this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2026
588 points (98.8% liked)

News

38585 readers
1969 users here now

Welcome to the News community!

Rules:

1. Be civil


Attack the argument, not the person. No racism/sexism/bigotry. Good faith argumentation only. This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban. Do not respond to rule-breaking content; report it and move on.


2. All posts should contain a source (url) that is as reliable and unbiased as possible and must only contain one link.


Obvious biased sources will be removed at the mods’ discretion. Supporting links can be added in comments or posted separately but not to the post body. Sources may be checked for reliability using Wikipedia, MBFC, AdFontes, GroundNews, etc.


3. No bots, spam or self-promotion.


Only approved bots, which follow the guidelines for bots set by the instance, are allowed.


4. Post titles should be the same as the article used as source. Clickbait titles may be removed.


Posts which titles don’t match the source may be removed. If the site changed their headline, we may ask you to update the post title. Clickbait titles use hyperbolic language and do not accurately describe the article content. When necessary, post titles may be edited, clearly marked with [brackets], but may never be used to editorialize or comment on the content.


5. Only recent news is allowed.


Posts must be news from the most recent 30 days.


6. All posts must be news articles.


No opinion pieces, Listicles, editorials, videos, blogs, press releases, or celebrity gossip will be allowed. All posts will be judged on a case-by-case basis. Mods may use discretion to pre-approve videos or press releases from highly credible sources that provide unique, newsworthy content not available or possible in another format.


7. No duplicate posts.


If an article has already been posted, it will be removed. Different articles reporting on the same subject are permitted. If the post that matches your post is very old, we refer you to rule 5.


8. Misinformation is prohibited.


Misinformation / propaganda is strictly prohibited. Any comment or post containing or linking to misinformation will be removed. If you feel that your post has been removed in error, credible sources must be provided.


9. No link shorteners or news aggregators.


All posts must link to original article sources. You may include archival links in the post description. News aggregators such as Yahoo, Google, Hacker News, etc. should be avoided in favor of the original source link. Newswire services such as AP, Reuters, or AFP, are frequently republished and may be shared from other credible sources.


10. Don't copy entire article in your post body


For copyright reasons, you are not allowed to copy an entire article into your post body. This is an instance wide rule, that is strictly enforced in this community.

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
 

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.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Aeao@lemmy.world 2 points 16 hours ago

I got kicked off a flight for being too drunk. People would rather my drunk ass in a plane than this shirt. Atleast I was quite

[–] MrsDoyle@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

"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 men. ... 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." Matthew 6:5-6

[–] IzzyScissor@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

I love going to these 'public worship services' with this verse on a protest sign. When people ask me which verse it is, I tell them that it's better to look it up themselves because I don't want to distort Jesus' message, and they should really hear it directly from him.

Haha, I made you look up how your god insulted you.

[–] Routhinator@startrek.website 28 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I am that autistic person who would be quite happy to yell shutup over and over until she got the point.

[–] isleepinahammock@lemmy.blahaj.zone 13 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I would start accusing her of all sorts of horrible things.

"Nobody is this aggressively preachy unless they're trying to deflect from something!"

"What are you trying to hide!"

"Let's get the cops to look at your hard drive!"

"I wonder if you're in the Epstein files!"

Normally I don't casually accuse people of pedophilia. But frankly, among this obnoxious of a Christian, the odds really aren't that bad.

[–] odelik@lemmy.today 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I'd do the same thing to a plane preacher as I do to street preachers (which are quite common at large events in my city).

Get up in their face, throw some devil horns, and start shouting, " Haiiiiiiiiil Satan! Come on my brethren, haaaaaaaail Satan!"

If they continue, I repeat. Every fucking time some other randos start shouting hail Satan too and the preacher eventually moves on.

Gonna trap me with your insane shit? Well, by all means then, you get to deal with my bottled up insane shit.

[–] anarchy79@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

I would 100% join in on that chant.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] stopforgettingit@lemmy.world 24 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I am 1000% sure if this was a Muslim preaching they would find a way to stop it.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] botbot@feddit.org 12 points 2 days ago

You thought crying babies on a plane were annoying? They can’t control themselves. This grown-ass woman decided the one thing everyone needed to hear on a plane was her annoying voice preaching a message most people wouldn’t want to hear off the plane

I'd prefer a crying baby

[–] KingPorkChop@lemmy.ca 87 points 3 days ago (2 children)

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.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 16 points 3 days ago

Classic case of "Fascism? Sorry, nothing we can do."

[–] hansolo@lemmy.today 21 points 3 days ago

"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?

[–] kreskin@lemmy.world 57 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

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.

[–] Monument@piefed.world 154 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

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.

[–] Assassassin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 74 points 3 days ago

Shout out to the last two sentences for bringing us all back down to earth 😂.

You forgot to mention that everyone clapped though

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] _lilith@lemmy.world 15 points 2 days ago (1 children)

someone put the radical religious fundamentalists endangering others on a plane on the no fly list and charged them with federal crimes right?

[–] stumu415@lemmy.zip 14 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Thank fuck I don't live in the US.

Just keep your head on a swivel because if there's one thing US does better than anyone else it's export dogshit culture.

[–] Radical_Socialist_t00t@lemmy.ca 47 points 3 days ago

Yet they treat the guy with "bombing kids isn't self-defense" shirt like a terrorist but let this bullshit literally fly

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 75 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

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.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world 136 points 3 days ago (6 children)

I wonder what would happen if a Muslim tried to do this

[–] flandish@lemmy.world 84 points 3 days ago

four country idiots will yell “let’s roll” and pretend they are heroes. then get invited to the white house for mcdonalds.

[–] ZombieCyborgFromOuterSpace@piefed.ca 38 points 3 days ago (1 children)

They'd land the plane at the closest airport, bring in the swat team and arrest them violently.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (4 replies)
[–] nullspace@lemmy.world 112 points 3 days ago (11 children)

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.

load more comments (11 replies)
[–] tigermountain@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I would definitely have words with someone trying this shit.

[–] NikkiDimes@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

I don't think I'd be able to help myself. Like, wtf is wrong with you? Preaching to a bunch of stressed out people stuck in a tuna can is just fucked.

[–] architect@thelemmy.club 79 points 3 days ago (3 children)

No. Someone is getting removed from that plane. I am not paying for that. These airlines need to grow some fucking balls already.

[–] DanceMomsSavedMe@lemmy.zip 39 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

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

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] nulluser@lemmy.world 88 points 3 days ago (3 children)

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.

[–] mushroommunk@lemmy.today 93 points 3 days ago (1 children)

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

[–] Nunar@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

It's absolutely this. It makes it easy to play the victim which they love doing.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 38 points 3 days ago (7 children)

Women are allowed to preach now? Don't they read their book?

load more comments (7 replies)
[–] Mwa@thelemmy.club 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Why not do this in church?

[–] Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Because nobody goes to church anymore lmao

[–] matlag@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Nah! Too many loud christians there!

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Laser@feddit.org 62 points 3 days ago (4 children)

preaching doesn’t necessarily cross a line

It doesn't matter. A steward can ask you to return to your seat and be quiet and doesn't have to give a single reason. And if you don't comply they can have the plane land immediately to get you removed just because you didn't follow their orders. And when asked, they can just say that the passenger's behavior was distracting them from their safety related duty

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] nednobbins@lemmy.zip 36 points 3 days ago (8 children)

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.

[–] LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.world 21 points 3 days ago

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

load more comments (7 replies)
[–] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 days ago

I would probably respond to every line he says with something like "Lucifer accepts your praise" "The darklord knows that you keep him in your heart" "Each prayer strengthens your beloved Satan, he casts a boon to all his worshippers. What do you ask of him? " ad infinitum...

[–] BeardedBlaze@lemmy.world 37 points 3 days ago (1 children)

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.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] turtlesareneat@piefed.ca 45 points 3 days ago (2 children)

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.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca 25 points 3 days ago (3 children)

if an airline allowed this to happen, I would never fly with that airline again. I bought a ticket for a respectful flight, if they can't provide that...

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] mcv@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 days ago

Look, I am a Christian, and I don't want this either. Don't do this, okay? It's a shitty thing to do, and I'm pretty sure there's a commandment against that.

[–] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 37 points 3 days ago (1 children)

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.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 29 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Outside of the Sentinelese, everyone on the planet has heard of Jesus Fucking Christ. If anyone wanted to convert already then they would have by now. These performative assholes need to shut the fuck up already and leave people in peace.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] jtrek@startrek.website 33 points 3 days ago (1 children)

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.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 31 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Can you imagine if a Muslim did this?

load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›