When York Minster was struck by lightening and half burned to the ground in the mid eighties the claims of the shamen that it was a "miracle" the ancient Rose Window survived struck me as most amusingly hollow.

I was taken by Archbishop Runcie's words at the time too, "There's a certain obvious poignancy which makes one a bit lost for words...".

Well you don't say, Bish, and being lost for words obviously he didn't.

Steve, I agree with your analysis completely. In the case of an almost unimaginable human tragedy such as happened this weekend I find their sophistry truly disgusting - how DARE they spout this obvious nonsense at a time like this?

In the case of something like the York Minster fire their ability to twist themselves into a pretzel simply amuses by comparison.

I think it's more important we make them justify it rather than psychonalysing them.