Woman Uses Bible Verses to Ward Off Attacker
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A North Carolina woman read the Bible to her attacker for an hour and a half after he slashed her throat before the man apologized and left.
Lindsay Wood, 32, of Shelby, N.C., had just arrived home from Bible study on Wednesday. Wood asked her 15-year-old son to collect the trash can from the curb. During this time, Wood’s attacker walked into her home and slashed her neck.
“She told him please not to hurt her, that she loved the Lord and her son,” neighbor Faye Cooke told ABC affiliate WSOC.
Police said Wood’s son heard what was happening and hid in the backyard out of sight while Wood continued to reason with the man.
“She offered her car up, as well as money,” Rick Stafford, a captain in the Shelby Police Department told WSOC.
But the man took none of those things.
Despite her injuries, Wood opened her Bible and read to her attacker.
He listened. She even invited him to her church.
After an hour and a half, her attacker apologized and left.
Wood is in the hospital recovering from her injuries, which required 20-25 stitches and staples in her neck.
Meanwhile, police are hoping to apprehend the man, who didn’t seem to want anything more than to hurt an innocent person.
“We want him off the street,” Stafford said.
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Wow, she reached his heart and he did not know how to respond. I pray for her and for him to get caught.
Posted by: Seriously | February 4, 2012, 1:50 pm 1:50 pm
He was obviously just crazy…I mean anybody who will take the absurdities in the bible seriously is out of their mind…
Posted by: Bludy St00l | February 4, 2012, 1:58 pm 1:58 pm
Bludy Stool, there is NOTHING absurd about the BIBLE. Its about time that people like you to start believing the REAL TRUTH that is the HOLY BIBLE. It is NOT crazy to believe the truth. The BIBLE IS the truth. I will pray for you.
Posted by: Diane | February 4, 2012, 2:07 pm 2:07 pm
The bible is absurd and people like Bludy Stool nor myself need to start believing in a book that is about as truthful as the tooth fairy or Santa Claus. Praying won’t do anything.
Posted by: Michelle | February 4, 2012, 2:26 pm 2:26 pm
Satan is the true god and father!
Posted by: Yimettui-tra | February 4, 2012, 2:32 pm 2:32 pm
Something certainly put the love of man(if not the love of god also) in his heart at the proper time. Jesus forgives.
Posted by: SamL | February 4, 2012, 3:10 pm 3:10 pm
Why didn’t the fifteen year old son call the police instead of hide in the bushes?
Posted by: Joyce | February 4, 2012, 3:17 pm 3:17 pm
I have to echo the earlier response – why didn’t the son go to a neighbor and call the police?
Posted by: Sheila | February 4, 2012, 3:58 pm 3:58 pm
Praise God!
Posted by: Sienia | February 4, 2012, 4:08 pm 4:08 pm
Michelle apparently isn’t into concepts like self-sacrifice, putting others first, taking care of one’s family, being truthful, not stealing, respect for law and authority, helping orphans and widows, hard work, humility and such.
Wonder why…
Posted by: Logicsgood5 | February 4, 2012, 4:54 pm 4:54 pm
“He was obviously just crazy…I mean anybody who will take the absurdities in the bible seriously is out of their mind…”
Yeah, you’re right. He should have just murdered her on the spot, because letting someone convince you with scripture is just so much worse.
Posted by: Jimmy | February 4, 2012, 5:07 pm 5:07 pm
Neighbors were real close in the video with no fence on 2 sides…. son is probably either “in” on the attack or possibly did the attack and mom is covering for him. Only other explanation would be if the son is pretty mentally challenged. Really fishy story!
Posted by: Dottie | February 4, 2012, 5:25 pm 5:25 pm
Her throat was slashed so badly she required “20-25 stitches and staples in her neck” yet she was able to read the Bible for an hour and a half? Her 15-year old son cowered outside the whole time rather than helping her or going for help? This sounds like utter BS.
Posted by: Kira | February 4, 2012, 5:33 pm 5:33 pm
There’s way to many things fishy about this story.
Posted by: Jack Abermoff | February 4, 2012, 6:09 pm 6:09 pm
Sounds more like bible thumping woman was attacked by her son? Crazy believers…..they do all sorts of weird things.
Posted by: beensaidsaid | February 4, 2012, 6:31 pm 6:31 pm
People who hate God and truth more than they love a courageous woman…and are proud of it. I pity you. The irony is that you all, at 15 or 32, probably would have stained your paints in fear because you have no hope. Whether you want to admit it or not, the woman had faith and courage you will never possess, the son was a normal 15-year-old who acted like one, and the attacker relented because of the power of the woman’s words. But keep believing whatever you want. God will exist regardless of your opinion, no matter how mean-spirited or blind it may be. :)
Posted by: ed | February 4, 2012, 7:23 pm 7:23 pm
I’m so glad Lindsay survived, and it shows what the power of God and His Word can do.
Posted by: Debbie | February 4, 2012, 7:33 pm 7:33 pm
Logicsgood5: Guess you never read the bible… It is NOT about helping orphans and others, it is about why God is going to punish you for eternity… it does have a few gems to which we can all agree (don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t kill, no adultery…), but MUCH MORE with which no one should agree (disobedient children are to be killed, if you rape an unmarried woman – she becomes your wife, long hair is worthy of a death sentence for men, shaving your face is a sin (well, vanity in any form…), and much much more…). You can say anything you want about the bible… and it’ll probably be true… except that is was written or influenced by a loving god…
Posted by: looncraz | February 4, 2012, 9:30 pm 9:30 pm
I don’t understand how someone whose throats been slashed can talk for an hour and a half. Not to mention the funny business with her son.
Until those things are explained, I have a hard time believing this story.
Posted by: Destyne | February 4, 2012, 10:32 pm 10:32 pm
I am a Christian and hope this story is true. However, it doesn’t add up. The son conveniently left to take out the trash and then a strange man walked in? The son “heard” what was going on but wasn’t alarmed and sat in the bushes listening???? and did not run to a neighbor’s house to call police?
I wonder if the son is a suspect…maybe mom and son got into an argument and mom is trying to protect her son thinking that, as a Christian, she can still salvage him? A mother’s love knows no bounds.
Posted by: littleleers | February 4, 2012, 11:16 pm 11:16 pm
This another proof that religion is just for dangerous nut people and most of criminals are believers.
Posted by: Anwar | February 5, 2012, 4:10 am 4:10 am
So the son did nothing to help his mom! He did not run for help or try to defend her… What a wimp!
Posted by: Jaded | February 5, 2012, 4:49 am 4:49 am
maybe her son did not have a phone to call and maybe he was scared….if he had a phone and called the cops, they probably would have spooked him and things could’ve ended up worse. please remember a child was involved and in situations like that we dont know how any of us would react. she is alive so obviously everything they both did got them to this point. please also be mindful that this child and his family might read some of the nasty and hateful comments and before you say something just to be “funny” or “smart” please think again. until you have someone in this situation do not judge. whether you are religious or not, what she did was brave.
Posted by: lc1980 | February 5, 2012, 9:34 am 9:34 am
You don’t need a book to define your life. Think about your life by yourself, and create your morality based on that. Bible is like a drug. Everything in moderation.
Posted by: Alex | February 5, 2012, 1:52 pm 1:52 pm
What kind of 15 year old coward hides while his mother is attacked?
Posted by: Nathan | February 5, 2012, 4:38 pm 4:38 pm
The Bible’s message is very powerful despite ridicule. Those who listen to it’s message can reap good consequences. If it can help a criminal feel regret then it certainly can and HAS changed lives. I pray this man finds the truth of God. He still has to face his consequences but he can change if he wants to. Before you judge the Bible as mere fiction, read and study it with and open mind. Decide for yourself. Don’t let years of prejudice get in the way.
Posted by: Shannon | February 5, 2012, 8:33 pm 8:33 pm
I’m pretty sure there’s no third person involved. Maybe for a robbery or maybe if it was someone she knew and had a conflict with in the past. It doesn’t make sense for some guy to walk into someone elses house with the sole intention of slashing their throat and then saying sorry after hearing her read some stories from bible.
The son got in an argument with his mom because he wasn’t allowed to go over to his friend Billy’s house because he had school the next day and hadn’t finished his homework so he got angry at his mom, grabbed a knife and slit her throat. However since she is such a devote Christian and God forgives everyone she is covering up for her son because she doesn’t want him to go to jail for attempted murder. It would hurt her families image as a perfect Christian family. If she doesn’t tell someone the truth and the kid doesn’t get help she’s gonna end up getting killed if I’m right about what actually happened here.
Posted by: jesus | February 6, 2012, 12:37 am 12:37 am
To People Like Michelle: You’re right. God does NOT hear ALL prayers and he probably does not hear yours because you do not know how to pray and, judging by your comment, you do not want to learn. Jesus clearly said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” [John 14:6] That’s not to say that God doesn’t hear the heartfelt honest prayers of the unbeliever who is truly seeking Him. But if you choose to turn your back on God and His Son, refusing to read His word, learn about Him and receive Him into your heart then THIS life is your reward in full. Your ONLY reward. So, live it up and enjoy your time here in this pitiful life because, unless you change, it’s all you have and it isn’t even the “real” life. 1 Timothy 6:19 says “….Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you…” Jesus also said that the road to destruction is broad and spacious and many are the ones who travel it but narrow and cramped is the road leading to salvation and few are the ones that find it. Which road are you on? So now, all of you anti-Christian, anti-God people go ahead and do what you do best. Bash away. Lash out. Post your vehement denials of the veracity of my statements. I will count myself blessed to receive it from you, if this post even makes it through the censors.
Posted by: D | February 6, 2012, 9:23 am 9:23 am
Regardless of what you believe, this story has a lot of inconsistency. You can’t talk with a slit neck. The boy would have certainly run to get help or jumped in, and people don’t attack random people for no reason. (very rarely, anyway).
I’m sure there is more to this story, but it really doesn’t help when I am told an illogical story and the resolution was that reading the bible saved her. It sounds like coverup and propaganda. Why would this guy be so quick to slit her neck and then patient enough to sit there and listen to her for that long? It’s really hard to read and find specific bible verses while loosing so much blood from such a vital place.
Regardless of what happened, I’m really glad she is ok, and I hope her recovery goes well. I wish the best for her and her family in this difficult time.
Posted by: Tuanafetchie | February 6, 2012, 6:02 pm 6:02 pm
Praise be to all those strong and courageous, as anyone can see, the thought and insight to this story holds well with those who proclaim the gospel of our Lord. It pains me to see, that in this unbiased story of a home invader, led away by the readings of sacred scripture, slashing a woman in her own home, it is not the fault of the boy! The story has a good ending, that in her trusting of the word of God evil was banished from a holy home, and made to repent.
Glory be to God the father, and god bless all those souls who do not blink when in face of the negative, hateful, and misled.
Posted by: Macky Babbert | February 6, 2012, 8:15 pm 8:15 pm
do you think the boy was scared? he is a child. do adults know what to do in a situation like that? obviously everything they did was correct since they are both alive. please remember that the media does not know this entire story and once the rest of the story is revealed you might have to eat your words for questioning his courage.
Posted by: lc1980 | February 7, 2012, 9:35 am 9:35 am
Nobody said the person who slashed the woman’s throat did so fatally. For you people noting “inconsistencies,” that’s something to pay attention to
Posted by: Holly | February 8, 2012, 10:05 am 10:05 am
Yeah I doubt the Bible had anything to do with it other than the fact that her reading to him and talking to him made him view her as a person and unable to dehumanize her. The way this article puts it they make it sound like he “saw the light” and went off to atone for his sins.
Posted by: KP | February 10, 2012, 12:31 am 12:31 am