“And you’ve never met Zoe Baxter—you’ve only just seen her in this courtroom, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“You have no information about them when they were a married couple?”
“No. They were not members of my church at the time.”
“I see,” Angela says. “But youdoknow Reid and Liddy Baxter quite well?”
“Yes.”
“You had no trouble coming into this court and saying that, in your opinion, they are the preferred custodial couple for these embryos.”
“Yes,” Pastor Clive says.
“You have a professional relationship with Reid Baxter, too, right?”
“He manages the church’s funds.”
“He’s also one of the biggest contributors to your church, isn’t he?”
“Yes. Reid’s always been very generous.”
“In fact, your church recommends tithing income for its members, doesn’t it?”
“Many churches do that . . .”
“Isn’t it true that you receive a grand total of about four hundred thousand dollars a year from your friend Reid Baxter annually?”
“That sounds about right.”
“And coincidentally, here you are today recommending that he be awarded custody of these embryos, correct?”
“Reid’s generosity to the church has nothing to do with my recommendation—”
“Oh, I’ll bet,” Angela Moretti says. “When you spoke with Max about his ex-wife’s request to have custody of the embryos, you were the one who in fact suggested that he consider Reid and Liddy as potential parents, weren’t you?”
“I opened his mind to the possibility.”
“And you even went a step further, didn’t you—by finding him an attorney?”
Pastor Clive nods. “I would have done the same for any member of my congregation . . .”
“In fact, Pastor, you didn’t just find Max a lawyer. You found him the biggest hotshot attorney in the United States with a reputation for protecting the rights of the pre-born, right?”
“I can’t help it if Max’s predicament attracted the attention of someone so prestigious.”
“Mr. Lincoln, you stated that the purpose of marriage is to procreate?”
“Yes.”
“Does the Bible have anything to say about heterosexual couples who are unable to have children?”
“No.”
“What about heterosexual couples too old to have children?”
“No—”
