July 12, 2002
Sticking up for Alaska Airlines

As I was perusing the letters to the editor page of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, I came across a pair of letters that referenced the same July 5th column by Susan Paynter. The column is entitled "Praise the Lord, and pass the airsickness bag".

In this column, she grumbles about the prayer cards Alaska Airlines inserts in its in-flight food packages. Alaska has added little cards with a prayer or a spiritual verse for some time now (I cannot say precisely how long, but it has been at least six years). She got bent out of shape by one that had a few lines from the Old Testament—she doesn't specify which verse—and goes on to connect that with the pledge flap, and the playing of the national anthem at sports events. Then comes the bizarre portion:

But the separation of church and state and the non-separation of patriotism and sports are not nearly as interesting to ponder as the separation of church and business.

Oh, brother. That's a new one on me.

Of course, private business people have a right to plaster inspirational messages on the sides of their plumbing trucks. And consumers have a right to accept or reject the gesture as we see fit.
But the practice of thrusting a prayer card onto the food tray of an unsuspecting flier — one who may well be Hindu or Muslim — does not seem like an amen idea at a time when we ignore multicultural sensitivity at our own peril.

I have trouble taking this seriously. I mean, really, now. These little cards (and they *are* little) are hardly a clarion call to convert to Christianity (or Judaism). And of course, we must have a plug for the multicult.

How might a Christian flier feel if the next airline meal came with a quotation from the Quran?

My beliefs are more-or-less Christian (I refuse to go into specifics), but I seriously doubt that I would be offended by Koranic verses, nor would I have a problem with the book of Mormon, or Siddhartha. The Torah, of course, is part of the Christian Bible with which I grew up. For those who don't subscribe to a particular set of beliefs, the verse is nothing more than a quotation from a book.

Ms. Paynter had a follow-up column on Wednesday, in which she discusses the 48 e-mails and 22 phone messages she had received at that point on the Friday column. Unsurprisingly for Seattle, a majority of the messages were against the airline's policy. There were a few who took the columnist to task (she cites a few of the more insulting posts), and a few who share my views. The rest think that Alaska is out of line. One person, Kathleen in Woodinville, apparently bought into the "separation of church and business" stuff, as her response was:

People need to be more sensitive about Christianity being shoved down our throats these days, and more aware of not only the separation of church and state but the separation of church and business.

Another states that because she is buddhist, the cards violate her religious beliefs because they apparently compel to pay homage to a deity. Precisely how this occurs is not clearly explained.

People, the cards do not require everyone to raise their hands up and join in praising God; it's not a Pentacostal revival! It is an innocuous little card. If you don't want to read it, don't. If you don't agree with the sentiments, that is fine, too.

Alaska Airlines is going to continue their policy. Jack Evans, Alaska's Manager of External Communcations, contacted Ms. Paynter.

Evans says that the prayer cards are not slipped onto your flight tray to proselytize. They began as a "marketing idea" copied from Continental Airlines to "fancy up the meal service since many folks like to give thanks before a meal."
The cards are an "added feature of our service, much like added services available with other products people purchase," Evans explained.
If a customer doesn't like it, they can ignore it or fly another carrier, he said, adding, "We get far more (responses) from folks who do (like the prayers). (And), since the cost is minimal to print them, and since it would wreak far more havoc from those who like them if we were to remove them, the cards are here to stay."
posted on July 12, 2002 10:54 AM



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