We live in the era of the lawsuit. A farmer has sued the German government for failing to tackle climate change. An Indian man has sued his parents for giving birth to him. Sometimes it seems as though anything goes!
Yet when Nebraska state senator, Ernie Chambers, announced he was going to sue God, it turned heads. “Could you sue something which might not exist?” some people asked.
This mattered not one iota to Chambers when he began his lawsuit in 2007. He sought a government order to “cease harmful activities and the making of terroristic threats.”
Chambers said the defendant was responsible for “fearsome floods and ferocious famines.” He also blamed him for “devastating droughts, terrifying tornadoes, and pestilential plagues.”
Chambers announced he had jurisdiction to sue God because God was everywhere. So he could definitely be considered a resident of Nebraska.
Chamber’s lawsuit was a farce, but it did have a purpose. Chambers was angry about the actions of a judge in a sexual assault trial. The judge had banned the female victim in the case from using the words ‘victim’ or ‘rape’ in court. The victim then sued the judge for denying her right to free speech. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit as “frivolous.” A Nebraska law was created restricting future lawsuits of a “frivolous nature.”
Chambers was furious and decided to make a statement by suing God. He said, “… you cannot prohibit the filing of suits. Anyone can sue anyone they choose, even God.”
Chambers got his day in court. An empty table was reserved for God and his attorney, both of whom failed to appear. The judge dismissed the case because Chambers failed to list God’s address. Therefore, God could not be summoned.
This was not the first time God had been sued in court. In 2007, a Romanian murderer beat Chambers to the punch. He attempted to sue God because God had “not protected him from the Devil’s influence.”
God is not the only supernatural being who has been taken to court. In 1971, Pennsylvania convict, Gerald Mayo, sued “Satan and his servants.” He claimed they had “placed obstacles in his path and caused his downfall.” Not surprisingly, Mayo’s case was also dismissed. The judge said the plaintiff had failed to give Satan’s address, so the case could not proceed.
References:
https://deepenglish.com/2019/02/man-wants-to-sue-parents-for-birth/
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/561551/politician-who-sued-god
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