zurbec

It is helpful because many people don't want them and should know in advance and have an option to opt out. It is helpful for travel managers at state and local agencies to know this so they can demand that public employees not be handed bible quotes by companies providing contracted services to government agencies.

Droneklax

AS is not a government airline, therefore they can do what they want as far as promoting religious values with a ham sandwich is concerned.

I am also free to tell them that it rubs me the wrong way, and that I won't fly they airline until and unless they either yank the bible cards off the menu or provide me with their Buddhist, Zoroastrian, Hindu or whatever equivalent.

I bet you if enough people write, the cards will be gone soon. The bible won't stand in the way fo the bottom line.

Don't hold your breath, this nation is essentially christian so here's the end of that story.

I flew them once, saw the cards, wrote the letter, never flew them since. They don't miss me, and I don't miss them.


BoxSoFan45: the question of the 9/11 funds is EXCELLENT. If they have, there is an argument for asking them to remove the cards. I don't want my tax dollars promoting religious claptrap.

[This message has been edited by Droneklax (edited 09-04-2003).]

opus17

I've been on a few flights where, once the passenger took one bite of the meal, they yelled "Jesus Christ!".

HigherFlyer

Did you actually read my post? I said I am *NOT* offended. I did not say the airline was trying to *MAKE* me beleive anything. Since you obviously work for AS, I will point out for you that I said the cards are less offensive than beer commercials and McDonalds, as you obviously are too defensive to realize it on your own. Don't bother responding to posts unless you learn to read first. This is the kind of blindness that gives faith a bad name.

chexfan

Bon Jovi told me that I give love a bad name.

For BoSoxFan and Droneklax, view the Press Release for th ALK Q2 Report. It doesn't mention 9/11 funds but it is subtitled, "Government Aid a Huge Help":
dunno if that helps any...

JS

OK, let me see if I can get this straight. The word "unconstitutional" hasn't appeared yet, but I get your drift.

Some of you people are claiming that Alaska's prayer cards are unconstitutional because Alaska Airlines carries around government employees and receives government subsidies.

I guess that means I should send back the $1200 check I just got from the U.S. Treasury to "subsidize" my Christian children for this year, who are being raised in my Christian home.

I suppose I should also quit my job, since I do have some contracts with government agencies, some of which are public schools!


I find it difficult to believe you people are serious about this. Does the Left hate religion so much that they don't want religion to be practiced anywhere, despite the fact that the First Amendment to our Constitution prohibits the federal government from restricting religion?

Wake up! The First Amendment prohibits Congress from establishing a religion so that people will have the freedom to practice any religion they want. If Congress were to establish a religion, you wouldn't be allowed to practice a different religion. That would not be freedom of religion, would it?

Saying that it's OK to practice religion as long as government is not involved in any way (like traveling government employees) is just absurd. These stupid arguments are leading us to towards freedom from religion.

Everyone and every business in the USA has some kind of connection to government. The First Amendment was written to strike down laws such as requiring you to attend church.

I am glad Alaska Airlines hands out prayer cards, and I'm sorry to read that anyone is offended by them. I would also be sorry if Alaska Airlines were to remove them due to complaints from their customers. But for crying out loud, leave the Constitution out of this! The poor document has been trashed enough as it is. Don't make it worse!

You can practice whatever religion you want or none at all, but don't you dare try to stifle someone else's speech.

------------------
"Where's my money?" -- Pizza the Hutt

cattle

And how does your statement help you witness to others as a Christian?

[This message has been edited by cattle (edited 09-04-2003).]

TransWorldOne

Thank you for putting this into the proper perspective. I can't believe so many people are offended by it, including a couple people who actually fly the airline a great deal.

Xyzzy

Please do!

sxf24

On my flight yesterday, the breakfast tray was accompanied by a card with a brief Psalm and a recipe for salmon.

I'm offended Alaska promotes the killing and cooking of innocent fish! If I were a vegitarian, I'd be sure to never fly them again.

missydarlin

Perhaps you'd do well to pick up some reading glasses yourself. I said I didn"t understand why DAN was offended. According to your own quote you were insulted "the airline thinks I'll beleive in anything that comes with the catering". If the airline isn't trying to *make* you believe anything, then where's the insult? What is it that the airline *thinks* you'll believe that you find so insulting?

As for the blind faith nonsense, I don't subscribe to any particular religion, but I respect the ones that I'm aware of, and there are so many other things in the world to get upset about that I just can't fathom being bothered by a 2"x3" piece of paper that comes with my meal, be it judeo-christian, hindu, buddhist, the moonies, or whoever.


p.s. Chexy Bon Jovi is a dang liar...you could NEVER give love a bad name!

[This message has been edited by missydarlin (edited 09-04-2003).]

civicmon

Sadly enough...welcome to the Bleeding Heart, reducing levels of free speech in the name of "offending someone" country we have today.

My opinion- Don't like them, don't read them. I see lots of crap that I don't approve of on a daily basis and I just let it pass. It's a fact of life that a majority of people in this country belong to a christian-based belief system...if someone wants to drop a card on a tray, then so be it. It's not like you're forced to hear a sermon over the intercom.

Punki

Good Granny's Goose. What a hubbub over nothing.

I have been an MVP Gold for as long as I can remember and have never seen a card that wasn't a Psalm--way Pre-Jesus for those of you with no religious education. Who came up with the Jesus Card phrase. That is just way wrong.

We almost all struggle for the "truth" and for "God" and meaning at some point in our lives and what the heck difference does it make what we call him/her. The truth is that "God" is so far beyond our understanding that it is not possible for any of us to get God right. I have always thought that purgatory was really that moment in time when we finally look into the face of God and understand how wrong we had it during our time on earth.

So we call him/her this or that or something else--does it matter??? The only thing that I can imagine would matter is that we seek the truth with a pure heart.

I am a convert to the Roman Catholic faith and the most wonderful thing I can remember reading in my training books (catechism) was this:

"Never become proud of your religion, and always remember that there are those who serve the Lord, far better than you, who have never heard his name."

WOW!! This is so true.

I can guarantee you that if that plane starts going down, we will all be holding hands with our seat mate and praying to somebody or something that we make it out alive.

HigherFlyer

I am witnessing right now. There is a HUGE difference between witnessing and advertising. What AS does is clearly advertising, not witnessing. In order for it to be witnessing, the airline would have to have a personal experience to testify. They don't. All they do is try to make Christians feel good about their airline by offering random bible quotes. Clearly this is advertising, not witnessing, as it has no personal element. I can testify right now that the Lord doesn't need AS to annoy people in His name. AS doesn't have landing clearance at Heaven's airport just because they quote psalms. Personally I am annoyed because their so called faith is so obviously insincere.

HigherFlyer

Not true. I have been on a plane that was going down fast, and I was glad that I had already done my praying. I was able to think about what I might have to do to survive, instead of where I might go if I didn't. Prayer is far more effective if not left for the last minute. If you are righteous, God will already know. If you are busy with your own prayer, you will be distracted from doing the Lord's work of trying to save lives.