[deltaqueue]

The expression "Thank God!" could easily be intended to show thankfulness that medicine and this person's illness crossed paths now vs. 100 years ago.

Not to spark a religious debate, but this reaction seems to be common among the scientific community. Granted, it seems illogical for a god to be selectively-responsible for occurrences in one's life, but I don't think a lack of correlation is proof of anything necessarily. Some people believe in a deity who sparked the big bang and has done nothing more (a "hands-off" management style, if you will). Whether this merits praise/piousness, it's not my place to decide. But since nobody has the answer (and will probably never discover it), everyone's free to believe what they wish as long as it doesn't impose on others (a rare feat, I know).

FWIW, I am agnostic.