[farmer18th]

There's any number of subjects that aren't appropriate to do this with. Think about it. What if the pilot had asked "Pro-Life People" to identify themselves? Homosexuals. Atheists. Republicans. It's just not nice, it's not appropriate and he had no business doing it.

Not so sure I buy that. In fact, I think it's one of the reasons we all resort to Free Republic to discuss politics, religion, and the things that matter. Our public discourse is so sterile and inoffensive, the only ones who grab the the mic are the Michael Moore types. Three cheers for the pilot. Saving people from hell is a public and a private service. Glad he had the guts to use his pulpit.

[Prodigal Son]

Glad he had the guts to use his pulpit.

It's not his pulpit though. That's the whole problem.

Saving people from hell is a public and a private service.

Saving people from whatever hell you believe in is a personal matter- not a service I need provided to me. If I'm paying you to drive that plane, you need to be quiet about your own religious fetishes and tell me what the airspeed is and when we'll be arriving at our destination. If I decide I need spiritual guidance when I get where I'm going I can pick up the yellow pages and look for the local mosque/church/temple/pub.