Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.
-Proverbs 21:23
A video has gone viral of a Christian musical performance on an EasyJet flight (a pathetic display of skill and of courtesy, I might add). But while the performers should have known better, it seems they not only obtained permission from the captain, but the captain even introduced them prior to their performance. Our primary scorn should fall on EasyJet, not the musicians.
EasyJet Shares Blame For Onboard Musical Performance
One of the worst things on a plane, as far as I am concerned, is when passengers selfishly disturb others in the cabin by making noise. Most often, this comes when passengers play their device loudly. Sometimes, the volume is turned up so loudly that you can hear music blaring, even through headphones. More often, it is a kid playing game and the inconsiderate parents not providing headphones.
Once in a while, there are musical performances onboard, which spring up when musicians or groups of musicians are traveling. I encountered this once on a United Airlines flight, where a passenger was allowed to sing Schubert’s Ave Maria.
On a recent EasyJet flight, a group of young people serenaded the entire flight with a guitar and a contemporary Christian tune.
Imagine you get on a plane and you have to listen to this pic.twitter.com/RpY8d7RK4Y
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) April 16, 2022
The man on the guitar is a Singaporean named Jonathan Neo. On his Instagram page, he claimed they sang in six languages on the flight (meaning it must have gone on for awhile), received permission from the captain to sing, and the captain even introduced them over the PA system.
That really throws this whole situation into a different context, doesn’t it?
Sure, the musical performers, no matter how sincere their religious beliefs, should have been courteous from the outset and not subjected anyone to their music. But they apparently asked first and EasyJet gave the them permission to perform.
CONCLUSION
These folks were well-intentioned and apparently received permission to sing before starting their performance. For that reason, EasyJet should share far more blame than the kids who sang. Even so, planes should be a sanctuary of solitude and with very rare exception, I find musical performances totally inappropriate for a captive audience.
I know he’s very excited to be a Christian and spread the gospel, but there is a very strong lack of courtesy. I mean, imagine if it were people who worshipped Satan and wanted to sing tunes? I don’t think it would fly. Would Musliim people be able to do this on an El Al flight or vice versa?
I don’t think I’d be allowed to sing “Hava Nagila” on an El Al flight! 🙂
Would EasyJet allow a group of punk rockers to pull out some instruments and sing a selection of Sex Pistol songs on the anniversary of Sid Vicious death? What about members of a Satanic Church?
Cringe
Thanks for your opinion. Not everyone shares your perspective. Be blessed.
So you too are inconsiderate.
No surprise Matthew is continuing to spread hateful anti-religious rhetoric on his blog.
I’m guessing you’d be real tolerant in a group of Muslims spontaneously leading the cabin in prayer to Allah.
As long as it doesn’t precede an act of terror.
Haven’t you ever flown a middle eastern airline? What a foolish comment.
Yes, loads. Never heard them pray on the flight. Especially not as in your face as they did here.
There are literally calls to prayer and pre-flight prayers in the IFE and cabin monitors.
James, are you tolerant of all religions being pushed on others in a confined space, or just yours?
Matthew actually often shares some of his religious beliefs and approach to faith, quite openly. Even though I am not at all a religious person, I respect it because (1) It is his space, and (2) He also does it respectfully.
So to say that Matthew spews anti-religious rhetoric on his blog is just factually incorrect.
The problem is that these people don’t understand that just because you love Jesus, it doesn’t mean you have a responsibility or a right to subject random strangers on a plane to songs celebrating him.
Actually, Christian’s believe they have a responsibility to spread that Good News. Doesn’t necessarily mean songs on a plane, but does mean something in the life of every true Believer.
And non-believers have a right to tell them, “Not interested” and that should be the end of it. Shake the dust off your feet on their doorstep or whatever and keep moving. I’m done being polite to these irritating proselytizers.
Allowing a bunch of religious freaks to spew their cult songs on a public plane and during a PANDEMIC is the height of arrogant, dangerous and callous stupidity. Aside from the obnoxious, forced preachifying, these fanatic plague dogs increased the risk of spreading a killer virus to others. Blood on their idiot hands.
Pandemic is over, Joe.
There are still variants popping up. This was an extremely irresponsible and unwanted act by this caterwauling bible banger.
If you think the pandemic is over, you’re more delusional than I thought. People are still dying, pal.
Regardless of the message, or the intentions of the performers, taking control of a shared space that nobody can escape in order to impose your religious beliefs is selfish. Christian author C.S. Lewis referred to it as “the tyranny of the well-meaning.”
Hate? Where is the hate?
Anti-religious rhetoric? Where?
I’m a believer but there is a time and a place for everything.
Wow, this is actually an interesting topic. Upon reading Matthew’s headline, I wasn’t sure if he was being anti-religion or what. But with all things considered here, this shouldn’t have happened. It’s not IFE if you can’t shut it off. Yes, I’m sure that the singing group feels so strongly about their faith that they simply feel obliged to share it. Doesn’t make them bad, though it can make them an annoyance for some. But the Captain encouraging this? Should not have happened. Look at the video: sure, you had passengers there who seemed to be enjoying it. But many others were cringing and uncomfortable. And that’s the issue here, they purchased a ticket to travel from A to B, not one to attend a CCM festival. I’d feel absolutely the same way if there was an imam doing the call to prayer on the flight. On second thought, given things that have happened in the past, let’s not go there. Either way, we don’t need to have a service on a commercial flight.
Speaking for myself: I can’t imagine any singing group or singer that I’d want to have doing this for a captive audience at 30,000 feet. Well, not one who doesn’t have their own jet anyway.
@James, I cind your comment laughable. I don’t know Matthew, but I feel like he is one of the more religious bloggers around based on reading various posts here and there. You would be very upset if someone started singing songs praising Obama and Clinton. So it has nothing to do with religion. It’s just plain plane manners.
I would prefer to have peace and quiet on a flight and realize that no one will ever be saved by singing hymns on an airplane but it’s important to state a fact: people who sing hymns or gospel songs are not sinning but those who commit adultery, don’t save themselves for marriage, support government coercion (taxation/speech laws/drug laws/bankrupting bakers for not baking a cake/forced vaccination, or are drunkards are.
In the 1990s flying used to be fun from NYC to Cancun as flight attendants would be on the PA system and conduct some games with passengers. I’m talking about AA.
Most people aren’t real Christians and a lot of Europeans don’t even falsely claim to be Christians but Europe is based on Christian traditions and Christianity has been centered on White Europeans since its inception. A couple of hymns don’t hurt anyone. I wish people who don’t believe in God stopped saying “God” this and “God” that.
Jackson, I agree with you. It’s a shame how many call themselves Christians over here. It’s like they haven’t even read Matthew 7:22.
Probably the only time in my life I agree with Ilhan Omar. Taking out religious music being involved, no one should be playing music on a flight. Did they survey every customer ?
As for Matt being anti religious with his take, are you serious? Not even close to this being about religion.
Is this a good time to point out that Jesus was Jewish and Judaism does not allow proselytizing? As such, if these people really believed in Jesus, they’d sit down and shut up.
Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19)
That doesn’t justify subjecting people to unwanted proselytization on a plane, but Jesus redefined Judaism.
The Jews killed Jesus, Steve, so you can stop with the appeal to the Judaism.
Actually it was the Romans who killed Jesus. Jesus was Jewish dude.
Romans carried out the execution at the behest of the High Priest, Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin. You will recall that Pilate, the Roman governor, washed his hands of the matter. Nice try.
It sounds like their ultimate destination was the Przemyśl train station to, for some reason, play music at fleeing refugees. I feel bad for young “missionaries” like these. I think their heart is in the right place, but they’re just too naïve to understand the implications of their actions.
I think they THINK their heart is in the right place, but it is not.
On his ig, he actually said “we worshipped in 6 languages”, which gives a rather different spin from just singing in 6 languages.
PS What was the reaction to the Schubert Ave Maria on that United flight?
The captain of this flight should be suspended immediately for aiding and abetting the violation of the Constitutional rights of every single person on board that aircraft. At 38K feet there was no place for anyone to go and any confrontation with the proselytizer most probably would’ve resulted in a form of violence. Neither the captain nor the “activist” had the “right” to tromp on the civil rights of anyone else. Lucky for each person on the flight no one chose to shut down the “performance.” I hope both the airline and the captain get sued up the ass.
Constitutional rights for an EasyJet European flight ? Good luck with that !
As for proselytization, what’s your take on the HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of airports passenger who for years had to endure CNN broadcasts in airport terminals ?
Latest survey says majority of canadians think Catholicism, evangelical christianity and Islam are the worst religions and at odds with progressive western values.
Canadians are smart. Americans need to learn from their smart neighbors.
Are any of those religions worse than wokeism? Wokeism gave us the Bolsheviks, the Cultural Revolution, the Khmer Rouge, etc. Need I go on? Canuckistanis will show themselves not to be complete idiots when they give Justin “I don’t know how many times I’ve worn blackface” Turdeau-Castro the boot.
Random gawande is nowhere near as amusing as Joe Chivas or even Debit (who stopped being funny a long time ago).
So why do must migrants wish they could live in the US, rather than in Canada ?
There’s a joke by François-Xavier Demaison on this subject in France, about French people migrating to Quebec: “Quebec is for those who’d love to be Americans, but can’t speak English”.
While I don’t approve of this performance, I wonder what the “airlines/social media companies are private” folx who used that status to justify those companies’ imposition of mask mandates and biased moderation have to say about a private company allowing religious speech on board.
Matthew, I can tell from your callous indifference to this bold act of worship that you don’t really care about spreading the Gospel. Sure, Jesus ate with tax collectors and prostitutes (much like you sitting in first class), but he also called them to turn from their sins. Can’t have one without the other. I pray the Spirit actually enters your life and manifests itself in your actions.
Ugh. How rude!! The flight is stressful enough without this asshat’s toneless caterwauling. He should have been restrained and gagged, then put off the plane as soon as the plane could land. He should also be heavily fined and put on a no fly list. The passengers should also be refunded by the airline.