There’s now, apparently, an epidemic of Christians who get on planes and begin preaching when they know they finally have a captive audience. Evangelist Whitney Lynn, one of the more notorious culprits of this, even said as much in a recent TikTok post: “I just love a captive audience.”
The fact that the sermons are unwanted doesn’t bother the evangelists at all because, for once, they have an audience that can’t walk away. And the hope that strangers might convert outweighs any concern that they’ll conclude Christians are lunatics.
There’s unfortunately very little airline staff can do to stop this. While there are rules regarding passengers who are disobedient or belligerent, preaching doesn’t necessarily cross a line. Flight attendants can politely ask them to stop, but I have yet to see any examples of plane preachers getting kicked off flights because they wouldn’t shut up.
Which means we’re just stuck with the possibility Christians may hijack a flight with their voices.
How is this not being belligerent? What if this was a MAGAt doing this (probably already is)?
If anything, this seems like a quick way for a fellow passenger to get annoyed and punch out the disruptive preacher. If this happened on a plane I was on, I’d clap for the person who decked the preacher. It really says something about how this “religion” is dying off if thos is a tactic they’re resorting to.
*Edit: if I were the flight crew, I’d start by asking the passenger to sit down. If they didn’t I’d warn the passenger with something like:
Ma’am, you are continuing to be being a disruption despite being told you knock it off. You can either sit down and be quiet, or you will be sat down and quieted. Please take your seat.
Then if they still insited, I’d either have an air marshall “take care of them” them, or I would.
So here’s how this played out in front of my bathroom mirror this morning:
Someone starts yapping about their god or whatever.
I loudly say “No thank you. Please stop.” while ensuring I have caught the eye of the nearest flight attendant.
I give them about 30 seconds to take their bows and sit the fuck down.
If they don’t, I move to the center aisle, stand up, loudly announce that they are creating a disturbance on the plane. I tell them for deeply personal reasons, the topic they are discussing is upsetting and unsettling to me, and if they continue, I will consider their continuation belligerence. I look directly at the flight attendant and tell them that it is their job to prevent passenger belligerence.
If I’m feeling charitable, I’ll mention that freedom of religion is also freedom from religion and that I’m about to freak the fuck out if they don’t shut up the wannabe preacher. And if they don’t, well, then nobody gets to be heard over the sounds of me screaming the account of my then 12-year-old childhood friend being molested by a youth preacher while I watched in the back of a church van.So says the hero in the bathroom mirror that is devoid of consequence. We all know on this side of the mirror, I would be banned from flying and the idiot TikToker would get a gofundme.
Shout out to the last two sentences for bringing us all back down to earth 😂.
You forgot to mention that everyone clapped though
We all know this story is real to at least one person out there, at least the church molesting part
I wonder what would happen if a Muslim tried to do this
four country idiots will yell “let’s roll” and pretend they are heroes. then get invited to the white house for mcdonalds.
They’d land the plane at the closest airport, bring in the swat team and arrest them violently.
arrest them violently.
Only if they’re lucky
Yeah, if some brown dude gets up on an airplane and starts shouting out prayers to Allah, he’d be attacked immediately. I see no reason to respond differently just because it’s a white woman and Jesus.
I’m pretty sure duct tape would be involved.
don’t have to go that far. just them praying quitely to god by themselves would get the plane an Air Force 1 lvl escort.
Air Marshal would rise up and put several shoots at center mass.
This is a reminder to loudly play Disney music from your phone before you commit a felony so you at least aren’t generating content for them.
It’s why I’m always ready to sing, A Whole New World. You would be amazed that statistically there’s always someone willing to sing out the Princesses half of the song lol.
Maybe Metallica. Lars Ulrich will go crazy.
The Beatles would work too. Family Guy even did a bit on how expensive it is to licence a song.
really good idea to start blasting music. Uh, maybe not Disney, though.
The DOOM soundtrack would be more appropriate, but Disney music stops them from being able to monetize it.
Ooooohhhhh, understood. Maybe an audiobook of The Lord of the Rings? 😂 or… What about that sweet South Asia version of Whole New World? Would that work?
No, you want Disney specifically because you want their high-powered attack-dog lawyers to work in your favor.
Oooh, maybe Nintendo music would work as well!
now youre getting it! i dont know how litigious they are about their music, but if you can slap a mario cap on the preacher or something, we’re golden
Nine Inch Nails would be perfect.
I WANNA FUCK YOU LIKE AN ANIMAL!!!
And the hope that strangers might convert outweighs any concern that they’ll conclude Christians are lunatics.
Who the fuck do they think is going to convert by being forcibly subjected to that? On the contrary. I would imagine that they’re more likely to cause other Christians to have second thoughts.
Most evangelism isn’t actually to convert people. It’s to other them to the one evangelizing. The evangelists return to their group moaning about how no one will listen and they bond over their good deed of trying to spread “truth” with the rest in their circle and it makes them feel even more like they’re a part of a group.
It’s all performative cult behavior
It’s absolutely this. It makes it easy to play the victim which they love doing.
Forcibly subjected got us to where we are today. It works.
It’s less about converting others and more about imposing their religion on to others to assert power
There’s unfortunately very little airline staff can do to stop this. While there are rules regarding passengers who are disobedient or belligerent, preaching doesn’t necessarily cross a line. Flight attendants can politely ask them to stop, but I have yet to see any examples of plane preachers getting kicked off flights because they wouldn’t shut up.
100% if someone got up preaching Islam or Satan, they’d get kicked off and put on the no fly list.
“My fellow passengers, let’s all say a brief prayer to the elemental force of air, which gives us lift.”
Far more relevant than a shepherd from ancient Judea. WTF does a sheep boy know about airplanes?
Classic case of “Fascism? Sorry, nothing we can do.”
No. Someone is getting removed from that plane. I am not paying for that. These airlines need to grow some fucking balls already.
United will pull a doctor out while he’s screaming and passing out but they just can’t seem to anything about a blonde woman yelling about Jesus
I know it wasn’t united in this article but still
If it’s southwest they are probably paying these sociopaths on their speed run to being one of the most hated corps in ameirca
I wasn’t even aware they still existed.
theres nothing they can do cause shes white and christian.
Get a muslim imam up there and I bet you they divert the airplane and have a tactical squad ready at the gate.
They diverted some AA flight a couple of months ago because some guy’s phone alarm went off in his checked bag lmao.
Was that the guy who had the alarm set for prayer?
I think so yeah, afaik it was never confirmed but that’s what some outlets reported.
Airlines can put them on the no fly list and the problem is solved.
Also from google “the FAA enforces a strict zero-tolerance policy and can propose civil penalties exceeding $40,000 per violation for unruly behavior or refusing to obey crew instructions”
Airlines which choose not to do this are complicit with the obnoxious preachers.
Stand up and recite Matthew 6:5.
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
This shit never works, don’t bother
It’s the bible, so I’m sure it’s contradicted multiple times.
Yet they treat the guy with “bombing kids isn’t self-defense” shirt like a terrorist but let this bullshit literally fly
Heckle them loudly. If talking loudly isn’t a bootable offense, making fun of the preacher and their lack of ability to entertain or hold an audience without force is a good starting point. Undercut their message by showing the lack of charity in their actions and what a good person would do: be respectful of others.
Just start loudly playing music over your phone speaker and encourage those around you to do the same
I’m generally very respectful towards people’s religions but I would heckle the shit out of these bastards.
If the airlines can’t stop an evangelist from preaching, they can’t stop me from blaspheming.
Heckling obnoxious evangelists was one of my fave things to do in college. I’d always ask questions that they couldn’t really answer and they’d always be like “it’s part of God’s plan” and I would ask them how they know God’s plan and they’d get even more upset.
If you’re gonna shove your beliefs down my throat, don’t get uppity when I asks question lmao
You start with “everyone’s entitled to their beliefs,” they harm you per their beliefs, and then you want to draw a line? Too late, you already gave them the blank check.
Christianity deserves pushback, not respect. It is a death cult. They don’t respect you, they think you belong to their god. They will be happy when you die, pretending you are rewarded in heaven or punished in hell. There is no such thing as a christ, we are not born with sin, we do not require divine salvation (which comes at the price of complete subjugation).
Can we stop letting them kill us? People should be held accountable for their choices, including the choice to accept and repeat baseless claims. As a species, we need to mature out of superstition before it kills us.
You start with “everyone’s entitled to their beliefs,” they harm you per their beliefs, and then you want to draw a line? Too late, you already gave them the blank check.
The freedom to believe something ≠ the freedom to do whatever you like based on that belief.
But they believe they should do those things. Beliefs drive our actions. We should correct them every chance we get.
You: “Believe what you want.” Them: “OK, I believe my god wants to me to preach to you.” You: “Stop that.” Them: “No, my god demands it.”
Now what?
And if they believe their (utterly unproven) god wants them to restrict healthcare? Wants them to avoid vaccines? Commit genocide, take slaves, fly planes into buildings?
Innocent people are dying for the selfish beliefs of others.
I don’t disagree with your point, i am saying my belief is that they others are free to believe but not free to do whatever they want. There are laws for the things we can do and not do. We have the right (in the free world) to think what we want, in parts of the free world we are free to love who we want. Believe is something internal, like a thought or an opinion. I am not saying you should not use your freedom to persuade these people into having better beliefs, please go for it. But imo restricting what people are allowed to believe is as wrong as restricting someone from having certain opinions. But them having the freedom to have these believes does not mean we should just do nothing and sit idle. Please note that i am making a clear distinction between the freedom inside oneself (opinions, thoughts, beliefs) and acting on them. You are not and should not be allowed to do or say anything based on those internal things. If i believe my neighbour is an asshole, i am not and should not suddenly allowed to insult him.
Innocent people are dying for the selfish beliefs of others.
Unfortunately, yes. I agree on the problem.
i am saying my belief is that they others are free to believe but not free to do whatever they want.
I don’t see the difference. They believe they are obligated to do those things, so they do those things.
There are laws for the things we can do and not do. We have the right (in the free world) to think what we want
Nobody can stop anybody from thinking their thoughts. My point is we should oppose false beliefs before they turn into harmful actions.
Please note that i am making a clear distinction between the freedom inside oneself (opinions, thoughts, beliefs) and acting on them.
What is the difference? They believe that’s how they should act, so that’s how they act.
If i believe my neighbour is an asshole, i am not and should not suddenly allowed to insult him.
Constructive criticism can change behaviors for the better, if everyone is listening to reason. Your neighbor shouldn’t be an asshole, that hurts everybody.
Unfortunately, yes. I agree on the problem.
Thank you. It is why I am a “militant” antitheist. I think that compromising with delusion gets innocent people killed needlessly.
I don’t see the difference.
Hence my comment. I dont think you want to see the difference. As long you act through legal action, I encourage you to follow your antitheist goals. Giving constructive criticism instead of insult to an asshole neighbour for example. The good people should, imo, take the high road as much as possible.
Yeah, “shut up and sit down” would be my vociferous response. Assholes.
I’m no believer but I think these people should hear the words of the Bible.
Matthew 6:4-6
4so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 5And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 6But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.…
They always counter with “that’s just prayer, not spreading the word” and point at Matthew 28:19-20
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age
Almost as if the entire Bible is a contradictory amalgamation of patriarchical bullshit.
I believe it is garbage but this is pretty logically consistent.
Prayer is prayer and should be done in private. Spreading Christianity is different and should be done everywhere.
They are two separate things.
Now is it all made up bull crap? Yes. Contradictions everywhere? Yes. But this isn’t one of them
I would bet my next paycheck that this person included (annoyingly boisterous) prayer in their “spreading of the word.” They always do and it’s disingenuous to pretend they don’t. You’re being far too charitable to people who do not deserve it.
And we all know that pointing out a Christian’s hypocrisy is all it takes to get them to change their views.
One time on the NYC subway someone started preaching. Then a middle aged business man started counter-yelling about evolution and natural science. Then a third person started yelling that they all need to shut up.
It was kind of funny to watch, but also a 20 minute train ride with multiple stops is much lower stakes than a flight.
This happened all the time on the New York Subway when I lived there 20+ years ago. But there you were usually only 2-5 minutes away from the next station and you had the ability to go to a different car, so most people just ignored them. You’re not going to find many commercial flights that are less than an hour gate to gate, though, and frequently many hours in duration.
Apparently Whitney needs a reminder:
1 Timothy 2:11-12
Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.
I like Matthew 6:5
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
