Pilot in Hot Water for Allegedly Using Plane as Flying Pulpit

Talon News / GOP USA ^ | Feb. 10, 2004 | Jeremy Reynalds

[EggsAckley]

LOL!! I think you just shut them all up, finally! Spot on!

[PBRSTREETGANG]

What's your point?

It really wasn't that obscure.

WOULD YOU CONSIDER HEARING A MAN, JUST BACK FROM HIS HADJ ALL EXCITED ABOUT THE GLORIES OF ISLAM, TELLING ALL MUSLIMS ON THE PLANE TO RAISE THEIR HANDS AND THAT ALL NON-MUSLIMS WERE CRAZY TO BE A "REALLY NICE SURPRISE"?

[george wythe]

It seems that the Christian pilot did not call non-Christians 'crazy.' The 'crazy' people were the Christians who raised their hands, and he used the term facetiously.

The Advocate, a gay magazine, has a different take on this:

What Findiesen said, as best the stunned passengers could recall once they were able to move about the cabin and confer after Flight 34 took off, was this: "I just got back from a mission," Findiesen said after making a routine announcement about the plane being second in line for takeoff. "You know, they say about half of Americans are Christians. I'd just like the Christians on board to raise their hands."

In the suddenly hushed coach section of the airplane, a few nervous passengers raised one hand, most no higher than shoulder level, none above tops of the seats.

"I want everyone else on board to look around at how crazy these people are," the pilot continued, with an intonation suggesting he was using the word "crazy" in a positive, even admiring manner. Evidently addressing the non-Christian passengers, he concluded that they could "make good use of [the flight], or you can read your paper and watch the movie."

[codyjacksmom]

Since you don't accept someone else's right to have an opinion,then it's not worth the time. Yes it would be very funny to me. AND your irateness is also very funny to me.

[libravoter]

Spare me the self-serving Bible quotes. Just try and tell me with a straight face that the Bible says we should not try to spread the message of Christianity. I dare you

I won't say anything of the kind. But there is a huge difference between earnestly spreading the word of God and spouting off over a megaphone.

That said, here is my main objection to what the pilot did: if I do not obey the pilot when I am on the plane, I can be arrested for "interfering with a flight crew". The instructions of pilot and the flight attendents must be obeyed.

I have no problem with that as it is a matter of security; however, it obliges the flight crew to understand that mandate and not abuse it. Spreading Christianity to those who are required by law to listen and obey is not the message of Jesus.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Since you don't accept someone else's right to have an opinion,then it's not worth the time.

Huh? How do you draw that conclusion? Everyone has the right to an opinion. I found the venue somewhat appropriate.

Yes it would be very funny to me.

For some reason, I doubt that would be the case were you to really encounter the hypothetical situation presented.

AND your irateness is also very funny to me.

Huh? (again) I was answering in caps in a parody of your irateness.

[TheGunny]

No, its in appropriate to shout fire in a crowded theater (illegal too)

[codyjacksmom]

I laugh and you call that irate? Another good one! Yes, everyone DOES have a right to an opinion, but you seem to have a need to shove yours down everyone else's throat. If the hypothetical situation presented itself to me, you have no idea how I would react but you have no problem judging what I would do by your probable response. Why do you keep saying huh? I am speaking plain English. Heres a little help for you...... See Jack run.

[Theo]

"Crazy" was a word the pilot used to describe the *Christians* on board, not the non-Christians:

"... passengers remember the word "crazy" having been playfully applied to the Christians on board" (from http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1075414/posts )

[Oztrich Boy]

Maybe you're just troubled that it was Christian in nature because you've forgotten that God wants Christians to share the good word. If this had been a muslim, I would have been very shocked about it, because we're at war with muslims.

Remove the blinkers from your eyes.
This was obviously a trial run by al-Qaida so see just how far they can go. On the actual hi-jack it's be "All Jews raise their hands"

[Oztrich Boy]

This may come as a shock: Not everyone is religious or believes in God/Gods/whatever

What? Are you crazy?

[Oztrich Boy]

Yes to the first, no to the second. Like I said in 2 other posts, since we are at war with islamics, I would not like it at all from muslims

Oceania is at war with EastAsia. Oceania has always been at war with EastAsia

[Oztrich Boy]

Someone comments that you'd be crazy not to be a Christian, so you'd get "nasty or confrontational?"

Funny how that works.

and jim35, you have a stupid god.

[Oztrich Boy]

Tim Wagner, an American Airlines spokesman, said yesterday the pilot had not meant to imply that non-Christians were crazy but was referring to "the people who had stuck up their hands at the risk of embarrassing themselves".

It seems that the Christian pilot did not call non-Christians 'crazy.' The 'crazy' people were the Christians who raised their hands, and he used the term facetiously.

And Janet Jackson's "clothing reveal" was never intended to go as far as it did.

Then all I've got to say
God didn't make little green apples
And it don't rain in Indianapolis in the summertime
And there's no such thing as Doctor Seuss
Or Disneyland, and Mother Goose, no nursery rhyme

[PBRSTREETGANG]

I am speaking plain English.

You obviously can't understand it then. As you have misinterpretted some very basic things I have said and have added others from your own imagination, while failing to address a very basic point. Sorry you're so easily confused. Good luck to you.

[leadpenny]

Craig Crawford had a good line on the Imus program this morning:

"It's not a very good argument for arming the pilots."

I forget which program it was on from last night, Norvill or Scarborough?, where they interviewed a couple of the passengers. An older gentleman said that he had confronted the Captain as he left the plane and told him he would do everything in his power to see that he was never in command of an airplane again.

[codyjacksmom]

Oh wow, what an intelligent, original and thoughtful response, NOT. Please try again.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

You're unhinged. If you delivered a thoughtful response you might receive one in return.

Good day.

[P.O.E.]

All religious speech is not forbidden. The Reverend Martin Luther King seems to be rather venerated. Is there a double standard here somewhere?

[codyjacksmom]

Thanks for the joke of the day!lol

"Good day"

And to you also.