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February 01, 2012 - 03:27 PM Woman Sues Evangelical Church for Holy Spirit Injuries A St. Louis woman is suing an Evangelical church over injuries she sustained when a fellow member caught the Holy Spirit and lost control of herself. Cheryl Jones filed a complaint in December that while visiting the Disciple Fellowship Christian Church in East St. Louis, another member received the Holy Spirit and fell backwards, causing her injury, according to ABC News. In the complaint, Jones mentioned that there were no ushers or other members to assist the lady who became overcome by the spirit. She blames the church for failing to protect her. Jones said that when a woman received the spirit, she fell backwards, knocking many people back who eventually landed on her. She hit her head, neck, back and buttocks and was rendered unconscious, according to Courthousenews.com. She said that she continues to suffer from physical pain, as well as mental and emotional distress. Jones is suing the church for carelessness and negligence and asking for $50,000 to pay for medical and health care for her injuries. Jones said in her complaint that the church usually has two ushers to assist people who lose control when they catch the spirit, but no one was there to assist her. "They should have either warned Cheryl and people like her of the potential dangers- especially if they're not going to have deacons or parishioners to help these people when they fall," said Brian Millikan, Jones' attorney. Millikan added that people falling while being overcome by the Holy Spirit is something that happens often in the church. Jonathan Turley, a tort law professor at George Washington University, told ABC News that when people are filled with the Holy Spirit, they are worked up into such a frenzy that they may lose their response to risk. He poses the question of how much the church is responsible for anticipating these spiritual outbursts, which can lead to injury. "The whole idea of being touched by the Holy Spirit is ... |