Hearing for ‘Corpus
Christi’ suit to take place today
By Kurt Esposito
Summer
Editor
The first hearing in the lawsuit against the Purdue
Board of Trustees seeking an injunction to stop the play '"Corpus Christi"
will be held today.
The play is the story of man named Joshua living
in Texas. His life parallels the life of Jesus Christ and includes characters
based on and named after the 12 disciples. Throughout the course of
the play it is hinted that all the Apostles are homosexuals and suggested
that Joshua and Judas have had sex.
The student-directed play is scheduled to open
Aug. 10 at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Eleven Allen County residents and 21 state lawmakers
filed the suit because it is being funded by the state. They allege
the play defames Christianity and is unconstitutional under the religion
clauses of the First Amendment.
"Freedom of expression I'm for, but when it comes
to public funds I'm not sure this is the way to do it," said Rep David
Frizzell, R-93, one of the plaintiffs in the suit.
The play will be presented in a building paid for
by tax payers of the state of Indiana and located on public grounds
paid for by the taxpayers. In addition taxpayer funds will be used for
the cost of utilities of the play.
Frizzell said he would have no problem if the play
was staged in a private setting.
Thomas Adler, professor of English, said, "I don't
think (the play) is meant to be an attack."
He said the play is a warning to ensure events
such as the murder of Matthew Shepard never happen again.
In the preface to the play, author Terrence McNally
wrote "…(the play) asks you to look at what they did to Joshua,
it asks that we look at what they did one cold October night to a young
man in Wyoming as well. Jesus Christ died again when Matthew Shepard
did. Look. Remember…And don't let it happen again."
Frizzell, who did not read the play before becoming
a plaintiff, said it is offensive to portray Christ and Apostles as
homosexuals. He said it is unnecessary to pick on Christianity in order
for McNally to get a message across.
Andrew Pavlak, pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas Center,
said the play is only an interpretation of the events in Christ's life
just as "Godspell" and "Jesus Christ Superstar" are artistic interpretations.
He said many of the people who object to the play
take the Bible and depiction of Jesus too literally. He said they cannot
see outside what they see as Christianity. "Reality is, none of us can
ever understand what Jesus really was like."
Adler said in his opinion the play is poorly-written.
"What should be very strong emotional feeling comes across as sentimental
and naïve but it's really a harmless kind of play."
He said if not for the controversy the play would
not receive much attention.
The hearing today is to schedule a full hearing,
which will determine the date of the trial.
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