Besides retaining the legal services of a top notch defense team, what advice could you impart concerning his situation? It appears that he is already being tried by the media in the court of public opinion. What are his chances? Think about it for a moment. A young black male (celebrity) is involved in a questionable relationship with a young girl from an upstanding family and affluent area...talk about poor judgement! What do you think concerning the whole matter?

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2003

Answers

I'm out of the office on Monday and Tuesday attending our Episcopal Christian Education Congress in Orlando, FL. One of the topics which will be discussed in our youth course section is Sex & Sexuality. As Superintendent I have instructed the delegates from my Church School to be ready and prepared to provide an intelligent discussion about the "Kobe Affair" for this particular session. My specific advice to Mr. Bryant is to stop making PUBLIC COMMENTS and speak only through HIS ATTORNEY (emphasis mine)!!! Interesting that he has hired a female lawyer to represent him. Too many high-profile athletes think they can manipulate the justice system by virtue of their name recognition (Chris Webber's recent plea bargain immediately comes to mind). It will also be interesting to observe public reaction in the black community considering Bryant's accuser is a 19 year old white female. Bryant's indiscretion is beyond poor judgement, more like serial stupidity. QED

-- Anonymous, July 20, 2003

Let me add one other thing before I get out of town. Is Kobe's legal crisis different at all from ex-boxing great Mike Tyson's rape trial and conviction over a decade ago? Tyson was eventually imprisoned despite a similar defense that his tryst was also "consensual sex". An Indiana jury believed Desiree Washington's side of the "he said, she said" account about the extra-curricula events associated with that infamous after-hours visit to Mike's hotel room. A sacred tenet in our criminal justice system is the presumption of innocence for the accused and the attendant burden of the prosecution to demonstrate evidence beyond reasonable doubt supporting conviction. I'm no lawyer, although I work with this noble class everyday, but it just seems to me that the bar is quite high in order to demonstrate sexual coercion. Now I will leave you with this to ponder during my brief absence. King David's tryst with Bathsheba was it consensual sex or was it sexual coercion? QED

-- Anonymous, July 20, 2003

I don't think anyone is above reproach, but it just doesn't make sense. A beautiful wife, plenty of girls that would give anything to be with him, without him having to force them too. He's cute, rich, famous, unlike a man like Tyson who is known to be brute and infamous. If he really did rape the woman, unlike in Tyson's case, I would be very very suprised. It is just completely out of character. But since science seems to have indicated there was sexual contact, that alone is enough to plant doubt.

-- Anonymous, July 20, 2003

As brother Dickens stated earlier, Kobe Bryant needs to consult with his attorney and stay off of television.

Actually, borther Allen, there are a few errors in your entry according to the latest news reports. Kobe Bryant was raised in an affluent area outside of Philadelphia. He is the son of a professional basketball player. According to several articles, he and his father just recently started to speak again after an estrangement. His father did not want him to marry at such an early age, but Kobe Bryant would not listen to his parents.

The young woman in question, again, according to news reports, has suffered from "emotional" problems. She overdosed approximately one month ago, and recent tumultuous events in her life have plagued her. The small town she hails from is middle class, and supports the higher income Colorado resort town.

All in all, I am just waiting for the details to come through. To be quite honest, I really, in all honesty, don't care, because it is just another case of arrogance and stupidity.

You can tell people fire burns, but until some people feel the physical pain, you are just wasting your breath.

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2003

No one answered the question. What would you do if you were his pastor. I have no clue. I guess I would offer him the same advice that I would offer the member of my church who is a sanitation employee and not a NBA basketball player. I would refer to the word. Although marriage is not a biblical reference, relationships, honor, trust and love all are biblical. Honor thy wife. Love thyself and thy neighbor. In order to do those things, one would not commit adultery. That's the only advise a pastor would be qualified to give; one of biblical reference. A good person who could answer this because she can possibly understand the temptations brought forth to someone like Kobe would be Bishop Vashti McKenzie.

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2003

Kobe is a man and like Sister Mary says you can tell a horse not to drink but the minute your back is turned down he goes. The only asnwer I can see is much prayer for the young man. Stop trting to forever blame the female. He knew what he was doing was wrong if she agreed not not. His curiiosty got the best of him same as David. Pray for the young brother and the young lady as well. If some of our clergy would start to minister to the athletes the minute they become super stars perhaps it would help.

-- Anonymous, July 22, 2003

Sis. Carolyn opines -

.........."A good person who could answer this because she can possibly understand the temptations brought forth to someone like Kobe would be Bishop Vashti McKenzie." I'm not quite sure how to interpret this rather remarkable statement. Perhaps Carolyn can shed some additional insight about the connection between a self-professed philanderer and our only female Presiding Prelate. Also, the suggestion that "marriage is not a biblical reference" must be a "Fruedian-slip" :-) Hebrews 13:4 and Paul's 1st letter to the church at Corinth (7:38) speak specifically to the institution of marriage. QED

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2003

Hello my Internet Church Family,

Let me share with you another perspective on this issue. I am not a fan of Kobe Bryant but I know that just because one is alleged to have done something, it is not true. Also, I only believe half of what the media says because many times they use a lot of doublespeak, distortions, and omissions of the truth. Every since my experience in April 2003, I have developed a special kinship to people who are accused of something. I was lied upon my an administrator at work and had to go to court for it. I did not do what this administrator accused me of but nevertheless, I was treated like a criminal. I would tell you the details but I am afraid that some unscrupulous person out there might use the same measure to hurt someone else. This administrator who has a J.D. degree but is not a member of the Virginia State Bar has since resigned from our organization.

I would advise Kobe Bryant to first pray to God and study the scriptures. He needs to have his own daily devotional service. For some reason, I just don't believe that it is true. I believe that perhaps his paramour's feelings got hurt and she wanted vengeance.

Jazzman

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2003

Bill I was referring to the fact that Bishop McKenzie is married to a former NBA basketball player. She would have the expertise as a minister of the word and first hand knowledge of the temptations of a professional athlete.

-- Anonymous, July 28, 2003

First, let me start my comments from the first email to the last. Since it seems as if we are giving Spiritual advice to Kobe. Don't judge let God be the Jugde. I can say I'm a very big fan of Kobe's. I like so many fans are very disappointed and hurt. As the last email which says it all. Kobe has to pray not only for himself but for his accuser the Lord will have mercy on her. And as someone else has mentioned. Don't believe everything you hear. We need to consider the source. If any advice I could give to him it would be put your trust in God. Trust and believe that the lord will make away. Even when things don't look like they may be in his favor we must believe, and having faith as small a mustard seed. God is Good and he is Just. Kobe will be tried no doubt about that. But God is not going to put more on him than he can bear. He has commited adultry and he has confessed his sin. To his wife and the whole world. Now it's not up to his attorney's on how they present his case or her attorney's. It's up God and if you don't know how great God is. You watch and see how he is. He will step in work when all men fell. And it wont be because who Kobe is but WHO GOD IS.

Trust and Believe......

-- Anonymous, August 04, 2003