In The U.S., You Can Sue God

When Nebraska State Sen. Ernie Chambers filed a lawsuit against God in 2007, it was part of a broader point he strove to make about frivolous lawsuits. However, when the suit was thrown out of court it was not for being frivolous, but because God had no fixed address at which He, She or It could be served. “There’s nothing about the basic requirements of a complaint that suggest that you can’t sue God,” Georgetown University legal scholar Naomi Mezey told Atlas Obscura. However, those suits must meet some basic requirements, usually including a named defendant, a relevant jurisdiction, details of the alleged wrongdoing, and proof of notice to the defendant. “Notice is in some ways the most banal of these requirements, [but] that is in fact an important part of our Constitutional right to due process,” Mezey said. “It feels minor and technical, but on the other hand it is a very important Constitutional guarantee that things do not get litigated against you without you being notified of them.” As for alleged wrongdoing, Chambers’ lawsuit sought to hold God accountable for causing various natural disasters, and failing to stop “terroristic threats.” Chambers said he had tried to contact God about these matters many times, without success.