Miracle escape as burning plane lands at Tokyo airport after collision

Thanks! We moved most comments to https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38841708 since that one seems to have a better article.

I do agree it's inappropriate when it is invoked in reference to divine intervention. But not when it is simply used to describe something extraordinary. Take "Miracle on the Hudson" - I think it's fair there, it's incredible every person survived a water ditching. Miracle is a fair word to use.

Would it not be a little blasé to simple describe it as "evacuation happened as per procedure". Even if we sprinkle "successfully" into the sentence?

While I am not a religious person and hence does not care for some of the connotation in the word - I find it hard to find a more descriptive word in this case.

Neither do I believe any magic happens when all the stars align. But I do like it as a poetic rewrite of "simple luck".

So I understand your beef but you offer no alternative.

Best case outcome in a though situation does not have the same ring to it.