by quoting verses out of context he claimed to have a perfect record of predicting world events. Actually, he was wrong at least two hundred seven times by my count. And Jesus said -"
"If anything a prophet says proves to be false, then he is a false prophet, period," interrupted Hope. "But two hundred seven times? Boy, this guy had no scruples."
"And worse, Hope," added Ruthie, "his daughter accused him of raping her. Repeatedly for years. She openly pleaded with her father to just tell the truth but he would not - any more than he would admit lifting passages.
"When he died, a new guy took over. I can't recall his name right now, but the thing is, to the shock of everyone not just inside the church but across Christianity as well, he nearly completely repudiated everything his predecessor stood for. He openly called the old guy a plagiarist and that he would not print the books anymore and most of the prophecies went out the window. And he started allowing interracial marriages as well. In fact, he turned the cult into a genuine Christian church. So many of the 'true believers' couldn't believe that their closet racist ideology was being chucked out, that they left the church and started up their own ones.
"All of them claim to be the real successors. The most credible claim belongs to Cyril Jackson Whirry. When his former church stopped publishing the books, he just decided to print them himself claiming 'fair use,' much like when we burn mp3s onto a CD so we can play them in our cars. He was sued, but in a shocking ruling the courts ruled in his favor. Rather than appeal, the now truly Christian church just decided to run with the money and signed over the copyrights for a relatively paltry sum, in the low millions.
"Fair and well, but Whirry then started revising those books himself over and over to meet his views. The old kingpin's magnum opus from nineteen eighty-five, if you can find a first edition at a public library, bears no resemblance to the current work which has been revised nearly four dozen times - about twice a year. And as the European Union - long a hatred of Whirry's - has become larger and more democratic, the idiot has had to try to figure out a way to convince people it's under the influence of the Vatican. Now, all twenty-eight Prime Ministers are Christians, but only ten or eleven by my count are Catholic - and all have been very critical of the church's conduct in the sex abuse scandals. It's even worse in Europe than it is here, the collusion with former public authorities.
"So to get around that, he then writes his own book claiming he is 'That Prophet' when we all know 'That Prophet' is Jesus.
"While his denial of the Trinity goes completely against Christianity - even the warped version expressed by Hope's parents - the fact is his so-called church pay their bills for paid time broadcasts, on time. So they scratch each other's backs. And from what Lisa and Ashley told me, they both have people on the inside of the financial world manipulating the market. That close call from a few months ago - the trillion-dollar swindle - that was them. No question. It was only that Tom, Elena and Mike among a hundred or so good guys and gals who figured it out that stopped a catastrophe. Bottom line - if the two hundred million man army won't go to Bar Meggido - um, or as we call the city in Israel, Armageddon - then they will bring the ruins of the world to Armageddon themselves. What better place than the futures markets?"
"There's more, isn't there?" inquired Matt.
"Yes there is, bro," agreed Ruthie. "Whirry is a control freak. Many disaffected followers have noted he has absolute control over the ministry, his arguing that the only form of government allowed by the Bible is a top down dictatorship. So no way to check his behavior and certainly no outside board of directors to check the finances - unlike, say, Billy Graham, as Felicity here has pointed out. He hosts the TV and radio shows, his son is the business front-man, the man's daughter the editor of the 'magazine,' and her husband the lead 'columnist.' And of course the guy from the other side of the world who has had so many falling outs and reconciliations with Whirry that it could fill a tabloid for several weeks.
"So it's a family business more than a church. He is very strict on Jewish dietary laws, even devoting entire in-house (and not meant for public consumption) magazine issues on what can and cannot be eaten, especially during Passover and Yom Kippur, and bashing his competitors mercilessly. He says no medical care, just put your faith in God - and totally misinterpreting what it actually means when we say Jesus is 'The Great Physician'. Too many have died because of that. The triple tithe - "
"Triple? How's that supposed to work, Ruthie?" asked Annie.
"You don't want to know, Mom," replied her daughter. "But I may as well say it. The first tithe, we're all familiar with although the Bible really doesn't prescribe mandatory tithing. The second tithe is what you set aside to celebrate the Jewish holidays while completely ignoring the Christian ones - or to helping other members celebrate the Jewish holidays if they can't afford it. The third tithe, required every seven years during the 'Year of Jubilee', goes to finance the Church's activities. That would be fine if it actually went to the Church, but it doesn't. It finances the palatial homes on the gated compound, a concert hall of little to no useful purpose when Oklahoma City has several already, and of course the operation of an unaccredited university and which the Church vows will never be accredited because they don't want public authorities intervening on the so-called 'Work of God.'
"A lot of members got sick when they found out about this, so they called Whirry out and they were immediately disfellowed - as were an entire cadre of insiders, many of whom still support the basic premise of BI but do not like what it's become, even more twisted and racist as time progresses. Think about it this way - most of us have an effective tax rate of thirty percent when we factor in federal and state taxes and FICA and take advantage of any deduction we can. Hand over another thirty percent and you're left with forty cents on the dollar. Really nice sacrifice."
"There's something else," added Sarah. "While the Church promotes the celebration of Passover, Rosh Hoshana, Yom Kippur, Sukkoth and the Festival of Weeks, they say the Bible doesn't authorize two minor holidays - Purim and Hanukkah, which is really an insult."
"Why would it be an insult to the Chosen People, of which you are a part?" asked Simon.
"They are minor holidays compared to the Big Five, but they are reminders that those who are faithful to the Covenant will see a great reward," said Sarah. "You and the rest of the Camden family have been to services at Dad's synagogue for both.
"Purim is about a Jewish girl who marries a king who was a polytheistic Persian - or what we call Iranian today - and puts her foot down when the king's Prime Minister orders the genocide of all Jews in the vast kingdom, genocide which was ordered because she and her guardian refused to worship any other gods except God. She got her way, Haman and his ten sons were executed and Jews gained special protection in the kingdom. You know where the kids jeer at the mention of Haman, cheering when Esther's name is read. It's a happy occasion, if for no other reason than the catastrophe of twenty-five hundred years later when Hitler came along and killed two-thirds of all Jews in Europe. The story is a declaration of hope that even if things tumble around us, God will triumph over evil. And He did. Adolf got rid of six million of my people in Europe, but three million were left standing. He didn't get rid of all of us.
"Hanukkah? You know the miracle of the oil. You all believe it happened even if you don't celebrate the holiday yourselves. This miracle happened 165 years before Jesus of Nazareth was born. Same idea. But there's a key point noting too - just as most televangelists, Christian as well as BI, talk about the seven years of tribulation, the first half with a leader supposedly saving the world and the second half turning it into a living hell - so too the Abomination of Desolation was in the temple for 3 and a half years. And the oil lasting eight days was a reward for not giving up faith, and it was followed by three and a half years of peace. Not the other way around as the yahoos claim it was and is. Maybe there's nothing in the Scriptures about celebrating it, but the writings of the Prophets do mention them. Being told not to celebrate being faithful by honoring those who were faithful before us? If you manage to see the logic in that, then maybe I shouldn't be Jewish or Christian or any kind of monotheist!" concluded Sarah.
"Well ... is there anything you think they've said you do agree with, Ruthie?" asked Shelby.
"I think they have a point about how long Jesus was buried after he was executed, Shel," said Ruthie. "We just jump from Friday evening to Sunday morning, a day and a half. But Jesus himself did say, however, he would be buried three days and three nights just as Jonah was in the great fish for three and three. Which would mean Jesus was actually murdered on Wednesday afternoon, buried that evening and He then rose up sometime between sundown on Saturday night and sunrise on Sunday morning. Does that mean we Christians should get rid of Good Friday? NFW! I'd rather die, just as I'd rather die being told I couldn't celebrate Christmas or Easter anymore. I support freedom of religion and from religion, but this isn't freedom, it's license and intimidation.
"But there is one other thing I want to mention. Some time ago, they stopped streaming of their sermons that go way beyond anything we see on TV. These are secret sermons that are couriered out and meant for play only when they arrive at local congregations, then must be destroyed at the end of the service with two parishioners signing an affidavit that is was, under penalty of perjury, which affidavit and destroyed disk is then mailed back. Some of the listeners were so shocked however, that they broke the rules and anonymously posted the sermons online, and they are truly horrifying. Just listen to two of them, and you'll realize this is a church that has nothing to lose, by offending everyone they can."
"Sarah," said Eric, "what about the incident in nineteen sixty-nine at the Dome of the Rock? Um, or what's called the Noble Sanctuary or the Haram al-Sharif?"
"They're all one and the same Eric, but was actually at the al-Aqsa mosque right next door, Eric, but at the Temple Mount nevertheless," said Sarah. "A BI from the original church sets the platform on fire trying to start World War III. The Israeli police were right on top of it and stopped him. Under interrogation, he revealed he was with the church, but that church immediately denied they had anything to do with it. I believe that as much as the earth is flat. Matter of fact, there's every reason to believe the insider who ordered the attack now runs one of the successor BI churches. Which one? Damned if I know. But evangelicals (which the BIs are anything but) have also dreamed for decades of tearing down the Noble Sanctuary and / or al-Aqsa so they can build the Third Temple. Two problems - one, only God can rebuild the Temple and at a time He appoints. Two, there's plenty of evidence that now suggests that the Temple Mount was not the site of the First and Second Temples, that the Wailing Wall belonged to another castle in earlier times. Rather, the real temple was in a neighborhood called the City of David, to the south of the Mount and close to Bethlehem."
"They're not going away anytime soon," said Eric.
"Nope," said Ruthie and Sarah together.
Sarah added, "The only way to stop them is to keep discrediting them, just like we all, Jews and Christians, have tried with the Word of Faith. They have the same goal - a worldwide dictatorship - just different roads. If they have an entente like we think they do, it's going to be a heck of a lot more difficult to stop them. That's why we're all here tonight - to declare war. And I, one of the Chosen People, will be there with you, just as Mom and Dad will."
"Wait, Sarah ... why would your family, a Jewish family, want to take down pack of Christians - or alleged Christians?" asked Robbie, leaning on Mary.
"Three reasons, Robbie," said Sarah, who was now holding Matt's hand tightly. "One: The Bible speaks of The Remnant. If there is just one person left who keeps true to the Torah, then God will give him or her special protection and no harm can ever come upon that person. I think I know what it means to be a Jew. We've lived by the Law for thirty-two hundred years years and have been a people for twenty-five hundred years before that. I don't need any lessons on history especially from them because I know the history. I know and revere the Tanakh and the Talmud. These so-called 'Israelites' have no business telling me I'm not a Jew. I am.
"Two: Hope's parents and a large cross-section of evangelicals - the ones that give the rest, including most of you guys, a bad name - well, you've seen their flag-waving ceremonies for Israel, saying they 'support' Israel, yadda yadda yadda. But they use deception. They don't support Israelis or Jews in general, at all - instead, they insist that at the end of time Jews must accept Jesus or be damned. You can't force a belief system on someone for whatever reason, especially on that. It has to be a free choice. Not only that but you'll see those jackasses ask people to give money to yeshivas and to buy care packages for poor Russian Jews who have immigrated. I spent two years on a kibbutz and got to know the mind games first hand. The only reason Israel lets the tour groups in is not because they appreciate the 'friendship', but because the country needs the hard currency - especially the greenback, the pound and the Euro.
"But it's overall revolting for several reasons. First, the tours deliberately ignore refugee camps in Judea and Samaria - or what you Christians call the West Bank - not wanting to know, or worse not caring, that fellow Christians are among the internally displaced people. Not wanting to help a fellow Christian? What's with that? Really." Sarah scoffed. "Second, rabbinical schools are publicly funded - thanks to extreme right wing parties that form part of the inevitable coalition governments in the country - and much to the dismay of many of us who fear they're breeding grounds for Jewish terrorism against the Palestinians which has in fact happened from time to time. Third, the so-called 'care packages'? Social services are publicly funded as well. Migrants qualify for welfare and food allowances."
"Are you telling us it's a scam, Aunt Sarah?" asked Heather.
"Yes my darling, it is," Sarah replied. "It's wire fraud, plain and simple, and I think only now the feds have finally caught up - and only because they realize the national security issues involved here."
"So what's third, Aunt Sarah?" asked Maighread. They weren't really an aunt and niece, of course, but were treated as much as by the rest of the Camden siblings and their spouses.
"I've been asked why I don't 'believe' in Jesus so many times, that I've wanted to shoot myself," smirked Sarah. Everyone laughed. "Seriously, I've always found it hard to explain in a way that makes sense to people. A few years back, though, a rabbi in Canada hit the nail. He first noted that our two faiths share the same God and pretty much the same ethical code. After explaining why 'Jesus' and 'Christ' - or Joshua and Savior - are actually mutually exclusive concepts for Jews, he then went on to say something to the effect of, that Christians believe Christ was God who walked on Earth as a human being - but many if not most Jews regard Jesus as a human being who tried to walk with God. Personally, I think Jesus set a high standard of ethics for the rest of us. Believe in him or not, what he had to say about how we should treat each other is believable. And that part of his teachings, also makes perfect sense.
"Whatever our differences are, we have a duty to be on God's side - and if we claim He is on ours with no fruits to show for it, we're screwed. Just as Whirry and the Andersons are after the same goal but through different paths, so too we have a common goal - and the three of them are our enemies. It's all of us or none of us. And we need to get as many allies as possible and fast. So, Richard, Rosina and I join the fight, going forward. And we'll work the lines, get in touch with all of our friends, and get the ball rolling from our end."
Everyone applauded. Then the doorbell rang. Ruthie answered. To her shock, it was Kevin's partner Billie, along with the Canadian and German inspectors Ruthie met during her European trip.
"Don't tell us our lives are in danger, because we know that, Billie," said Ruthie.
"Yes, Reverend Camden, except this is a specific death threat, against both Reverends Anderson and Hunter," said Billie. "And because they now live here on this compound, all of your lives are in imminent danger. So for the next few weeks, for your protection, your respective families will be living out of the country. The Parkers as well as Hope will go with Inspectors Genscher and Finklestein to Ramstein for that period - since Shelby and Rod are still Marines pending their applications for discharge being approved. Meanwhile, your family and Felicity will go with Charbonneau to a place called Trois Pistoles, Québec. It's a town best known for its very intensive French Immersion program - that is, no English allowed, even for phone calls except 911. You guys know French but this is a good chance to brush up. No one knows who you are there - especially Felicity - and no one will even think to look for you there."
"For what it's worth," said Felicity, "this may be the chance we all have wanted the last few days, to finally bond and become a real family. And you, Ruthie, can start to tell me tips on how to be a mother to my children - your stepchildren."
"Of course, sister," said Ruthie.
"So Billie ... how long do we have to pack?" asked Peter.
"The unmarked paddy wagons will pull up to the church's loading dock at exactly 1 am," said Billie. "About ninety minutes. You'll get to it via the underground tunnels from the parsonages to the church. Don't even give the deacons any word you've on leave, until you leave. One text message only and then it's strict radio silence while you're away."
Felicity and Peter looked at each other. They wanted a marathon night of making love to celebrate the day, but that would have to wait at least a few days. If they were lucky.