I’m Back, Did You Miss Me? Appropriateness of Singing I am a Child of God

[Rain]

It's not death I fear, but the method of death.

Then I also fear severe injury because plane crashes don't always mean death. 

When I broke my tibia and fibula, was laying on the x-ray table without pain meds and they were moving me this way, I broke out in song, singing "A Child's Prayer." It wasn't something I even thought about. Just a natural reaction. As I was singing I realized this was different than any other time I had sung before.  This was a prayer. It would not surprise me at all if that is what happened with people on the plane.  

Edited April 14, 2017 by Rain

[bluebell]

50 minutes ago, Meadowchik said:

A gag reflex tends to be an involuntary response. What I understood is a description of a feeling, not any voluntary reaction. It just is.

But if someone's exercise of their beliefs makes you involuntarily gag simply because you disagree with them, that says some not great things about you as a person, doesn't it?

I mean, I can only imagine what nonbelievers or ex Mormons would say if a Mormon posted that hearing others' non-religious or nonmormon coping skills during a scary situation made them gag. 

I doesn't seem to speak well for the person doing the gagging, even if it's involuntary. 

(Not to mention, what would need to be wrong with a person for merely hearing a declaration of faith to make them literally gag?  That doesn't seem like a normal or healthy way to react to someone expressing a belief different than their's.)

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Johnnie Cake said:

While being a non-believer I must admit that it did kind of trigger my gag reflex…for the believers it did seem to calm them down.

I hope this was an attempt at humor, either way, it just worries me. One common thread that runs through the lives of atheists is the near physical pain that they suffer from simple acts of faith in other people; why? 

[The Nehor]

5 hours ago, Johnnie Cake said:

While there were no religious surveys taken either before or after the flight…and speaking only from my biased anecdotal take on the event, believers fear death just like everyone else…and speaking only for myself…seemed to fear it more than this secular non believer who recognized that no power from earth or heaven was going to tide the events as they played out.  That with or without a God…that plane was either going to land safely or succumb to the powers of nature and crash and that there was not a single thing any of us could have done to alter that course. The events would play out just like anyone of the millions and billions of random events play out in the lives of human beings in any given day…just as they always do.

So in a situation where people were genuinely scared they sang a song to comfort themselves and others. You, using your psychic powers, realized you were less scared. You then took this golden opportunity to take the time to think how much better you were then them.

And the moral of this story is supposed to be that people like you are better? I think that is a radical interpretation of the situation.

[carbon dioxide]

I don't have a fear of death.  I have a great fear in the getting dead.  Some people are blessed to live good long lives and die in their sleep.  Others suffer horribly by disease.  I want the former.  The latter does scare me.  I also do have a fear of dying before my family is ready.  I don't want my sons to go without a father until they are out of the house so they can live on their own and my wife can survive without me.  So yes I don't want to die today.  I still have much to do and I don't want to go to the other side leaving my family before they are ready.

Edited April 14, 2017 by carbon dioxide

[Robert F. Smith]

5 hours ago, Johnnie Cake said:

...........................

...................................... That with or without a God…that plane was either going to land safely or succumb to the powers of nature and crash and that there was not a single thing any of us could have done to alter that course. The events would play out just like anyone of the millions and billions of random events play out in the lives of human beings in any given day…just as they always do.

Actually, the events you describe are not random, and it is no coincidence that flying these days is so safe.  The technology has simply advanced to such a degree that plane crashes are relatively rare now.

The wind was rather severe yesterday hereabouts and that probably accounts for the turbulence you experienced.  The fear experienced on board is understandable, but passengers are more likely to be injured by police and security forcibly removing them from a plane than from a crash.

[Johnnie Cake]

2 hours ago, bluebell said:

That's fine, but why would someone exercises their differing beliefs make you gag?

Isn't that a little extreme and intolerant?

I'm sure it says more about me then them. I respect the screaming, tears, crying and panic but when she burst into song I thought (this isn't what I thought but I'll put in words appropriate for MD&D) "good grief really". All I wanted to do was die in peace but no even this was going to be taken away from me by the freaking mormons on board 

[Ahab]

20 minutes ago, Johnnie Cake said:

I'm sure it says more about me then them. I respect the screaming, tears, crying and panic but when she burst into song I thought (this isn't what I thought but I'll put in words appropriate for MD&D) "good grief really". All I wanted to do was die in peace but no even this was going to be taken away from me by the freaking mormons on board 

At which point you should have laughed (to yourself if not out loud) rather than gag or think profane thoughts.

Clearly you had no real sense of humor about your predicament.

 

Edited April 15, 2017 by Ahab

[Hamba Tuhan]

14 minutes ago, Johnnie Cake said:

I'm sure it says more about me then them. I respect the screaming, tears, crying and panic but when she burst into song I thought (this isn't what I thought but I'll put in words appropriate for MD&D) "good grief really". All I wanted to do was die in peace but no even this was going to be taken away from me by the freaking mormons on board 

So you find others' 'screaming, tears, crying and panic' personally more peaceful that when they calmly sing a religious song. I think that does say something.

Edited April 15, 2017 by Hamba Tuhan

[BlueDreams]

2 hours ago, Tacenda said:

He could have used a better expression than that, but I would probably react the same way, with that song. Because not everyone has parents that the song portrays. But I give the missionaries credit for trying, they probably didn't have time to deliberate on what song to come up with.

I don't, but I still like that song. It reminded me who was I was first a child to.  I don't think of it in terms of my parents here on earth much. There's other songs that are more difficult to swallow on that note. 

I don't know if I would have started singing because I get easily embarrassed with impromptu singing in public, period...no matter what it is being sung. But I've also never been in that situation. So I may have joined in. Who knows.

 

With luv,

BD 

[JulieM]

1 hour ago, Ahab said:

At which point you should have laughed (to yourself if not out loud) rather than gag or think profane thoughts.

I don't think any one of us should be telling another how they should have reacted in a terrifying situation like this. Some broke out in singing a song that comforted them, others (including Johnnie Cake) may have gagged at hearing this type of reaction. He's only being honest here and I'm not sure there's any right or wrong way to react under the stress they were all experiencing.   

Edited April 15, 2017 by JulieM

[juliann]

7 hours ago, Johnnie Cake said:

 

While being a non-believer I must admit that it did kind of trigger my gag reflex…for the believers it did seem to calm them down.

 

That sounds a little hateful, actually. I'm trying to figure out what would be gag inducing in seeing others find some peace. 

I had a harrowing landing a few years ago at SLC. They made us circle for about 15 minutes while we bounced around, I was bracing myself against the seat in front of me. I had a window seat, and my wing suddenly tipped down as we were low over the runway. Fortunately we were still high enough that it didn't touch the runway and the plane leveled out before touch down. I'm betting wind shear. 

[juliann]

1 hour ago, carbon dioxide said:

I don't have a fear of death.  I have a great fear in the getting dead.  Some people are blessed to live good long lives and die in their sleep.  Others suffer horribly by disease.  I want the former.  The latter does scare me.  I also do have a fear of dying before my family is ready.  I don't want my sons to go without a father until they are out of the house so they can live on their own and my wife can survive without me.  So yes I don't want to die today.  I still have much to do and I don't want to go to the other side leaving my family before they are ready.

Woody Allen: I'm not afraid of dying, I just don't want to be there when it happens.

[The Nehor]

2 hours ago, Johnnie Cake said:

I'm sure it says more about me then them. I respect the screaming, tears, crying and panic but when she burst into song I thought (this isn't what I thought but I'll put in words appropriate for MD&D) "good grief really". All I wanted to do was die in peace but no even this was going to be taken away from me by the freaking mormons on board 

If interacting with Mormons is this distressing.....why did you come back?

[rodheadlee]

Yeah I darn near cut my right thumb off last week with a table saw, I was singing all kinds of songs. I made out pretty good i still have full movement of the thumb.

Edited April 15, 2017 by rodheadlee

[Tacenda]

28 minutes ago, rodheadlee said:

Yeah I darn near cut my right thumb of last week with a table saw, I was singing all kinds of songs. I made out pretty good i still have full movement o the thumb.

[Calm]

5 hours ago, BlueDreams said:

I usually save my gag reflex for things like blow-out diapers, skunk smell, bullying people, and other nauctious things. You know, things that are gag worthy. Not childhood religious songs. Or any people's earnest moments of prayer or faith, whether of my religion or not. 

 

Something's wrong IMHO if I start acting that reactively to something that innocuous.

 

With luv,

BD 

 

Listening to people scream in total panic vs. listening to people regain their sense of control by participating in something familiar associated with a sense of peace and love.

Sounds horrific...the singing, not the plane.

JC, Would you have gagged if it had been "Imagine" by John Lennon?

[Ahab]

2 hours ago, JulieM said:

I don't think any one of us should be telling another how they should have reacted in a terrifying situation like this. Some broke out in singing a song that comforted them, others (including Johnnie Cake) may have gagged at hearing this type of reaction. He's only being honest here and I'm not sure there's any right or wrong way to react under the stress they were all experiencing.   

I'll evaluate your statement some more for correctness and let you know if I agree.

[Calm]

2 hours ago, JulieM said:

I don't think any one of us should be telling another how they should have reacted in a terrifying situation like this..... I'm not sure there's any right or wrong way to react under the stress they were all experiencing.   

It is the postreaction reaction of his post here that has me wondering.

Edited April 15, 2017 by Calm

[Gillebre]

Such an awful experience...the way religious people in your situation tried to bring comfort to themselves and others in the worst situations really disgusts me too. Why can't they keep it to themselves? A terribly frightening ordeal is no time for religion, people. The worst part about this whole thing is that these people who found comfort are going to move on from that experience with a likely renewed belief or faith, and that's just too bad.

 

 

I was feeling sarcastic.. 

[SamIam]

9 hours ago, Johnnie Cake said:

…as a clam over took those who had only moments before failed to confront their fears.
 

The turbulence would have been absolutely no issue with me as I quite enjoy a turbulent flight ...and the singing not even a moments lost sleep over such an innocuous thing...BUT THE CLAM ... THE CLAM Taking people over ... that would have been freaking terrifying...

Edited April 15, 2017 by SamIam

[juliann]

19 minutes ago, SamIam said:

The turbulence would have been absolutely no issue with me as I quite enjoy a turbulent flight ...and the singing not even a moments lost sleep over such an innocuous thing...BUT THE CLAM ... THE CLAM Taking people over ... that would have been freaking terrifying...

Now I understand the gagging.  

[JulieM]

39 minutes ago, Calm said:

It is the postreaction reaction of his post here that has me wondering.

I agree that this is an interesting discussion.  I've tried to put myself in JC's position.  I've been scared on planes before but haven't experienced anything like what he described in his OP.  I'm so shy that I know I'd just have stayed silent but would have been terrified.  I can only imagine that hearing someone start to sing that song right then would have been touching and comforting for me as it's one of my favorites.  However, I understand if others feel or react differently to it.

Edited April 15, 2017 by JulieM

[RevTestament]

4 hours ago, Johnnie Cake said:

I'm sure it says more about me then them. I respect the screaming, tears, crying and panic but when she burst into song I thought (this isn't what I thought but I'll put in words appropriate for MD&D) "good grief really". All I wanted to do was die in peace but no even this was going to be taken away from me by the freaking mormons on board 

Good grief, Charlie Brown. Gag reflex? Really? Thanks for your unfaithful, non-testimony. I can see why the time has come that the Lord will have to pull out all the stops.

[The Nehor]

On top of that did you consider that the faith and prayers of those people may have been the only thing stopping this?