Comments about ‘Utah man calls his survival a miracle’

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He recalls plane's 'surreal' descent and fiery explosion

By Pat Reavy
Deseret News

Published: Thursday, Aug. 28 2008 12:14 a.m. MDT

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A miracle?

Of course it is wonderful when someone survives a traumatic experience such as this. And yet I wonder why people call it miracle?' How often do you read about plane crashes and those who survived all say that it was a miracle and that prayer saved them. In reality even the dead were praying and now that they are dead they cant say that prayer saved them. I'm not being funny here I am simply saying that only the survivers see the miracle while those who die dont get a say in it. At the end of the day which seat you were sitting in at that particular time DECIDES who will be the next miracle!

Nope

Just luck.

Merlin Ross

Man alive!

Sharon in Tennessee

"Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh".
when you face death, you are in the strongest position to SPEAK THE TRUTH.
No one has a right to judge another persons testimony. It stands on it's own and only God can see the whole picture.
Since God IS IN CHARGE OF ALL OF THIS, AND ALL OF OUR LIVES, let us remember, it matters not what happens or how it happens...as long as we are following the Lord Jesus Christ with ALL our efforts...doing all we can do each hour, keeping the guidence of the Holy Ghost...which tells us in 2 Nephi, 32...."will show us all things what we should do". The Atonement is such a massive miracle for those you believe and receive this GREAT gift. Mortal life is just Part of our experience and testing. Trust God, Don't judge. Spend our time concentrating on IF WE are loving God and developing a relationship.
Love to all. HE loves us with an unconditional and forgiving love...ALWAYS.

Why?

What I fail to understand is why people decide to make stupid comments like the one posted at 12:24 a.m. Who are you to question what this man calls a miracle? Are you the authority on miracles and why some live and others die? Keep your inane comments to yourself and find something else to do with your time.

Joe

A miracle is in the eye of the beholder. Here we have a horrific crash with apparently some pretty good people loosing their lives.

The fact that Dad didn't perish in the crash or remain unconscious in the aftermath is important fact 1. Two farmers heard his cries for help is fortuitous fact 2. The plane cracking open where Dan was sitting so his cries for help could be heard is lucky coincidence #3. That the farmers were close enough to hear him and able to pull him from a hole could be 4 and 5. That three others made it out of the plane, two of which survived makes 6, 7, and almost 8.

Miracles are not universally agreed upon by all observers to be miracles. There are always explanations of how things happened, what factors came into play. And there will remain unanswered questions as to why me and not someone else.

We can choose to see and acknowledge the hand of God in our lives, or we can choose to ignore it. In one case, it may serve to prompt us to be better people, and devote our lives more fully to serving others; or maybe not.

Marianne

What you decide is a miracle is a very personal decision. According to the dictionary, a "miracle is a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency. A highly improbable or extraordinary event, development or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences."
According to these definitions, this man truly experienced a miracle. A "spiritual miracle" is also determined by the receiver and not to be judged by others whether it was or was not a miracle. I believe this man recognizes and gives his gratitude to God, his maker, for his life and that life in itself is a blessing and a miracle.

A Miracle.

To one who has just experienced something so horrible, it is nothing short of a miracle to have survived. Our Father in Heaven is watching over us. If we have work left to do, he will provide a way for us to survive through whatever is sent our way. Miracles happen all around us. The miracle is that in the end that was the seat in which he had sat for the flight and that the farmers were able to help them. Maybe even his being 'low' did save his life. Without that combination of factors, it's likely he, and the others would have died as well. Nothing short of a miracle. From any point of view.

To many idiots!

There are too many idiots in this world whos only desire is to belittle and tear down everyone else. If you want to snake at the bottom of the ocean that is fine, but don't drag the rest of us down with you.

SLC gal

He, in theory, shouldn't have been pulled off that plane alive. How many people around him died? Why don't you ask his family if it's a miracle? I would consider it one!!!

People suck!

The fact that any of you question that miracles happen makes me think you all really need to get a clue and a life. Miracles happen everday. The fact that others were killed and he survived is a miracle in itself. Some are meant to go earlier than others and God preserves others to finish their mission here on earth. Those of you who constantly feel the need to post negative comments on this site regarding anyone who believes in any type of religion etc. obviously is bitter, hateful and will have a real eye opening experience one day. I am so happy for him and his family and wish him a quick recovery. I also want to send out my deepest sympathy to those family members of those who lost thier lives.

Faith in What?

If you had this crash WITH God performing a "miracle" and set it side by side next to this crash WITHOUT God performing a "miracle", the two would be indistinguishable.

When "the faithful" insist that God is in charge and loves us, and "some are meant to go," their explanation is indistinguishable from the explanation that luck and good fortune saved some and not others.

If you believe in God, you believe that God saved this man while killing everyone else. Why would God do that unless he is capricious and random?

If you do not believe in God, you believe that the capriciousness and randomness of nature "saved" this man and killed all the others.

So what you believers are saying is that you have anthropomorphized the caprice and randomness in nature and you worship it by calling it God!

I would rather believe that Nature, not God, is capricious and random.

Just looking for logic?

I think the first commenter was merely pointing out the inconsistency and lack of logic in what we often call miracles. Was it a "miracle" that all the others died? Was God demonstrating some divine intervention to let them all die when they did and in the way they did? Why is THAT any less of a miracle?

Cats

This is clearly a miracle. He as there and he knows what happened. He knows that God took a hand in his life. As for the others, it was their time to go. It obviously wasn't his time. God makes those decisions. To those who have a relationship with God, it is obvious that this was a miracle. To those who don't, no amount of heart-felt testimony will suffice. Their hearts are too hardened.

Ernest T. Bass

Sharon in TN:
If God is in charge of EVERYTHING, why does he let 3 billion people suffer in absolute poverty and filth?
Free agency and control are mutually exclusive. Either we have agency or we don't. God cannot give us agency and at the same time control our lives.
The fact that this guy survived was blind luck, nothing more.
Are the families of the victims allowed to blame God since he clearly took their lives?

Anonymous

If you are a survivor of a tragedy like this, the most insulting thing to tell the families and friends of those who died is that YOUR life being saved is a miracle!

It is conceited and vain to believe that God prefers you above the others. It adds blasphemy to your conceit and vanity to believe that somehow your superior prayers or faith or righteousness earned you the right to survive! God is no respector of persons. He does not play favorites like that, and cannot be bought by making deals with him.

barbara

Oh, Lizzie!! You will be missed so much! We have loved you since your days at Butler Elementary!

Ireland

"Coincidence simple means God chooses to remain anonymous." Miracles happen everyday if we take the time to recognize them. To Debate or give Thanks is the question?

Rose

When Titanic went down, the wealthy were in the top floors while the poor were below the water line. Many many more poor people died than rich people. The rich survivors claimed that they were saved by "miracles", but we all know better.

Mc

People always talk about death as if it is some horrible thing. It is really sad for those left behind who miss their loved one, but it is not horrible in and of itself. To die quickly without suffering is a great blessing and to be with those who have passed on before and with God is wonderful. Knowing this can be a great comfort to their loved ones who will need help and time to mourn. My heart goes out to them and hope they will be surrounded by love and feel peace.

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