Lightning Strikes Agnostic
Tuesday August 22, 2006
I've written many times before about lightning striking religious believers, often while they are engaged in religious exercises or attending religious services in churches. Just how often does lightning strike non-believers, though? What about agnostics? Gays sometimes have to endure it, but you don't hear much about non-believers being hit or converted by lightning.
The Evangelical Spectator describes lightning hitting an agnostic in Bristol, Virginia:
It took all of a few milliseconds, leaving the shape of a cross in [Johnny Benson’s] right buttocks. He was taken to the Mankinko Emergency Clinic of Lowell Hospital, where all he could recall of the loud clap of thunder and an ominous voice from above that said, “Go to church!”
Sounds like a message...
At this point, Mr Benson has short-term memory. He trembles. Eats very little. He looks at pictures in a magazine, for example. But doesn’t understand the television.
Does anyone really understand the television? So far, he sounds perfectly normal...
He writes notes to the nurses and doctors that beg that he may be released so he can attend church. “I’m a believer in the Lord. I’ve changed. I must go to worship. ... He has chronic meekness. “I love everybody. I love the Lord. He is my keeper. I want to sing hymns. Mr Benson has begun a bible study, reading scripture and mumbling verses to himself.
“It may be an oddity,” Reverend Shaster said, visiting the victim in the hospital. “But faith changes us. The Agnostic was frightened into accepting the Lord....”
Well, religion is all about fear, isn’t it? Of course, we can’t discount the possibility that it was Zeus who sent the lightning as well as the message — perhaps just to play a joke on poor Johnny.
Theism, God, and Belief in God:
Comments
The lightning clearly caused brain damage.
People are injured and killed by natural phenomenon EVERY DAY, be it an earthquake, an eruption, a tsunami or flood, an extreme of weather of some sort, an avalanche, a forest fire naturally set, and endless strokes of natural human stupidity. One’s faith, or lack of it, has nothing to do with it. TheArt@webtv.net
The Vatican has lightning rods. ‘Nuff said.
I read the linked article. The article claims that Mr. Benson has forgotten how to read AND is now reading the bible. How can this be if this is factual.
I haven’t heard of The Evangelical Spectator until now. Am I correct in assuming it’s a satire site? I read two other articles and they both seemed to be too rediculous to be true.
The sad truth, Bob, is that all publications of this type appear ridiculous. Have you ever paged through “The Watchtower” in a dortor’s surgery?
Utter bilge.