The Spirit Doesn’t Always Catch You June 5, 2008

The Spirit Doesn’t Always Catch You

By Guest Contributor
June 5, 2008

A year ago, Matthew Lincoln was up at the church altar receiving prayer from a visiting pastor. Normally, there are “catchers” in the area in case you faint, fall, or “feel the Spirit.”

But when minister Robert Lavala touched Lincoln’s forehead, Lincoln fell into the arms of… no one.

No one caught him.

Unless you count the “carpet-covered cement floor.”

He says he had pre-existing conditions in his neck and back which are now much worse.

Yesterday, he filed a lawsuit seeking $2,500,000.

His wife is also suing for an additional $75,000.

… the church’s insurer, Zurich of North America, rejected an insurance claim, asserting that Lincoln should have realized that no catchers were situated behind him.

The whole lawsuit can be read at The Smoking Gun.

It all makes you wonder why no one’s suing Benny Hinn for the same thing…

(Thanks to Andrew for the link!)


[tags]atheist, atheism[/tags]

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  • That wacky God! Always with the practical jokes!

  • Cindy

    Why do they need catchers? Do they not trust God enough so that they will faint without injury?
    That would be my defense argument for the church! His faith was not strong enough.

  • Emily

    OK, so he should have realized there were no catchers behind him? And what, not fallen backwards… well, that means that he would have CONTROL over whether or not he felt the Spirit… haha, caught in their own game.

  • Luther Weeks

    Wait until the church finds that God is missing. Will they file a claim with Zurich? All that waste, waiting for the afterlife…

  • I think the church should be found liable, for encouraging dangerous activities.

  • God’s will.

  • Richard Wade

    So this is one swindler suing another swindler. They deserve each other. Maybe there will be a movie made out of it: When Con Men Collide! or maybe Battle of the Bunkos! Coming to a theater near you. (Moviegoers accept full responsibility for any loss or injury resulting from their falling on the floor during the viewing of this film. Rated PG Parental Guidance Suggested.)

  • matt

    I must suggest to all Christians and Atheist to read this book “The End of Reason” by Dr. Ravi Zacharias. This book forces the reader’s mind to do the critical thinking that is so lacking in Christianity today. It should also be considered required reading for the atheist who has never really looked at a logical argument for the existence of God, or the Christian who has never really critically analyzed his own faith. Check out more information on The End of Reason here

  • The reason that no-one caught him is because he didn’t believe strongly enough. It’s clearly his own fault.

  • Matt,
    Zacharias epitomizes the end of reason. He doesn’t use any reason in his books. I caught his “An Atheist’s Worst Nightmare” on TBN with D. James Kennedy. It was the best night of comedy and bullshit since the last season of South Park.

  • Matt,

    How about knocking off the spam, you twit.

  • Jason

    Maybe God wanted him to whack his head, fall into a coma, and re-awaken a year later, claiming that his recovery is God’s doing.

  • Darryl

    When you go to the alter, expecting to be slain in the Spirit, you assume the risk that the Spirit is going to fuck you up. Maybe this is the Holy Spirit’s way of saying “Hey, folks, I’m getting kind of tired of this shit; I’ve got better things to do than enliven your crappy little revival services every week–I’ve got meetings with the Dalai Lama, and a lot of work to do trying to convince you stupid fundies to clean up the environment and stop starting wars.”

  • Once upon a time before I came to my senses, I participated in such a church and religion. And once I did fall back (that phenomenon is a whole other discussion), and no one was there. The back of my head met the concrete floor. It make the loudest sound. NO ONE came to check on or help me. I had a headache for days. Despite the fact they “failed” me by not having anyone there, I never considered legal action. That’s stupid. I was more embarrassed than distressed.

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