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"...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..."

Maybe we should just feed him to the lions. What a monster this pilot is! What nerve, "spouting off" about Christianity! Hanging is too good! This fanatic might someday carry a gun? Oh, the horror! Anyone who would ask if you're a Christian is obviously a madman! Funny, this is the kind of dialogue I'd expect to find on DU, not on FREE REPUBLIC.

"...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..." Maybe we should just feed him to the lions. What a monster this pilot is! What nerve, "spouting off" about Christianity!

The point isn't that he was spouting off about Christianity. The point is that he is alienating customers. The older gentleman over-reacted, sure. But he probably won't fly American Airlines again, nor will many people who hear this story. Right or wrong, the pilot's words are causing American Airlines to do damage control and may lose them revenue. This makes the pilot a liability to AA.

My thoughts have nothing to do with religion or anything else not having to with a pilot getting that airplane from point A to point B.

I had 10 years experience as a commercial airline pilot after retiring from the military. It's all about image. Pilots wear uniforms for a reason. And that reason is to present an image of professionalism. Of course above 10,000' with the cockpit door closed the pilots might be discussing any number of issues unrelated to flying. But, as far as the public is concerned, the flight deck crew is absolutely focused on the task at hand 100% of the time.

I always assumed there was a good number of "white knucklers" in the back and even tried not to use words like, "fog" or, "turbulence" etc.

Had I been the copilot on that American flight, I would have been on the phone to the Chief Pilot's office as soon as I got off the plane. I also would have watched the Captain very closely for the duration of the flight. This is not an issue of Religion or Free Speech. It's and issue of judgment.