With earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes increasing in severity, not to mention war and pestilence, there must be someone to blame. And more important, someone to sue.
Now, the state of Nebraska's Sen. Ernie Chambers has filed a lawsuit against who he believes is responsible for these calamities: God.
Yes, God. Chambers' lawsuit, filed in Douglas County, alleges that God is violating his constitutional rights. The lawsuit not only accuses God of making terrorist threats against Chambers and his constituents, but also of causing "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants." It asks for a permanent injunction ordering God to "cease certain harmful activities and the making of terroristic threats."
Some naysayers might have doubts about whether the Nebraska courts have jurisdiction over God. However, Chambers bases his ability to sue God, as, "that Defendant, being omnipresent, is personally present in Douglas County."
While Chambers' lawsuit blames God for causing natural disasters and making terrorist threats, others might blame Satan. Or even sue him. In a Pennsylvania lawsuit filed in 1971, Gerald Mayo alleged that Satan had caused him misery and made unwarranted threats against him, in addition to placing deliberate obstacles in his path that caused his downfall. Like Sen. Chambers, Mr. Mayo alleged that Satan had deprived him of his constitutional rights. Unfortunately for Mayo, the court rejected his lawsuit. And in a ruling that bodes ill for Chambers' lawsuit, the judge questioned whether Mayo would be able to obtain personal jurisdiction over Satan.
Not to be outdone, Satan himself—or perhaps a Satanic impersonator—can also demand his day in court. In a 1990 case, someone claiming to be "the beast 666 of the Lord of Hosts" filed a lawsuit claiming that his civil rights had been violated in a series of incidents arising out of "a peaceful non demonstration demonstration" in the city of Lansing, Michigan. Unfortunately for Satan, or his earthly representative, the lawsuit was again dismissed.
And what, patient reader, does this discussion prove? If nothing else, it demonstrates that in the United States, you can indeed sue anyone—or any being—under whatever absurd cause of action you can dream up. If you're the target of a harebrained plaintiff who is out to "get" you, you must defend yourself in court, no matter how dubious the merits of the lawsuit. That costs money—and time.
Frivolous lawsuits are a way of life in the United States. As Ernie Chambers' lawsuit against God demonstrates, they're not going away anytime soon. To protect yourself, follow the steps you've read about in my blog and in other Sovereign Society publications, including maximizing your holdings of "exempt assets" (property that can't be seized if you lose a lawsuit). Also, consider relocating assets to offshore jurisdictions where a lawsuit against God, or against Satan, would not only be thrown out of court, but result in severe sanctions against whatever plaintiff was crazed enough to file it.
Copyright © 2007 by Mark Nestmann
Comments