Look what they got:
"A Pentecostal and an evangelical pastor also worked the site, and American evangelicals with the Orlando-based Campus Crusade for Christ sent each of the miners an MP3 player containing the entire New Testament and "The Story of Jesus," the audio adaptation of the famous "Jesus Film.""

And there is much more:
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/10/13/whose-god-rescued-the-chilean-miners/

I made a joke about this to my best friend yesterday. She was saying it was a miracle. I said, "Yes, they were rescued so that one day they could hear the gospel." She laughed.

Chile is a highly developed "second-world" country just like Argentina and Uruguay. It already had most of the technology it needed. They were humble enough to accept foreign help, of course, but not all of that came from the USA. The miners were rescued in a Chilean capsule pulled up by German steel cables with an American engine.

I think it is totally awesome that everyone worked together and rescued those men.

I guess that the Mormon god just can’t answer prayers the same way. Remember the Crandall Canyon Mine collapse three years ago? It sees that when the outcome is good, god gets the credit, when the outcome is bad then “we just don’t know the mind of God”, or some other excuse.

I’m happy for the miners in Chile, really. It’s a heartwarming story. Why bring god into it?

It was my cross-circuiting to B that recovered them.

The rescue was on the TV (Telemundo, I think) in the Honduran restaurant where I had dinner last night. The last few guys were being brought up. It made my eyes roll when they cut to a split screen of the pope. My Spanish is severely limited, but it seems like His Hole-iness had offered a special prayer for the miners' safe rescue. Of course, the Catholic world is going to give him some credit. Woo-hoo, the pope got God to save the miners! You know he couldn't sit quietly in the Vatican without exploiting an opportunity like that.

The rescuers were following technical drawing found in the Bible in the 2nd book of Excavadus.

I praise my Holy Cosmic McMuffin for doing all the work of the many involved in the rescue through the McD's morning meal of various McMuffins. Hail the Cosmic McMuffin!

and the Chilean people urged them on. Those working at the top did a fantastic job, no matter where they came from.

Well done to everyone involved.

Was it god that caused the rocks to fall in the first place?

Yup - seems so - he needed something to make folks take notice perhaps.

Did god cause the mine owners to exploit those men?

Human effort and pulling together... trumps god every time.

Briggy

Agree, Briggy. The miners first helped themselves and, as one rescue official said yesterday, they then became part of the rescue team, one rescue team above ground and one below. I think that is a fabulous - and accurate - way of looking at it.

In the list of internationals who played a role, Canada has a place, as one Canadian company participated in the Plan A/B/C to get a hole dug and one sent portable shelters which became the medical triage and family rooms, as far as I can gather.

But, as Briggy says, it was a great team effort, and not a time for any one person or nation to take undue credit for their input. A great example of how cooperative endeavours can pay off. It was a thrill and a half, to be sure, and even the journos were ecstatic to be covering an upbeat story for once.

A Good News story, to be sure; down-to-earth (no pun intended!) human teamwork, scientific knowledge, the will to live and the nobility of the human spirit all being part of the Good News that for once we get a "miracle" and a well deserved all-out celebration due to 100% survival against the odds.

Chile deserves it, the miners certainly do, and the world can benefit from an inspirational event. A win-win, definitely.

1) A deity
2) Magic/miracle
3) Mumbled words uttered towards a shrine (prayer)
4) Hope
5) Faith (belief in something for which there is no proof)
6) Obedience to "the commandments'
7) Following a Prophet or Pope


Here's what DID:

1) Technology refined by humans through the use of the scientific method and trial and error
2) Discpline of experienced miners in not eating all their food right away or panicking
3) Hard Work by a bunch of folks determined to save those men
4) Teamwork
5) Human Leadership
6) Human will/desire to live

to an invisible, silent, most likely IMAGINARY being.

Many people worked for MONTHS to rescue those minors.

And what exactly did God do to help?