The Man Who Sued God

[Shakey]

What with all the carnage that's happening now in the SW, can anyone remember this film and what happened?

Billy Connelly plays some bloke in Australia whose boat is destroyed by lightning, but the insurance company wouldn't pay out as it was an 'Act of God'.

So he takes God to court to embarrass the insurance companies, like how are they experts on God, the Church gets involved, it all boiled down to summat about the Church, being the expert witness, would have to deny the existence of God or summat like that. Can't remember all the details, it had been a very social evening.

It was all based on a true story apparently.

What actually happened? And could it happen here?

<hr width=100% size=1>It could have been worse - it could have been me.

 

[tillergirl]

Life was getting bad in hell, the toilets were c**p, the air con didn't work and the lifts (that's an elevator if you are colonial) broke down.

So the Devil hear that an engineer had just died and was on his way to Heaven. Quick as old Nick (sorry) he kidnapped him and put him to work in Hell. Within a week everything was wonderful and God said 'what's going on down there. The Devil told him and God was indignant, 'you can't do that, the engineer should be here' the Devil was adamant however and told God he could go with his request to return the Engineer. God got cross at this and said, 'I'll sue'.

'Where will you find a lawyer? said the Devil

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[BrendanS]

Peeps really do believe what they read !

<It was all based on a true story apparently.>

get a life!


<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni

 

[alanporter]

What about those of us that don't believe in the existence of a god ? How can something be an act of something that doesn't exist. Will the insurance companies pay all atheists but not believers ?

<hr width=100% size=1>Alan Porter

 

[Cornishman]

It's up to you to find an insurance company that does not believe there is a god, and that will be impossible because it has been their let out for centuries. When did you last hear of insurers who care about what you do or not believe?

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[robind]

It is an "Act of God" so not insured? ))
Rob

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[boatmike]

Quite right. It was based on a true story but it was a fictional outcome in the film. The actual events reported in the Melbourne papers at the time were as follows.
Insurance company would not pay out as they claimed that as his boat was struck by lightning it was not covered as lightning is an act of God.
Character brought a law suit against the Pope as Gods representative and it actually did come to court in Melbourne. Regardless of the film (which was very entertaining) The Australian catholics tried to involve the Jews, the Methodists, Anglicans Quakers et al. They all rejected responsibility on the grounds that only the Catholics claimed direct representation through the Pope in Rome who is of course infallable The catholics lawyers then set about proving that God had nothing to do with it and as storm damage was covered and lightning was the result of a storm the insurance company were liable not God. With all the money of the RC's behind them they won the argument and the insurance company had to pay out.
Insurance companies now have to be specific in their exclusions and say "lightning" or whatever rather than act of God. Read your policy. If it does not specifically exclude lightning strikes you are covered!

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[Cornishman]

...see Boatmike's reply above. I think that is the current situation

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[Guest]

Post deleted by danfoley

 

[Biddy]

The film is called " The Man Who Sued God" and starred Billy Connelly. It is a very entertaining film and actually quite thought provoking ......... does make you wonder but it's too early on a Thursday morning to get 'deep' !!!

Maybe we ought to make a request to god for better sailing days !!!!!!!!!

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[Beagle]

link to movie: <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268437/>The man who sued God</A>

<hr width=100% size=1>Never attempt to teach a pig to sing.
It is a waste of time and it annoys the pig.

 

[AlexL]

Re: Peeps really do believe what they read !

Speaking of which - I was watching one of the "Top 100....." programs a while back about the top 100 films, and the Coen Brothers "Fargo" was quite high up. Apparently the film starts with a title "Based on a true story". Apparently this bit is as fictional as the rest of the film, but was in the script to add some weight to the story!
However the best "Based on a true story...or not" intro has got to be the "Hunt for red october" which starts with a reference to the actually true story of a Russian nuclear sub which surfaced off the grand banks back in the 80's with a radiation leak and was then scuttled by the crew, and then says everything in the film is pure speculation and not based on that story at all! yeah right!

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[Stemar]

Re: Peeps really do believe what they read !

I liked the comment on a radio film review - can't remember the programme or the film - "Based on the book by A N Author (they used the title)"

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[benjenbav]

Sometimes they believe what they are told too!

That reminds me of 100 years ago when I was an undergraduate. The main university library catalogued books by an alphanumeric system using 4 letters and then a string of numbers. So, for example, any history text might be referenced under F and the subsequent letters then created subcategories so that you could get quite close to the book you wanted by knowing the 4 letters of its reference.

One of my circle of friends had not troubled the library at all until just before his finals when he desperately needed a particular book and had no idea where to start amongst the million or so on offer. In a panic he appealed for help and I regret to say that he was told to go and ask the head librarian for a book under the reference ISBN.

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