Theologian in Training Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 [url="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/religion/post/2009/02/62594705/1?csp=34"]http://content.usatoday.com/communities/re...594705/1?csp=34[/url] Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the pilot who landed his crippled plane in the Hudson River and saved all 195 souls on board, gave his first public interview Sunday night on 60 Minutes. Interviewer Katie Couric asked exactly the kind of what-exactly-happened, what-did-you-think-then questions that drew colorful details from the captain, a very succinct and focused man. But one question jumped out from the others: "Did you, at any point, pray?" It seemed to be the only question that surprised Sullenberger, who had taken his plane from a normal take-off through a disasterous bird-strike that killed both engines to ditching in a frigid river in less than five minutes. His answer: I would imagine somebody in the back was taking care of that for me while I was flying the airplane. Couric later asked a similar question of the crew: Did they hear people praying? No, but they were talking on their cell phones, said one of the heroic flight attendants who helped clear the back of the plane even as the water flooded up to her chin and debris gashed her leg. Were those valid questions? Are we, the public, entitled to a "prayer-o-meter" on people suddenly and unwilling thrust into a life-threatening situation? Would people think less of Sullenberger if he had just said no, or better of him if he said yes? What about the crew? What about the passengers, who helped bring at least one baby and an elderly person to safety? If you believe God intended people to use their gifts for the good of others, is it a form of prayer to do this so very well and selflessly? Can deeds be "prayers" or must their intentions be specifically earmarked with certain words or thoughts to "count"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bone _ Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 [quote]Couric later asked a similar question of the crew: Did they hear people praying?[/quote] Is Ms. Couric that big of a doofus that she's never heard of silent prayer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilac_angel Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 (edited) [url="http://thedivinemercy.org/news/story.php?NID=3493"]http://thedivinemercy.org/news/story.php?NID=3493[/url] Just one of the accounts I've heard of people praying. This one was inspired by a Divine Mercy book the guy happened to open on the plane after years of not reading it, or something. Usually people don't bellow out their prayers, and cell phone talk is almost always louder than praying anyway. Edited February 9, 2009 by lilac_angel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 He probably was too busy. I heard him talk about all the things he had to think about in order to land, all done in seconds, but I'm willing to bet at least one, "Please God don't let me screw up," crept in. Once his job was done, and the plane hit, he would have had time to at least start a prayer had it not ended as positively as it did. My dad had to make two quick exits from planes with parachutes during the war. One because of mechanical failure, and one because of enemy action, and he said he didn't have time to pray until he got his butt out of the door. He prayed more on the way down because he had more time, and he was really worried about the landing, once in trees, and once in the Mediterranean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 [quote name='CatherineM' post='1776990' date='Feb 9 2009, 02:36 PM']He probably was too busy. I heard him talk about all the things he had to think about in order to land, all done in seconds, but I'm willing to bet at least one, "Please God don't let me screw up," crept in.[/quote] +J.M.J.+ that's what i was thinking too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Vega Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Well, having limited flight experience myself (I've got 15 hours or so in the 172), I can say that it really takes all of the concentration you can give. I can only imagine how harrowing and mental-resource-consuming it must be to be in an emergency circumstance. Mind you, I'd probably squeeze out a few Hail Marys, but I'm kind of a prayer-oriented kind of guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Church Punk Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 [quote name='CatherineM' post='1776990' date='Feb 9 2009, 05:36 PM']He probably was too busy. I heard him talk about all the things he had to think about in order to land, all done in seconds, but I'm willing to bet at least one, "Please God don't let me screw up," crept in. Once his job was done, and the plane hit, he would have had time to at least start a prayer had it not ended as positively as it did. My dad had to make two quick exits from planes with parachutes during the war. One because of mechanical failure, and one because of enemy action, and he said he didn't have time to pray until he got his butt out of the door. He prayed more on the way down because he had more time, and he was really worried about the landing, once in trees, and once in the Mediterranean.[/quote] I think thats the case too... if you ditching a plane you dont have time to pray the rosary 5 times. You just do it, it comes natural to you when you are in an emergancy situation. God was with him, and the passengers were praying for him. Also I think that they havent given this man enough credit, He was a darn amazing pilot to even consider attempting such a feat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle_eye222001 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 [quote name='Church Punk' post='1777005' date='Feb 9 2009, 04:48 PM']I think thats the case too... if you ditching a plane you dont have time to pray the rosary 5 times. You just do it, it comes natural to you when you are in an emergancy situation. God was with him, and the passengers were praying for him. Also I think that they havent given this man enough credit, He was a darn amazing pilot to even consider attempting such a feat![/quote] I don't think he so much considered it as he was pretty much logically came to it. In emergency situations, when you know the current plan will not work or the odds are ridiculously against you, you consider other plans that you would normally not consider. Don't get me wrong, this guy deserves a lot of credit, however, it's not like he really had options. I think he realized that he was losing control and would not make it back to the airport so...........yeah. ---------------- Listening to: [url="http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/skillet/track/looking+for+angels"]Skillet - Looking for Angels[/url] via [url="http://www.foxytunes.com/signatunes/"]FoxyTunes[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Vega Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 [quote name='eagle_eye222001' post='1777011' date='Feb 9 2009, 05:54 PM']Don't get me wrong, this guy deserves a lot of credit, however, it's not like he really had options. I think he realized that he was losing control and would not make it back to the airport so...........yeah.[/quote] Not to be overtly nitpicky, but he never did lose control. That's why everyone survived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I saw a show on people who survive disasters, and the thing that was common among the ones who survived, rather than the ones who didn't, is that they had either been trained in some type of survival/emergency field, or they were the kind of person who actively has thought about, "what would I do if." This pilot gave lectures on air safety, so I'm betting he is the kind of person that on previous take offs from that airport had thought about alternatives if he had a problem. Take offs and landing are where 90% of problems happen. I also think it helped that he had been an Air Force pilot where they are given lots more training on crash scenarios, and that he had also piloted gliders. He was basically in a really heavy glider when landing that thing without engines. That's a kind of "fly by the seat of your pants" flying that most pilots don't train in. When describing how he approached trying to set it down on water, it sounded very much like how gliders are landed, not regular planes. An ordinary pilot might have thought he had enough lift to make it to the alternate strip, and gone down in some neighborhood killing everyone. He knew he didn't, and used the lift he had left to put it down on the water. Water is never a pilots first choice, because contrary to what you might think that it is a soft landing, at that speed and weight, landing on water is like a belly landing on rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidei Defensor Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 This upsets me. If he didn't pray, God should have thrust him into the river and taken his life. He probably prayed to satan but just didn't want to admit it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 [quote name='fidei defensor' post='1777127' date='Feb 9 2009, 05:45 PM']This upsets me. If he didn't pray, God should have thrust him into the river and taken his life. He probably prayed to satan but just didn't want to admit it.[/quote] I know that you no longer believe, but it does you no honor to belittle the faith of those who do believe. Prayer isn't just in word or song. Prayer can also be in a life well lived. The Shakers used to say, "heart to God, and hands to work." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidei Defensor Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 [quote name='CatherineM' post='1777128' date='Feb 9 2009, 05:48 PM']I know that you no longer believe, but it does you no honor to belittle the faith of those who do believe. Prayer isn't just in word or song. Prayer can also be in a life well lived. The Shakers used to say, "heart to God, and hands to work."[/quote] I'm not belittling anything. If he didn't adknowledge God, he should have died. Simple. Isn't the penalty for sin death? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Vega Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 (edited) [quote name='fidei defensor' post='1777132' date='Feb 9 2009, 07:52 PM']I'm not belittling anything. If he didn't adknowledge God, he should have died. Simple. Isn't the penalty for sin death?[color="#008000"][/quote][size=5] [font="Arial Black"][b]TrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTroll TrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTroll TrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTroll TrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTroll TrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTroll TrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTroll[/b][/font][/size][/color] Uhoh, there's the TROLL alarm again! Edited February 9, 2009 by USAirwaysIHS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidei Defensor Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 [quote name='USAirwaysIHS' post='1777135' date='Feb 9 2009, 05:54 PM'][size=5] [font="Arial Black"][b]TrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTroll TrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTroll TrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTroll TrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTroll TrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTroll TrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTrollTroll[/b][/font][/size][/color] Uhoh, there's the TROLL alarm again![/quote] If you can't defend your views, you shouldn't sink to calling others names. Doesn't make you look too smart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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