Why do houses of worship have lightning rods?
396351
Because we know that the rain falls on the just and the unjust.  (Matthew 5:45)\n\nBeing a Christians doesn't mean that bad things don't happen to you.  But it does mean that God will help you deal with what happens.  He is there in our trials with us.
192296
This is basically correct.  You will find the "stars" on older brick homes.  There is a rod or rods that run through the house essentially to hold it together.  The star on the outside is a decorative way to hide the end of the rod and to provide the anchor points.
514052
Lightening has been harnessed for research. People send up a rocket with a wire cable attached to it and the lightening runs down the cable to the ground.\n\nIt's not being commercialy harvested because the actual current in the bolt is not worth harvesting.
460435
In ancient days before men understood the scientific reasons for severe storms, and when people were superstitious, thunder-storms, tornadoes, or other types of storms were thought by many to be produced by the gods, who had be-come angry because of the people's misdeeds. The long rolling peals of thunder shaking the very earth were explained as the expression of their wrath, while the flashes of brilliant blue zig-zag lightning shooting forth from the heavens seemed to be intended to strike down the wicked, or to terrify those who had not behaved properly. Fortunately, no longer do we believe as our ancestors of old. Thunder-storms may not only be accounted for, but they can be forecast. How-ever, some persons still fear thunderstorms when they really should not, for their dangers are few. \n\nIf we could actually look into people's brains to learn what their thoughts are when they show fright during a storm, we would probably discover that the crashes of thunder rather than the lightning produced fear. Likewise, when the squally wind howls through the door-jambs and window-casings, people fear the noise of the wind more than the rain or pelting hail which it carries. As a matter of fact, thunder-storms are much less dangerous to life than our automobiles, yet most of us do not fear automobile rides. \n\nThunder, of course, does no damage, as it is merely the noise resulting from the atomic disturbance of the air through which the lightning discharge takes place. It is similar to the click which we sometimes hear when on a cold dry night we run a comb through our hair. This click or sign of a discharge of electricity differs from thunder only in the amount of noise. If people are going to be afraid of storms, they should fear the lightning and not the thunder. \n\nLightning is not very dangerous if we observe a few simple rules. Never stand under a tree during a storm, because trees are excellent conductors of electricity and they are frequently struck by lightning. Trees are tall and pointed and, besides, their roots go deep into the moist earth, thus forming an easy path along which lightning may travel. If a tree is struck, people or live stock seeking shelter under it almost certainly will be shocked and in most instances killed. Trees mark danger spots during thunder-storms. They should be avoided. \n\nWe are much safer indoors than out-of-doors during thunder-storms, but even in our homes certain precautions are advisable. Since lightning generally strikes high points, there always is the possibility of its hitting a chimney. If the chimney contains warm air, the lightning may follow the air down to the fireplace opening into our room. While this may happen only once in a great while, and in most homes never occurs, yet it is well to play safe and no-t sit close to the fireplace or between it and an open door. In fact, we should keep all of our doors and windows closed during a storm, so as to prevent the formation of warm air drafts. Warm air is a much better conductor of lightning than cold air. \n\nIn our large cities lightning :rarely strikes a house because there are so many electric wires all around. The street-railway trolley wires, the telegraph, telephone, and electric-light wires, all conduct electricity. They are so much better conductors than wood and brick buildings that if lightning tends toward these structures, the wires near-by carry off the charge. On the other hand, in the rural districts where buildings are located in the center of large flat areas, all of them should have lightning-rods attached. Oftentimes farm houses, barns, silos, and other structures are the only high points in the region, and therefore lightning discharging toward the earth near them is likely to strike them. Experience of fire-insurance companies has shown that most buildings in small towns and rural districts which have lightning-rods properly attached., with the lower end reaching well down into the moist soil, are i
1132805
Good Christians are in church. They have alarms to potect they're home while gone.  \n\nAtheists wait till they get home and steal from them up front. No alarms ON.\n\nHope this helps.
1157857
Because it travels along the least obstructed air.  As air is sometimes denser at certain elevations the lightning flows along the path of least resistence.
1111845
The statement has little to actually do with lightning, especially these days.  It really applies to human nature and events.\n\nBefore the advent of tall buildings and lightning rods, it was rare for lightning to strike the same location twice; there were many likely targets.  While it could happen, it was outside the daily experience of most people, and back then, that's about all they had to work with.  \n\nThe statement came to mean any event that rarely happened twice to the same person or group; like a previous poster said, winning the lottery twice, or any other event that's rare enough the first time, and extremely unlikely the second.
471457
Because light travels faster than sound, so you see the lightning and then hear the thunder.
805038
If you study the details of lightening, u will find that there are some strikes that are between the clouds. Some hit the earth. There is some detailed mechnisms described in books. There u will find terms like pilot leader, streamers, etc.\n\nWhen the lightning occurs, the air gets ionised. So, even if u capture a  Lightening in your tower, the air will become an ionised conductor, so the charge will go to thwe ground. \n\nThe strike from ground occurs as well as the strike from the cloud. \n\nAbove all it is not feasible.\n\nThank you.
470416
The only reason the empire state building is struck so many times, is because it is taller than everything else and due to the fact of it having a very thin point, a large amount of positive atoms congregate at this point and since the lightning is negatively charged atoms its is attracted to this point.  If you talking about it hitting the ground on the same spot then it is possible i think, i am not to sure but it is highly unlikely though.
222156
Principally yes, lightning will split water, but not through electrolysis but because of the heat.\n\nAssuming your array of lightning rods will attract a lightning, you will need to transform that high voltage into the millivolt region you need for electrolysis, and keep it coming for quite some time since electrolysis is an equilibrium process. In short, you need to store electrical lightning energy, which is so difficult nobody (except Frankenstein :) has produced a workable solution.\n\nHarnessing the thermal energy of the lightning on the other end of the lightning rod would be tricky, too - if the resistance is too high, the lightning rod wouldn't attract the lightning, if it is too low, the thermal energy won't be released where you want it.\n\nStatic electricity discharges generally are unsuitable when you want a current, otherwise someone would have built generators using piezo elements long ago.
903257
Both at the same time!, lightning has been photgraphed heading upwards from trees, at the same time leaders head downwards as well, where they meet a lightning strike occours.\n\nThats why when you are out in the open during a storm and feel your hair standing on end - panic and get down, a leader may be leaving your head!
533141
Because they use a lightning rod to conduct the current directly to the ground.
443456
It could follow metallic vent pipes (and wiring too) into the house.  But you standing in water or not is just an accident of being near the vent pipes for the shower.  You could be washing your hands just as easily or touching an electric appliance where the lightning has come down an antenna wire or such.
539701
Since when is a lightning bolt symbolic of Satan?
1180080
A car's frame is made of metal.  If lightning strikes the car, the metal will conduct around you through the metal because metal is a better conductor than your body is.  Unsafe is electricity going through you.  Do not stand upright in a storm or even under a tree.  Also don't lay flat on the ground because if lightening strikes near you, the conduction through the ground may offer more resistence than your body and the electricity may take a shortcut through your body.  Best thing without a car is to squat down.
919654
you need to place lightining rods as you call them, i call them " ground" rods  is to ground out the building per say, that way if struck by lightining, the path of electric is to be grounded out