'Is it biased,' Decker asked with an astonished tone, 'to reach an ethical opinion and then act upon it?'
Johnson smiled. 'No. The evidence is clearly demonstrat-ing that Dr. Fletcher did just that.' He resumed his stroll around the courtroom, hands in pockets. 'So, your group seeks to pre-serve the life of the preborn?'
'Yes. And its right to be born according to God's plan.'
'And you seek to outlaw abortion. At least until people come to their senses and never choose it as an option.'
'Correct,' Decker agreed.
'And do you acknowledge that simply by outlawing abor-tion, you will not put an end to the practice?' He stopped to stare at Decker.
'You'd certainly cut down on-'
'Just yes or no, Pastor.'
'Yes.'
'So even with laws forbidding it, women will still seek abor-tion, and preborns will still be murdered-at far greater risk to the mother from botched, illicit abortions. Correct?'
'They'd get what they des-'
'Yes or no?'
'Yes. Women will break the laws of the state and the laws of God.' He shook his head. 'The curse of Eve.'
'Curse or no, Pastor, if you so highly value the lives of these preborn babies, why are you opposed to the only technique that gives them a fighting chance for life?'
Decker jabbed a finger into his palm with emphatic force. 'Leaving the preborn alone gives it an even better chance for life.'
'Does it?' Johnson stepped over to the jury box without look-ing toward the jurors. 'Are you aware of how many pregnan-cies end in spontaneous abortions and stillbirths?'
'No.' A small laugh erupted from his depths. 'It must be small or we wouldn't have overpopulation problems.'
'The answer is about fifty percent.'
'Objection,' Czernek said.
'Sustained.' Lyang gazed down at the defense counsel. 'A lawyer's statements are not evidence, Mr. Johnson.'
Johnson paused to rephrase his question. He was surprised at how he considered each objection to be a personal affront. It hadn't seemed that way in law school. After a moment, he asked Decker, 'I you knew it was fifty percent, would transoption be less ethically objectionable?'
'No.'
'You mentioned that the preborn builds a barrier against the mother. Did you know that from the point of conception onward, the mother's immune system wages an unrelenting war against the embryo?'
'I've read about it.' Decker smiled wryly. 'The curse of Eve again.'
'You didn't know, however, that most pregnancies abort spontaneously-miscarry-within the first month?'
'No.' Decker shifted restlessly in the chair.
Johnson turned toward the jury. 'All those actual human beings with rights to life, all dying without the mothers even knowing they're pregnant.' He turned back toward the pas-tor, raising his voice. 'Where, Mr. Decker, did you receive the godlike ability to determine who shall live and who shall die? Or do you simply resent the idea that a woman can have her freedom of choice without any moral complications?'
'Objection, Your Honor.' Czernek's voice boomed with stern force. 'The witness's personal opinions do not affect his ex-pert testimony.'
