Page6-Friday, July 10,1981-The Michigan Daily
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Electric shock used
to teach word of God
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP)-A
Baptist minister is using a homemade
"electric stool" and a 12-volt battery in
an attempt to shock his young Bible
students into hearing God's word.
The Rev. Dwight Wymer, pastor of
Immanuel Baptist Church, used the
electric shocks Monday night in the fir-
st session of a week-long Bible school at
the Grand Rapids church.
WYMER SAID he sees nothing wrong
with using the stool to jolt the students
into learning about God. He said he's
been using the stool for six years on dif-
ferent occasions, and got the idea from
a magazine.
"This is the second time I worked
with children; I mainly work with youth
at parties," he said. "I can tell you the
effectiveness of the chair just from
Monday night. Just as soon as I said
God wants to speak to you, are you
listening, they immediately quieted
down like 'Yeah, I want to hear."'
The stool is wired to a 12-volt battery
and a screen is placed over the seat.
DR. KENNETH Nickel, a
psychiatrist and former director of a
mental hospital, said 12 volts would not
produce a burn of a disturbance in the
heart rate, "but it could be
psychologically traumatic."
"Sometimes God talks to you and
calls you, and we just don't listen,"
Wymer told the children Monday. "But
sometimes he can shock you into
hearing his word and this just makes
that demonstration clear."
The minister then called for volun-
teers from his audience.
Brian TenHopen, an 8-year-old,
volunteered. "It hurt me until I went
home and got in the tub," he said later.
"But it was fun, everybody was
laughing, and I wanted to do it."
BRIAN'S MOTHER, Terri, said that
she didn't realize her son would be
shocked, but she didn't worry because
"there were a lot of people around wat-
ching him.
"I think Brian has got more out of this
school than the games," Mrs.
TenHopen said. "He's learning about
God."
Pat Popma, 7, said he had wanted to
experience an electric shock. "But I
wouldn't do it again," he said. "It hurts.
I was gonna cry but all my friends were
watching me."
HIS MOTHER, Sherry, said she sent
her children to the Bible school because
there is nothing for them to do on sum-
mer nights. "But when he came home
and told me the shock hurt him, I felt
bad," Mrs. Popma said. "They want to
go back, but I hope they don't do this
(the shocks) too often."
"This minister is probably a sincere
man trying to teach that God can be
wrathful," Nickel said..
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