Uproar Over Pilot's In-Flight Religion Comments

foxnews.com/AP ^ | 2/8/2004

[Born Conservative]

NEW YORK

[gdani]

I would have responded by raising my hand.

(Although it would have had a single finger extended........)

[sirshackleton]

If a "free beer" clause was included with such instruction, I would've been all over it.

[Born Conservative]

There is an appropriate time and appropriate place for this discussion; unfortunately, this wasn't it.

[george wythe]

Related threads

Pilot suggested passengers discuss Christianity during LA-to-New York flight 2/7/04 547 comments

Airline pilot asked Christians to share their faith with other passengers2/8/2004 47 comments

[OpusatFR]

Good Grief. For once I agree with you. (But I wouldn't have been that rude)

[gdani]

There is an appropriate time and appropriate place for this discussion; unfortunately, this wasn't it.

Agreed.

[MineralMan]

Fascinating. Now, suppose the pilot were a Buddhist or a Hindu (we have lots of both here in the USA). I wonder if reaction would be different.

I'm an atheist, and I didn't come by my atheism by being ignorant of Christian teachings. I don't need or want to be proselytized while travelling on an airliner, where I am a captive audience.

This pilot should confine his preaching to some venue where people are not required to be.

Now, I don't think he should get fired or anything, but I'll bet this never happens again. American Airlines has lots and lots of passengers who are not Christians. I doubt they would like to lose their business.

[sinkspur]

Pilot Rodger Findiesen of Annapolis, Md., then invited others to talk with these passengers about their religious beliefs during the 4 1/2-hour cross-country flight on Friday, spokesman Tim Wagner said.

Findiesen had recently visited a Christian mission in Costa Rica, Wagner said.

"I guess he was moved by the experience and wanted to share his emotions," he said......

Findiesen declined to comment Saturday. "I can't speak to you," he said. "My wife is here, and she's very upset."

This is from an article in yesterday's Fort Worth Star Telegram.

[Stone Mountain]

Is that the only article in which the pilot is identified?

[sinkspur]

The only one I've read. It's from the LA Times, which is why I only posted the link. The Star-Telegram just picked it up.

[HairOfTheDog]

Here we go again!

[Born Conservative]

Thanks for posting the related threads. Whenever I post, I do a search on the specific title of the article that I'm posting (different news outlets use different headlines/titles for the same story).

[Doctor Stochastic]

It could have been worse. The pilot could have asked them to pray the the wings stayed on.

[mel]

I know I would have been thinking what does the pilot know that we don't know.

[swarthyguy]

Wonder how many raised their hands?

At least it wasn't a jihadi pilot.

Everyone convert or this plane goes down!

[Modernman]

I know I would have been thinking what does the pilot know that we don't know.

"Uhh... This is the captain speaking. If anyone on board has not made peace with their maker, right about now would be a real good time to do so. Thanks."

[MineralMan]

When I fly, I generally use the time to study some subject by reading a book. I'm always annoyed if I get seated next to an over-talkative passenger, since that time is useful to me.

It doesn't really matter what the other passenger wants to discuss. I'm not interested. I have stuff to do. Generally, just telling them that I'd prefer to continue with my reading lets me get back to my book.

Not always, though, and I remember one specific time when the person sitting next to me decided to "witness" to me about Christianity. I told the person that I was busy and that I preferred to study than to discuss religion.

Didn't work. The individual continued to interrupt me with his "good news." I repeated my request to be left alone. That led to this "christian" telling me all about what I would face if I didn't "follow Jesus." I asked once more to be left alone to study.

Still didn't work. The individual got more and more persistent and more and more annoying and personal with his description of the nature of his "hell."

After about an hour, I finally grew terminally annoyed at his constant interruptions and very, very quietly said:

"In the name of Satan, I curse you and your household."

Very quietly. Now, I'm an atheist and don't believe in any Satan any more than I believe in any other deities.

Sure shut the guy up, though. He turned white and never said another word for the rest of the flight. I got my studying done just fine.

Rude of me? Sure, and I probably shouldn't have done that. But, I could find no other method of shutting this rude individual up.

[Down South P.E.]

There is an appropriate time and appropriate place for this discussion; unfortunately, this wasn't it.

No reply necessary or desired to this post; but just for informational purposes to the nonchristians posting in this thread: For a christian the appropriate time and appropriate place is any time and any place the Lord directs them to witness for Him.

Also were I flying on the plane it would give me comfort to know that the pilot's beliefs were those that involve loving the breath of life the Lord gives them each day and beliefs that aspire to save the lives of others not destroy themselves and as many as they can take with them.

As for this man's witness I thank the Lord for it. All he did was deliver the message - no guns to anyone's heads. Listening, acceptance or rejection is all up to the person hearing it.

[sinkspur]

For a christian the appropriate time and appropriate place is any time and any place the Lord directs them to witness for Him.

If the Lord is "telling" you when to bear witness, rather than trust your own good judgement, you have a bigger problem than people not wanting to listen to you.

"To every thing there is a season." To "witness" to people in a closed, confined environment is the height of rudeness.

And, as we know from St. Paul, love is kind, not rude.