The "Acts of God" line in insurance contracts is, to my thinking, a clearer than usual example of a historical holdover being used as a cop-out. So we agree on that. Putting that one aside...

I can see you have a problem with labelling some sort of "higher-being" as "God". I can understand that. As has been demonstrated in this thread, the very word "God", capitalisation and all, in English carries with it quite a lot of meaning far exceeding it's three humble letters. That seems to be largely the same issue Ashton has with it. I have taught myself over the years to distinguish between the various things attributed to "God" and done in his name over the centuries and between organisations, which is why I objected to Ashton earlier. So permit me to opine that I suspect you may be closer to the truth than you think you are.

Wade.