Atheist Margaret Downey complains about Christian music on American Airlines

Turn, Turn, Turn isn't a Byrds tune. It's a Pete Seeger tune that was covered by The Byrds. Considering how many indignities Mr. Seeger's had to deal with in his long life, let's at least acknowledge him when he pens a #1 pop tune.

I'd note that pop music with religious overtones is a bit different from worship music done in a pop style. But leaving that aside, I'd say American Airlines has the right to play what they want in their planes - first amendment and all that.

Ms. Downey has an equal right to tell American Airlines how she feels about what they play, though, too. And American also has the right to adjust what they play based on business (or any other) considerations. Apparently they came to different conclusions than Alaskan Airlines. But both carriers are fully within their rights.

Paul, I had that in there originally and took it out. I have no idea why; I think I just delete the info while rewriting the sentence. So thanks for reminding us!!

Joanne
host of the Gospel Soundcheck blog

I'm a good friend of Margaret Downey. I'm also a pilot for American Eagle, owned by the same company, AMR.

I hear holiday music during the holiday which includes Jewish music for Hanuka, Christmas music, and other secular holiday songs such as jingle bells. Most of this music is appropriate at that time of year.

I can't talk publicly about the policies in my airline because I'm not their public relations representative, but I can speak generically about most all airlines. Music is selected by management, not flight crew. The music is selected for various attributes like not causing undo anxiety. I.e, avoiding playing titles with "Crash And Burn" in them such as a song by Pat Travers. There are various reason to avoid playing certain songs or music. Religious music is just another genre that is avoided to keep from offending passengers, other flight crew, and employees of the airline.

The general rule is that flight crews are not given the chance to select music for the flight because the airlines will not waste money and time training flight crew what the most appropriate music is to play. Without this type of training, flight crews would have to use their best judgement. Since one person's best judgement can be another person's nightmare, especially when it comes to music, the decision as to what music is selected is left to management.

Another point of fact is that this music was playing over the PA system in flight. I've been flying for thirty years and I can say the number of times I heard music playing over the PA in flight on an airliner is once, and that was inadvertent. PA music is played during boarding and de-planing only. This is so not to force ANY music on those who do not want to listen to it. That goes for ANY music since the appreciation of music is completely subjective. When boarding music is played, it is usually the most generic elevator music one can find. Some airlines play current hits, but none of it is played over the PA in flight.

So when Margaret told me what she had heard, I knew that it was not appropriate. I won't point fingers here since I'm also flight crew. The airline knows who is at fault for this. Who's decision it was to select that music is not as important as ensuring that the policies of the airline are followed.

I would bet good money that the person who decided to play the music in flight would be the first one to complain if Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, or Atheistic music was played in the same manner. I would even go so far to say the the person who played this music over the PA in flight knew they were violating airline policy but did it anyway because they felt their personal religious beliefs trumped airline policy. They most likely felt that all too familiar holier-than thou feeling when one thinks their beliefs are the one true belief and everyone else is wrong. That would not be surprising, but that's just my personal speculation.

I'm an Atheist myself, but on my airplane all of my passengers belong to the same group: they are all customers. They all equally deserve the same level of respect and accommodation. All customers are made to feel equally welcome and no single group is singled out for special treatment with the exception of those who wish to pay for the extra service that comes with first class.

When one is trapped aboard an airliner for several hours one does not have the choice of not listening to the PA. A passenger can not change the station, select another channel, hide in the bathroom (there are speakers in there as well) or do very much in order to avoid hearing the PA. A passenger is, as Margaret says, a "Captive Audience."

As far as I know, this is an isolated incident. I don't think the person who was responsible for this should be fired or even disciplined over one incident unless they are repeat offenders. I do think that management should talk to this person to ensure they will not repeat this. That person should give assurance to management that they will not violate airline policy again. If they do violate airline policy again, well then they should be subject to disciplinary action as specified in airline policy for inappropriate and unprofessional conduct.

I have confidence the airline did just that. Several years ago an American Airline captain made a PA announce where he evoked Jesus Christ as their personal savior. I'm sure that person had to visit the chief pilot to explain himself. That incident did not reoccur after that.

American Airlines is a private company and can do what it wants. However, if American Airlines doesn't want to loose customers, they will ensure that all passengers are treated equally and no one group (religious or otherwise) is singled out for special treatment. EVERY passenger is a customer.

Or.... They can needlessly offend certain groups of people and loose business. With many airlines shuttering lately, I don't think they really want to do that.

Bart Meltzer

I don't care what the religion of the artist is, I'm offended if I'm forced to hear somebody preaching at me. When I'm on an airline I can't get away from the canned music - I'm basically a prisoner from when I get on the plane until I get off the plane - and if they play canned music that's preachy, I'll be very offended and not buy any more tickets on that airline. I am far more ready to scratch an airline off my list because of a problem than any other kind of business because I can't just stand up and walk away mid-flight if I don't like the service, I'm trapped with whatever is bothering me for hours.

I know that most of my favorite musicians are christian, but they don't use their music as an opportunity to preach at me.

It seems to me the easiest way one can tell if Christian music is "over the line" is to ask one's self this question. If this song was about someone else's god, would this offend me if played in a public place, particularly someplace I had to be."

If hearing a song that contains the phrase "Praise Allah" will offend you, you can be pretty sure you'll offend non-Christians with a song that contains "Praise Jesus".

As an active secular humanist/atheist, I have nothing against listening to christian music. However, it has to be at my choosing and NOT piped out into the public such a plane.

oh lady give it up. i have to country and rap all the time - combined i call it crap yet i don't complain. go crawl back into the intolerant hole from which you came.

I think, since Christians ARE only 1/3 of the world, that they should not impose their tunes onto a secular, captive audience. Besides offending those who find Christianity disturbing:
http://www.ebonmusings.org/atheism/atrocities.html, the business could run the risk of offending Jewish people, Hindus, etc..........................

Your article is so chockfull of strawman arguments, I don’t know where to start…it’s easy pickings..but…...............

I hesitate, because if you ARE one of those who believe in a cosmic jewish zombie, that can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force in your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree, well, I’m thinking intelligent, rational discourse would be lost on you

Ray, I used that example because of the constant discussion by readers of this blog about the song. It's one of the more popular topics over the last year or so. I'm neutral about the song. Katy Perry used to actually be an artist in the Christian music industry, believe it or not, and the song is catchy, even if it is a little edgy for me. I've heard Katy Perry explain the song, and if you get her - she's all about being quirky and making jokes - you get that she's not making some political statement. Just being Katy Perry.

Joanne
host of the Gospel Soundcheck blog

Ray - PS - I cover gay Christian music on this column. You might be interested in the post about Tonex:

http://blog.beliefnet.com/gospelsoundcheck/2009/09/gospelrb-artist-tonex-opens-up.html

Joanne
host of the Gospel Soundcheck blog

Heather, no. That's not the point at all. You're taking that one reference out of context. It's just one song I know that some Christians are offended by. Sigh. That kind of response makes it difficult to have a conversation, you know?

Really, I'm taking time to look at the issue from your perspective, if you take time to actually read the post and my comments. I agree that having worship music piped into the cabin would be offensive to atheists; my question is also, though, where the line is. What constitutes religious music? Is a song that sings about glory to God more offensive than say, Jesus Take The Wheel? Or are they in the same category? And if not, why?

I'm not arguing; I'm trying to understand your perspecive. I think it would be nice to have the same respect from you.

Joanne
host of the Gospel Soundcheck blog

Susan, so is Jesus Take The Wheel offensive the same way Shout To The Lord would be? How about The Byrd's To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn), which is essentially the Bible and yet is a strong oldies favorite? Kanye West's Jesus Walks?

Not arguing, just trying to understand where the line might be.

Joanne
host of the Gospel Soundcheck

"Heather, no. That's not the point at all. You're taking that one reference out of context. It's just one song I know that some Christians are offended by. Sigh. That kind of response makes it difficult to have a conversation, you know?"

Joanne,a Christian would only be offended by such a song if they were a bigot- the same was a racist would be offended by certain songs or genres of music. Being offended because you're a bigot is entirely different. Not to mention it is, in particular a human right's issue.. and while a person may be offended by equal rights, that's, bluntly, just too bad.

In answer to your question, yes, Jesus Take the Wheel is equally offensive. It's a religious song and is no different from typical praise music. I think songs in which the obvious topic of the song is religiously based should be left off public play lists.

Beth, great perspective. Thanks so much!!

Joanne
host of the Gospel Soundcheck blog

I have a hard time believing that so many people get so up tight about
this. We all know there are several genres of music to which we all have our own liking or not - But come on an average song last what?
3 minutes, you're going to tell me in that 3 minute period your going to let that song ruin your day? That's ridiculous to me. What do you do
when you go to the doctors office, grocery store, auto store, mall
and so on.. Obviously you can leave unlike an airplane - but you must
write a lot of complaint letters! Because there is music, everywhere
you go! All our freedoms are being taken away because there is always
someone or some group of some kind that get's offended, I'm so tired
of it - grow up, talk about something that really matters.
Music? what next? It's not that difficult, bring an ipod, plug in
some ear phones and listen to what you want, that would solve the
issue.

Madelyn Murray O'Hare did much the same thing back in her heyday.

I posted the above message, also.

I think the letter was completely appropriate to let American Airlines know that this made the last remaining minutes of the flight uncomfortable for her and her husband, as well as possibly offend or upset other passengers of differing faiths.
But I also would have done something before I wrote the letter so that I wouldn't have to ask in my letter who was responsible, I would have been able to tell them.

At the end of the flight as we are deplaning, the pilot is usually standing right at the cockpit door, along with the co-pilot and a steward or 2, and I would have made a point to ask who chose and played those 3 songs, instead of saying thank you/good-bye like everyone does.
Would it have held up the line of people to deplane? Well maybe for a minute, but deplaning always takes so long anyway, 1 more minute to ask to try to get an answer wouldn't have been so bad.
Or I would have deplaned and instead of rushing straight to baggage claim, I would have sent my flying partner there and I would have waited for the pilot to deplane and come down the hallway, and then ask him.
I would have wanted the name of the person responsible for choosing the music, and also for deciding to play it.
On every flight I have taken, usually with Jet Blue, Allegiance Air, or Delta, there has never been any type of music being played while boarding or deplaning, they always give out headphones so that passengers can choose their own music or watch the tv (in the case of Jet Blue with tvs in every seat).

I would have wanted to know the name of person who chose the music and decided to play it so that when I wrote my letter, I could include that information along with my flight information so that AA could specifically look up that flight and speak with the persons responsible for making the last 10-15 minutes of my flight uncomfortable.

Some asked if 1 song is ok or is 3 songs too many? Is there a number of songs that would have made it ok or worse?
Personally, even 1 song of this type would have upset me and made the last minutes of what was, a pleasant flight, now turn bad.
Instead of remembering a good flight, I would have been focused on that 1 song and how it made me feel, uncomfortable and wondering about the people on the plane of different faiths and how it made them feel.
I would have truly felt bad for the people of different faiths on the same flight.
People like all kinds of different music, no matter what type of music the airline played, it would have upset at the very least 1-5 passengers on any given flight, so this is why, in my opinion, that airlines should choose not to play any music at all at any time during any flight.
If they refrain from playing any music, then not a single passenger would have cause to be upset.

Airlines are in the business of transporting people in basically, captivity, we are a totally captive audience, we have no choice but to listen to anything that may be played or spoken at any time during our flight, so if an airline wants to keep all of it's passengers happy and continuing to choose to fly with them on all future flights, they should choose not to possibly offend even 1 single passenger, and choose not play anything at all.

This is of course, just my opinion, other people are obviously entitled to theirs and I've read them, but now that I know there is a possibility, even the very remote possibility, of American Airlines playing christian music during flights, even just the last 10-15 minutes of a flight, even just 1 single religious based song be it preachy or poppy like Jesus Take the Wheel, it has already made my decision of which airline to NOT fly with much easier.
I will not fly with American Airlines because of the possibility of christian music being played.

I really hope that whomever was responsible for the music was told that it was a bad idea and to refrain from doing it in the future, but I highly doubt the person responsible will stop.
Christians are supposed to share the word of their god with whoever they can whenever they can, they are supposed to share the message, so unless the person's job was on the line, they will probably, sadly, continue to do this on more flights in the future.

Am I being overly sensitive? Am I being intolerant?
No, I don't think so because this issue goes far beyond just me being upset or offended, this is about every single passenger on the flight with me and how they would be feeling about 1-3 songs of ANY religiously themed music being played.
I care about my fellow human beings, I care about their well being and their feelings, and it would upset me to know that someone, perhaps right in the next seat or behind me, was upset because of this type of thing.
In case it wasn't obvious, I am an atheist.

Kat, if you are making a decision to not fly on an airline because someone else heard 3 worship songs, then yes, you are intolerant and overly sensitive. Just like the reader who commended AA for playing worship songs and was going to write to congratulate them for playing Christian music and only fly AA.

Too often we make decisions based on other people's experiences instead of making our own decisions based on our own research. If for some reason American Airlines came back and said "Screw you, we'll play what we want," then sure, that would be a company policy that may not be customer-centric. But they seemed genuinely willing to address Ms. Downey's concerns.

Joanne
host of the Gospel Soundcheck blog