In Aquiraz, Ceará (Brazil), Mrs. Tarcília Bezerra wanted to expand her nightclub because it was constantly growing after she implemented unemployment insurance for fishermen and various other kinds of grants.

In response, the local Universal Church began a strong campaign to prevent the expansion, with prayers held in the church in the morning, afternoon and evening.

The expansion and renovation progressed rapidly until a week before their reopening, when a lightning bolt struck the nightclub, igniting the electrical installations and causing a fire that destroyed the roof and much of the construction.

After the nightclub was destroyed, the pastor and Church members began to brag about “the great power of prayer.”

So Tarcília sued the Church, the pastor and the entire congregation, on the grounds that they “were responsible for destroying her building and her business by directly or indirectly using divine intervention”.

In response to the lawsuit, the Church vehemently denied any responsibility or connection to the damage that was caused to the building.

The judge to whom the case was submitted, read her complaint and the defendants rebuttal, and, during the initial trial hearing, said:

– I do not know how I’m going to judge this case, but one thing is evident. HERE IS THE OWNER OF A NIGHTCLUB, WHO STRONGLY BELIEVES IN THE POWER OF PRAYER AND AN ENTIRE CHURCH STATING THAT THEIR PRAYERS ARE NOT WORTH ANYTHING! “