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April 13, 2010

Mich. Supreme Court Awards Woman Injured while 'Slain in Spirit'

Sarah Pulliam Bailey

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled 5-2 in favor of a woman who sued a church and its pastor after she was injured when no one caught her fall after she was “overcome by the spirit of the Lord" during a rally. Here's more from the Lansing State Journal:

Dadd, who is in her 50s, sued the church and its pastor after she was injured while "slain in the Spirit" - falling backward after being "overcome by the Spirit of the Lord" - during a rally at Mount Hope Church in Delta Township in 2002.

Dadd claimed Pastor Dave Williams defamed her when he accused her of insurance fraud, faking her injuries and renouncing her faith. A jury awarded her more than $317,000 damages for her injuries, as well as libel, slander and false light in a 2007 trial.

The decision reversed a state Appeals Court decision that threw out most of a jury award to Judith Dadd, but the state's high court has reinstated $317,000 to the woman.

posted by Sarah Pulliam Bailey | Comments (5)

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No where in the Bible has anyone ever fell backwards in the sight of God. Everyone has fallen forward and hid their eyes. I don't know the intimate details of this case, but if the Spirit had really "touched" her wouldn't the Spirit have protected her when she fell backwards?!

Posted By: Charlotte | April 14, 2010 3:27 PM

If the woman was "slain in the Spirit" then, this was a "act of God."
So how can she hold any human responsible for her "injuries"?

Posted By: Jack | April 14, 2010 4:45 PM

How does the woman justify taking Christian brothers before civil court? The Bible explicitly warns against this practice. If she were truly "slain in the spirit", then the Holy Spirit would exhort her to deal with other Christians according to Scriptures.

Posted By: Allyce | April 14, 2010 5:08 PM

Regardless of whether it is appropriate for Christians to sue a church, churches who practise such "slayings in the Holy Spirit" should take due diligence to ensure a safe environment for those who may be incapacitated while "slain". Can you imagine, for example, if a woman were sexually assaulted while "slain in the Spirit"?

Posted By: Andrew | April 14, 2010 5:42 PM

People can be overcome by the spirit, but those physical manifestations that I have witnessed are always in order. I've never observed anyone suffer an injury when God moves on a congregation. In the instance where something untoward has occurred, the actors were not experiencing a move of God and, therefore, are responsible for their own actions. If this woman threw herself backwards, it is foreseeable that she could hurt herself and the injury was the result of her own behavior. Imagine what evidence might be required to prove that the woman really was slain in the spirit! Of course this was a Michigan court, not too surprising they would allow harassment of a church. As to the thesis of sexual assault by someone experiencing a move of the Holy Ghost, that cannot even be dignified with a response. If intended as a joke, shame on you.

Posted By: Bob | April 14, 2010 9:11 PM