State Senator Sues God

Lawmaker asks court to ban Almighty from 'harmful activities,' 'terroristic threats'.

A Nebraska state senator is moving forward with a controversial lawsuit against his maker, requesting "a permanent injunction ordering [God] to cease certain harmful activities and the making of terroristic threats."

State Sen. Ernie Chambers I-Omaha, appeared before Douglas County District Judge Marlon Polk in a scheduling hearing against God on July 28.
Chambers, an atheist, requested that the court acknowledge the presence of God in the courtroom so he wouldn't be required to "serve notice" of the trial, according to the Omaha World-Herald.
The court had previously told Chambers the lawsuit would be thrown out if he was unable to serve notice to his Creator.
Chambers responded by arguing he attempted to contact God on multiple occasions and he should not be required to verify his existence when the U.S. government acknowledges him by printing "In God We Trust" on its currency.

The complaint drew widespread criticism when Chambers filed the lawsuit against God last year for creating "fearsome floods, egregious earthquakes, horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes, pestilential plagues, ferocious famines, devastating droughts, genocidal wars, birth defects and the like."
Chambers also blames God for causing "calamitous catastrophes resulting in the wide-spread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth’s inhabitants including innocent babes, infants, children, the aged and infirm without mercy or distinction."
According to the lawsuit, the Creator "has manifested neither compassion nor remorse, proclaiming that defendant will laugh" when disaster strikes.
Chamber began his grievance as a way to call attention to "frivolous" lawsuits after several senators authored bills barring them. He said the Constitution mandates open courthouse doors to everyone – even those who seek to sue the Almighty.
"This started out as an exercise in the workings of the judiciary," he said. "My point and the crux of the matter is that everyone is entitled to their day in court. That's the whole crux of the matter, and I think people get caught up in the religion end of it – but that's not what this is about."
While Chambers hopes the court will rule against God, he doesn't expect any earth-shaking results from the decision.
"Once the court enters the injunction, that's as much as I can do," he told the World-Herald. "That's as much as I would ask the court. I wouldn't expect them to enforce it."

18 comments:

zilch said...

If the Nebraska senate succeeds in subpoenaing God, I have a few questions I'd like to ask Him too...

Ty said...

I'm 32 years-old and a Nebraska native. My whole life I grew up with my parents (fundamentalist Christians) telling me that Ernie Chambers, this State Senator, was a bad man. With this one act he has proved himself to me to be a great man.

Cerus said...

Ernie Chambers is a jackass and I wish he would stop wasting money suing imaginary beings. He should use his time, oh, I don't know, doing something good for the state. As a Nebraskan and an atheist, this pisses me off on both fronts.

Rotten Arsenal said...

Hey Cerus, I understand your frustration. I still find it funny though. In my home state, our state constitution requires anyone running for office to acknowledge the existence of a supreme being. While he is wasting time, just be glad an atheist can even have the opportunity to do it in Nebraska.

Harry H. McCall said...

Several years back in our state, we had a lady slip and fall on the side walk due to ice injuring her hip. She sued the city. The judge said it “Was an act of God”. She then filed a law suit against several large churches.

The case was thrown out for lack of proof that God did anything or it could be proven that the term "God" could act, plus seperation between churhc and state.

Conclusion: As always, God is not there when the going get tuff.

Hey, maybe she should have tried prayer and after several years, her hip could have healed on its own, she could have then claimed “God answers prayer!” (But in his own time and his own way).

Ty said...

I definitely do not know enough about Ernie Chambers to either defend or attack his record. I do know that he has devoted worked for over 20 years as a state senator making somewhere around $11,000 a year. Since he does hold a Jurist Doctorate, I am confident that he could have easily made more money placing his time elsewhere. So, without having reviewed his record, I am left to judge him on the merits of this case alone. From the article, it states that he started this case to illustrate the absurdity of Nebraska law regarding frivolous lawsuits. To say that that is a waste of taxpayers money is debatable. Secondly, our country needs further refining and distinction of separation between church and state, and clearly this brings much needed attention to that issue. State sponsored religion is a real problem in my opinion. Also, hopefully Ernie is able to bring problematic Bible verses up in court to illustrate the homicidal tendencies of the Christian god. If more Nebraskans knew that their God and religion was remarkably similar to Islam, then I think it was help produce more free thinkers in our state. Nebraska is way too unbalanced in its right wing belief. It would be healthier for the state to balance out its views. However, if you're a republican, then Nebraska is just fine the way it is.

One Observationist said...

Yeah Ty, modern day Christianity is the same as Islam. Um, when is the last time a Christian strapped a bomb to their chest and blew up a market. You crack me up man.

Oh, btw, are you voting for Obama?

Evan said...

While suicide terrorism may not yet be something Christians are doing, there are plenty of examples of Christian terrorism.

T said...

One observationist,

You're keen on the observations are you? My criticism in that post was not about Christians committing atrocities. Indeed, I think that atrocities of the OT would offend most Christians, only if they knew those stories that are in their Bible. As for voting for Obama? Possibly, but I have been doing very little to follow the elections. I'll start paying attention as it draws closer. In the past I've only voted Republican. But then my worldview was radically colored by my fundamentalist Christian thinking.

I'll let you know if you're still around this site when I actually look at the candidates' views.

Are you voting for Obama?

Harry H. McCall said...

May I make a suggestion, "One Observationist"?

Either “observe” the news or change your blogger name!

Exactly what were you observing last month when a conservative Christian, Jim Adkisson, 58, took a shotgun with 70 rounds of ammunition into the Unitarian Church in Knoxville, Tenn. and murdered two people before he was stopped?

"He indicated also in that letter that he expected to be in there shooting people until the police arrived and he fully expected to be killed by the responding police.” His note stated.

So, Christianity can not be compared to Islam?! Hey, get some glasses!

BahramtheRed said...

LMFAO.

Great PR stunt. But the problems are huge, for evryone.

First off the issues get merged to rejection. If he's serious about the legal issue he loses credit becuase of the god side.

If he's serious about making a god issue how does the courts help him?

Two things; The subpoenaning thing; Yeah I have more than a few questions myself.

And second the fall on the ice thing: Don't most states require the removal of ice from sidewalks?

Here (PA) failure to do so and your liable. My gramdmother retired on a state/taxi company setlement (she slipped on the sidewalk and fell under a speeding taxi, and it broke her leg. It might have helped that a cop saw the whole thing.)

T said...

And I did it again. I've switched from posting under my middle name Ty to my first name Toby. Sorry, I accidentally type in my old account sometimes. I've made this mistake a few times now. I started posting here as Ty because I was overly paranoid that my family who originally did not know of my deconversion would find out. Now they all know about me leaving the faith, I am posting under my real name.

One Observationist,
The reason I eventually lost my faith in Christianity was because I finally processed the mass murdering God of the OT and realized he was completely incompatible with what I believe to be true. However, my family are fundamentalist Christians, which is why I feared telling them.

When I discussed it with my older brother, he told me that he was actually a closet atheist and gave me Dawkins book, "The God Delusion." At that time I had only read the Bible itself, along with attending a fundamentalist Bible College and Seminary. But those experiences were the catalyst to open my mind to the definite possibility of Christianity being wrong. Now I have given the DC challenge to both my sisters, and one of them has left the faith and the other is a "liberal" Christian instead of a fundamentalist now. My mother and father, on the other hand, could care less about anything scientific or different than what they believe. I'm working on a kind of autobiography for them that contains all of the reasons why I left Christianity. However, it is already over 50 pages long, and I have research and notes for another 100. I'm not even sure they'll read it.

Toby Ty!

Scott facehead said...

You seem to be running an echo chamber here...are there any theists that comment?

Evan said...

Angela, yes. Check around for posts by Rachel, David, Rick, District Supervisor Harvey Burnett and others.

Unknown said...

Civilians perish as Georgian troops torch church
The Regnum news agency is reporting that Georgian troops burned down a 10th century Orthodox church while terrified civilians perished inside. The agency quotes eyewitness accounts of the atrocity after all-out fighting in Khetagurovo, a small village near the republic’s capital Tskhinvali.


If the Holy Spirit is present within the believer, why does it not inform the believer (Georgians are orthodox Christians.) that actions such as that described at the link are wrong?

One Observationist said...

Toby (Ty) - Yeah. I voted for Obama. You?

One Observationist said...

Hey Harry - Nice glasses man. I have a pair too. I use them frequently.

As far as Christianity, I agree with you. It is to blame for all the ills our nation faces.

I'm all for critiquing Christianity in fact I do it just about every day. I just think that blaming it for everything wrong in society is a narrow minded view of the truth.

One Observationist said...

Toby - I sure am slow to respond huh?

It doesn't matter to me if people believe in God or not. Each person has to make up there own mind.

My first post here back in August was flippant and lacked detail. I just get fired up when people blame anything and everything on Christianity. My bad. Really didn't mean any disrespect to anyone here. I know most of the regulars could give a rats a$$ about God or Christianity. I should have either elaborated or just not commented.

Anyway, I'll check out the book you mentioned, "The God Delusion."