Televangelist kills brother, family sues

[ponderingturtle]

Tele-evangelist sued over 'God can heal' claim


Ed Pilkington in New York
Tuesday January 2, 2007
The Guardian


Darlene Bishop, as she appears on the cover of her book

Darlene Bishop, a tele-evangelist with a nationwide following, does not do things by half. When she and her husband Lawrence erected a statue of Jesus on the grounds of their mega church in Monroe, Ohio, they made it 62 feet high.
No less gargantuan are her claims about the power of prayer to overcome illness. Through a series of sermons, books and a television show, Sisters, broadcast on religious satellite channels throughout the US and abroad, she preaches that God has the power to heal even the most deadly diseases, including cancer.


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But the contention is now the subject of a court action. Four of Mrs Bishop's relatives are suing her over her claim that God cured their father - her brother - of throat cancer. He died of the disease 18 months ago.
In her book Your Life Follows Your Words, Mrs Bishop tells how she overcame her breast cancer through prayer, and how her brother was also cured. There is no mention of his death in the book, which she says is due to the fact that it was published at a time when he had been in remission for more than a year.

But the volume is still on sale through her website (price $15) under the blurb: "How God healed her of breast cancer and her brother healed from throat cancer".

Mrs Bishop's brother, Darrell "Wayne" Perry, was an accomplished songwriter whose work has been performed by big names in country music such as Tim McGraw, and by the Backstreet Boys. For a year before his death in May 2005, aged 55, he was cared for by his sister.

His children, Bryan, Justin, Olivia and Christian, have issued a lawsuit for wrongful death against Mrs Bishop because they claim she persuaded Perry to stop chemotherapy and rely instead on God's healing. They contend in legal depositions that at the moment Mrs Bishop and her brother were touring the country preaching about the miracle of his recovery, they were both aware that he had been advised by doctors that his illness was terminal.


link (http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1981151,00.html)

The odd thing is that it would seem she actualy believed in what she claimed.

[KingMerv00]

I wonder if they still believe in God. If so, shouldn't they sue Him?

[Brown]

Darlene Bishop, a tele-evangelist with a nationwide following, does not do things by half. When she and her husband Lawrence erected a statue of Jesus on the grounds of their mega church in Monroe, Ohio, they made it 62 feet high.This is the very same "Big Butter Jesus" that has been making its way around the web.

http://www.buckeyestateblog.com/big_butter_jesus
http://calethos.livejournal.com/75100.html

[casebro]

I wonder if they still believe in God. If so, shouldn't they sue Him?

Which one has actual money? Deep pockets of it.

[KingMerv00]

Which one has actual money? Deep pockets of it.

The Judeo-Christian God authored the best selling book of all time. If J K Rowling is rich He must be.

[ponderingturtle]

The Judeo-Christian God authored the best selling book of all time. If J K Rowling is rich He must be.

No he was a fool, he let the copywrite expire. The Co$ handels the copywrites in their holy books in a much better fashion.

[CynicalSkeptic]

I wonder if they still believe in God. If so, shouldn't they sue Him?

Even if you were to win such a lawsuit, good luck collecting. He is above the law after all.

[fuelair]

The Judeo-Christian God authored the best selling book of all time. If J K Rowling is rich He must be.

The various publishers have reported difficulty contacting the purported author to get his earnings to him or his legally designated agents.

[Skeptic Guy]

In that case, as one of "God's little children", may I claim his royalties?

[Mojo]

In that case, as one of "God's little children", may I claim his royalties?According to Nietzsche, God was dead by 1882, so his copyrights will have expired by now.

[grayman]

In that case, as one of "God's little children", may I claim his royalties?

You may have to split it six billion ways.

[Skeptic Guy]

You may have to split it six billion ways.

Man, you got me there...you mean other people know about it?

According to Nietzsche, God was dead by 1882, so his copyrights will have expired by now.

You mean no one renewed the copyright? No sequels? It's almost like it was ghost written...

[Capsid]

I wonder if they still believe in God. If so, shouldn't they sue Him?
Anyone seen this film (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268437/)?

[KingMerv00]

I will gladly represent everyone in a class action suit.

My take will be 25%.

[Skeptic Guy]

I will gladly represent everyone in a class action suit.

My take will be 25%.

That would be an interesting court battle.

[KingMerv00]

United States ex rel. Mayo v. Satan & His Staff, 54 F.R.D.
We feel that the application to file and proceed in forma pauperis must be denied. Even if plaintiff's complaint reveals a prima facie recital of the infringement of the civil rights of a citizen of the United States, the Court has serious doubts that the complaint reveals a cause of action upon which relief can be granted by the court. We question whether plaintiff may obtain personal jurisdiction over the defendant in this judicial district. The complaint contains no allegation of residence in this district. While the official reports disclose [**2] no case where this defendant has appeared as defendant there is an unofficial account of a trial in New Hampshire where this defendant filed an action of mortgage foreclosure as plaintiff. The defendant in that action was represented by the preeminent advocate of that day, and raised the defense that the plaintiff was a foreign prince with no standing to sue in an American Court. This defense was overcome by overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Whether or not this would raise an estoppel in the present case we are unable to determine at this time.

If such action were to be allowed we would also face the question of whether it may be maintained as a class action. It appears to meet the requirements of Fed.R. of Civ.P. 23 (https://www.lexis.com/research/buttonTFLink?_m=ee368bfd96fd3444017575d06ad9b0fd&_xfercite=%3ccite%20cc%3d%22USA%22%3e%3c%21%5bCDAT A%5b54%20F.R.D.%20282%5d%5d%3e%3c%2fcite%3e&_butType=4&_butStat=0&_butNum=4&_butInline=1&_butinfo=USCS%20FED%20RULES%20CIV%20PROC%20R%2023&_fmtstr=FULL&docnum=1&_startdoc=1&wchp=dGLzVzz-zSkAb&_md5=f88332802cd47fc066f0dd48cb49f122) that the class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable, there are questions of law and fact common to the class, and the claims of the representative party is typical of the claims of the class. We cannot now determine if the representative party will fairly protect the interests of the class.

We note that the plaintiff has failed to include with his complaint the required form of instructions for the United States Marshal for directions [**3] as to service of process.

For the foregoing reasons we must exercise our discretion to refuse the prayer of plaintiff to proceed in forma pauperis.

It is ordered that the complaint be given a miscellaneous docket number and leave to proceed in forma pauperis be denied.

Real case. That's right...you too can try to sue fictional characters.

[KingMerv00]

*Bump*

Seems my last post didn't bump the thread up. Server glitch.

[afreire70]

This story is originally from the UK if I am not mistaken. After reading the story I was left with one thought.

How is it that in the United States (land of unbridled litigation), there haven't been a series of lawsuits along these lines? Surely there are dozens of exemplars of the dangerous evangelical fraud described above -- evangelists "zapping" away cancer and other serious ailments through the power of the holy ghost all the while advising the flock that their money is best put to use in service of the lord than the secular medical establishment. And surely we have no lack of ambulance chasers in this country that would take up the legal mantle.

Why haven't we seen this?

[valis]

I am no attorney, plus even if I was I am in the U.S. so it would not apply anyhow, but it looks to me like there are at least two problems here.

One is that the doctor supposedly told him the cancer was terminal; unless I am missing something that means the ultimate outcome would not have been effected.

More to the point is the fact that all kinds of people tell you all sorts of things; you don't have to listen to them. It would be one thing if she said "for x amount of money I can perform y which will cure your cancer". I don't know if just telling someone that God will cure them is, or should be criminal.

[Skeptic Guy]

As KingMerv posted, what jurisdiction would God fall under? And where would you serve the process documents?

Surely you could sue the evangelist for falsley representing the Big Man...

[KingMerv00]

As KingMerv posted, what jurisdiction would God fall under? And where would you serve the process documents?


Dual citizen. Israel and Mississippi.

[I less than three logic]

I am no attorney, plus even if I was I am in the U.S. so it would not apply anyhow, but it looks to me like there are at least two problems here.

One is that the doctor supposedly told him the cancer was terminal; unless I am missing something that means the ultimate outcome would not have been effected.

More to the point is the fact that all kinds of people tell you all sorts of things; you don't have to listen to them. It would be one thing if she said "for x amount of money I can perform y which will cure your cancer". I don't know if just telling someone that God will cure them is, or should be criminal.
From my understanding it isn't criminal, hence why the family is suing in civil court.

[TsarBomba]

Buyer Beware. I think that's all there is to say.