http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070918/ap_on_fe_st/odd_suing_god
Nebraska state senator sues God
By NATE JENKINS, Associated Press Writer
Tue Sep 18, 5:12 PM ET
**LINCOLN, Neb. - The defendant in a state senator's lawsuit is accused of causing untold death and horror and threatening to cause more still. He can be sued in Douglas County, the legislator claims, because He's everywhere.
State Sen. Ernie Chambers sued God last week. Angered by another lawsuit he considers frivolous, Chambers says he's trying to make the point that anybody can file a lawsuit against anybody.
Chambers says in his lawsuit that God has made terroristic threats against the senator and his constituents, inspired fear and caused "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants."
The Omaha senator, who skips morning prayers during the legislative session and often criticizes Christians, also says God has caused "fearsome floods ... horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes."
He's seeking a permanent injunction against the Almighty.
Chambers said the lawsuit was triggered by a federal suit filed against a judge who recently barred words such as "rape" and "victim" from a sexual assault trial.
The accuser in the criminal case, Tory Bowen, sued Lancaster District Judge Jeffre Cheuvront, claiming that he violated her free speech rights.
Chambers said Bowen's lawsuit is inappropriate because the Nebraska Supreme Court has already considered the case and federal courts follow the decisions of state supreme courts on state matters.
"This lawsuit having been filed and being of such questionable merit creates a circumstance where my lawsuit is appropriately filed," Chambers said. "People might call it frivolous but if they read it they'll see there are very serious issues I have raised."
U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf, in an order last week, expressed doubts about whether Bowen's lawsuit "has any legal basis whatsoever" and said sanctions may be imposed against Bowen and her attorneys if they fail to show cause for the lawsuit.
The Associated Press usually does not identify accusers in sex-assault cases, but Bowen has allowed her name to be used publicly because of the issue over the judge's language restrictions.
Cheuvront declared a mistrial in the sexual assault trial in July, saying pretrial publicity made it impossible to gather enough impartial jurors.**
Sue Satan for tempting Republicans in public restrooms.
I heard about this. I hope he wins.
God Responds to Lawsuit
Signed by "God," the response filed Wednesday argues the defendant is immune from some earthly laws and the court lacks jurisdiction over God.
Blaming the Almighty for human oppression and suffering misses an important point, it says.
"I created man and woman with free will and next to the promise of immortal life, free will is my greatest gift to you,"
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/09/20/ap4141746.html
Man just when you thought you'd heard everything.
Aparently Michael the Archangel will be a character witness. Part of me hopes that the justice system is sane enough to throw out the case, but part of me really wants to see this trial. Imagine calling Jesus and Satan, the Archangels and demons, etc. as witnesses.
I personally think the plantiff has a good case -- how can free will make it OK to cause tsunamis and earthquakes and hurricanes? people didn't free will themselves to those natural disasters -- God caused them.
What if God doesn't exist? Can you sue a figment of your own imagination?
...if so, what kind of damages (if any) might you be able to collect?
It'd be interesting if the case forced the court to legally deny the existence of God, but I doubt it'd go that route. What happened to this story anyway? Isn't it over by now?
Isn't this a movie?
The Man Who Sued God?
>>8 Don't we have to swear on a bible to tell the truth, only the truth? A court legally denying the existence of God would make the whole bible/truth charade unstable.
>>10
That's the traditional method, but it's not necessary by any means. One is free to swear an oath witnessed by something other then God or the Bible, as long as they personally hold it sacred, or merely make an "affirmation" before the court to tell the solemn truth. Whatever you do, if you break your promise you're guilty of perjury just the same, which is the real consequence.
A court legally denying the existence of God would cause no small amount of chaos, but it would probably have little effect on juridicial procedure. Most of the religious trappings of common law were removed or made optional long ago by the Quakers and deists who founded our country.
So wait, what hapens if he is successful? Is God fined? Or does God have to serve jail time (which he already did because according to Christian religion, God is everywhere)?
In most cases, the plantiff sues for damages. So if God is being sued for causing Katrina, God would pay for actual damages, plus any punitive damages the jury agrees to. A person sued in civil court cannot be sentenced to jail, because they aren't convicted of a crime, just found liable for the damages.