Friday, June 10, 2011

Acts of God, Acts of Man

Get the Blame, Take the Credit:  CBS News reports:
After seven days traveling from Newark, N.J. to North Carolina, the plane made famous by its miraculous landing on the Hudson River in January 2009 reached reach its final gate Friday -- the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte. "The Early Show" talked with pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and some of his passengers about that miraculous day, the effect it had on their lives, and how they feel about the plane's final destination.
Did a miracle happen in New York City on January 15, 2009?

It seems that God always gets the blame when things go wrong.  When natural disasters strike (and alas, they have struck much too often of late), they are officially termed "Acts of God" - at least for insurance purposes. 

Abq Jew, an advocate for the Kadosh Baruch Hu (Who does not need Abq Jew's help), just wants fair treatment.  If you're going to blame God for bad things, you should thank God for good things.  Why is a tornado an Act of God, but a sunny day isn't?

Was the "Miracle on the Hudson" an Act of God or an Act of Man? Judaism answers the question with a blessing - שׁנתן מחכמתו לבשׂר ודם - that thanks God for having "given of His wisdom to flesh and blood".  Let's call that sharing the credit - Sully did his part, and God did His.

You can read more of the story here, and view the video here.

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