Praying for God to hurt someone is not illegal, judge rules
Is it OK to ask God to do harm to another person? The theology of such “imprecatory prayer” may be a matter of debate, but a Dallas judge has ruled that it is legal, at least as long as no one is actually threatened or harmed.
District Court Judge Martin Hoffman dismissed a lawsuit brought by Mikey Weinstein against a former U.S. Navy chaplain who he said used “curse” prayers like those in Psalm 109 to incite others to harm Weinstein, a Jewish agnostic and founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and his family.
Hoffman said there was no evidence that the prayers by Gordon Klingenschmitt, who had been endorsed for the navy chaplaincy by the Dallas-based Chaplaincy of Full Gospel Churches, were connected to threats made against Weinstein and his family or damage done to his property. The lawsuit said Klingenschmitt posted a prayer on his website urging followers to pray for the downfall of MRFF.
