So help, er, yourself?

This is, well, unbelievable. A Judge in India has summoned two Hindu Gods to appear in court in order to settle a property dispute. Unsurprisingly, the BBC reports, two previous attempts to contact the deities have been unsuccessful. Apparently the address the letters were sent to was “incomplete”. Two things immediately strike me about this. Firstly, this is just a property dispute, a fairly minor one at that (1.4 acres). If you were going to summon two Gods to court, you’d expect it to be over something more significant. How about a case on the separation of Church and State? Anyone? The second thing that strikes me is that this is a Judge. Someone who is supposed to be intelligent enough to preside over matters of law. How on earth can you respect someone who expects two fictional characters to appear in court to defend themselves?

This newest summons to the deities has been made in the local paper, using the text:

“You failed to appear in court despite notices sent by a peon and later through registered post. You are herby directed to appear before the court personally”

Because that will work.