# What do insurance agencies decide is an act of God? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 23, 2002, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-insurance-agencies-decide-is-an-act-of-god/129230 "2002-09-23T04:23:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-insurance-agencies-decide-is-an-act-of-god/129230/1 "2002-09-23T04:23:50Z")
If a group of Christian fundamentalists started an insurance company, and had the usual “policy does not cover acts of God” clause in their contracts, could they legally claim that _everything_ that happens is the will (and therefore act) of God, and therefore never pay out? Maybe I’m just pessimistic, but that clause always makes me nervous… ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-insurance-agencies-decide-is-an-act-of-god/129230/2 "2002-09-23T04:38:52Z")
Nope. Act of God has a specific legal meaning: > [@](#): > > An event which is caused solely by the effect of nature or natural causes and without any interference by humans whatsoever. Insurance contracts often exclude “acts of God” from the list of insurable occurrences as a means to waive their obligations for damage caused by hurricanes, floods or earthquakes, all examples of “acts of God”. – [Duhaime’s Law Dictionary](http://www.duhaime.org/dictionary/dict-a.htm#A). ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-insurance-agencies-decide-is-an-act-of-god/129230/3 "2002-09-24T00:53:33Z")
That’s good to know, thanks. Wonder what God has to say about that definition… ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2002, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-insurance-agencies-decide-is-an-act-of-god/129230/4 "2002-09-24T01:23:48Z")
I don’t know, **KKBattousa** , GOD hasn’t posted here for quite a [while](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&userid=1886). You _could_ email and ask, I guess. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-insurance-agencies-decide-is-an-act-of-god/129230/5 "2002-09-25T02:49:07Z")
Ok, I’ll be serious. Sorry 'bout that. 🙂 Is a forest fire, set by an arsonist, an act of god? The subject actually came up at work last week due to all the fires around here. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-insurance-agencies-decide-is-an-act-of-god/129230/6 "2002-09-25T10:01:02Z")
[aside] Watchdog in the UK had a case of sewage back-up featured on their show last night. The bockage caused untreated sewage to back-up drains and sprayed into peoples houses (somewhere in London), causing the homes to be filled up to a height of about 1.2m (4 Ft). Not pleasant. All belongings in the rooms were destroyed, the house almost uncleanable and the incident was labeled as ‘act of God’ (flooding), so no insurance companies or Thames Water (responsible for the sewers) are willing to pay for the damage. [/aside] ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-insurance-agencies-decide-is-an-act-of-god/129230/7 "2002-09-25T11:55:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Is a forest fire, set by an arsonist, an act of god? IANAL, but that would seem to fail the “without any interference by humans whatsoever” requirement. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-insurance-agencies-decide-is-an-act-of-god/129230/8 "2002-09-26T23:31:39Z")
That’s true, **Diceman** , but when we were talking I didn’t know about that specific requirement. Not the “whatsoever” part. We did assume it though. The actual subject of the discussion was about how it was in the best interest of the insurance company that the fire be an “act of god”, and how they could possibly influence the fire marshall’s report. Not that an insurance company (or any corporation) would ever cheat. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2002, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-insurance-agencies-decide-is-an-act-of-god/129230/9 "2002-09-27T02:50:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aro \* > [aside] > The bockage caused untreated sewage to back-up drains and sprayed into peoples houses (somewhere in London), causing the homes to be filled up to a height of about 1.2m (4 Ft). Not pleasant. > > All belongings in the rooms were destroyed, the house almost uncleanable and the incident was labeled as ‘act of God’ (flooding), so no insurance companies or Thames Water (responsible for the sewers) are willing to pay for the damage. > [/aside] And on the 2,452,367th day, He said, “Let there be sewage.”