A bar called Drummond's (in Mt Vernon, Texas) began construction on an
expansion of their building, hoping to "grow" their business.
In response, the local Southern Baptist Church started a campaign to
block the bar from expanding - petitions, prayers, etc. About a week
before the bar's grand re-opening, a bolt of lightning struck the bar
and burned it to the ground!
Afterward, the church folks were rather smug - bragging about "the
power of prayer". The angry bar owner eventually sued the church on
grounds that the church ... "was ultimately responsible for the demise
of his building, through direct actions or indirect means."
Of course, the church vehemently denied all responsibility or any
connection to the building's demise.
The judge read carefully through the plaintiff's complaint and the
defendant's reply. He then opened the hearing by saying:
"I don't know how I'm going to decide this, but it appears from the
paperwork that what we have here is a bar owner who now believes in
the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation that does not."
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