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Careful What You Ask For

Posted by Ampersand | July 8th, 2003
Lightning Strikes Preacher Who Asked For Sign
Bolt Hits Steeple, Travels Through Guest Evangelist’s Microphone

(AP)

FOREST, Ohio — Damage to a church in Forest, Ohio, is estimated at $20,000 after a preacher asked God for a sign.

A member of the First Baptist Church said a guest evangelist was preaching repentance and seeking a sign from God when lightning struck the steeple.

Ronnie Cheney called the incident “awesome, just awesome!”

Cheney said the lightning traveled through the microphone, blew out the sound system and enveloped the preacher, who wasn’t hurt.

Afterward, services resumed for about 20 minutes until the congregation realized the church was on fire. The building was evacuated.

Via Eve Tushnet.

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6 Responses to “Careful What You Ask For”

  1. John Isbell Writes:
    July 8th, 2003 at 7:36 am

    I’ve said it before, but my favorite sign is in The Man With Two Brains, when Steve Martin asks his dead wife’s portrait for a sign if he shouldn’t marry Kathleen Turner. The whole room goes crazy, and as it subsides, a wobbly Steve Martin says: “Any sign.”
    Great film.

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  2. John Isbell Writes:
    July 8th, 2003 at 7:38 am

    Oh - I was reviewing televangelists with my mom the other day, and I said the only one I didn’t know something repulsive about was Billy Graham, who seemed sincere. She told me he employs a body double at the church door, so the congregation leaving are amazed at how he manages to be in two places at one time.
    You can literally only do that if you view your audience as suckers.

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  3. PG Writes:
    July 8th, 2003 at 12:10 pm

    Billy Graham isn’t bad as televangelists go, but here’s something unpleasant.

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  4. John Isbell Writes:
    July 8th, 2003 at 7:57 pm

    I’d forgotten that. IIRC, Nixon said the stranglehold bit and Graham said “Yes, Mr. President.” He may have added the bit about Nixon being able to do something about it.
    Anyway, even if his CYA mechanism prevented him from calling Nixon a bigot, he could have kept his mouth shut. I don’t read this as proof that Graham’s an anti-Semite (from what I remember of the original), but it is proof that when he’s with one with clout, he goes “Oh yes, how very true.”

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  5. John Isbell Writes:
    July 8th, 2003 at 7:59 pm

    Oh - I think if he said the second bit, he enters rather different territory.

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  6. Burk Writes:
    July 11th, 2003 at 9:40 am

    Billy Graham and most other televangilists are in reality wolves in sheep’s clothing. They are part of the New World Order and are misleading millions of believers down a path of destruction.

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