Singaporean Receives Flak For Singing Christian Worship Songs During Flight
Imagine sitting back and enjoying your flight… only to be subjected to an impromptu karaoke session. Not a typical airplane experience, is it?
This was what greeted passengers on an easyJet flight when a man took it upon himself to spread joy through worship songs in the middle of the journey.
Imagine you get on a plane and you have to listen to this pic.twitter.com/RpY8d7RK4Y
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) April 16, 2022
Despite his good intentions, reactions to his behaviour have been mixed.
Many criticised him for being inconsiderate to other travellers, while others believe that his behaviour was harmless.
Singaporean man sang worship songs during flight
In a 20-second clip posted to Twitter on 16 Apr, a man is seen singing worship songs in the middle of a flight.
Source: Twitter
The man, who has since been identified as Singaporean Jonathan Neo, strums his guitar as he heartily belts out a Christian worship song in the centre of the aisle.
Other passengers are also shown singing along with him.
Source: Twitter
However, not everyone was as enthusiastic — the camera pans to a few folks who look decidedly less thrilled about the free show.
Source: Twitter
The video itself contains the caption, “Worshipping Jesus 30,000 feet in the air!” However, the OP of the short clip does not seem to share the same cheerful sentiment.
Instead, he wrote, “Imagine you get on a plane and you have to listen to this.”
The tweet has since gone viral with over 30 million views and was cross-posted to other platforms like TikTok, with Neo’s actions sparking intense debates about playing worship songs during flights.
Criticised for singing worship songs
Neo may have simply intended to uplift his fellow passengers, but he earned a very different response than what he expected.
Many criticised his actions, claiming that it was inconsiderate and disruptive.
Source: TikTok
One TikToker quipped that she would demand to get her money back if she were on that plane. Another pointed out that, religious or not, it wasn’t appropriate for Neo to “disrupt the flight” like that.
Source: TikTok
Others argued that flying is already nerve-wracking enough, so Neo did not need to make it worse for the other passengers.
Source: TikTok
This commenter even had a cheeky suggestion for an alternative song to counter the one Neo was singing.
Source: TikTok
Furthermore, one TikTok user went as far as to doxx Neo, posting his social media accounts in his video.
However, there are those who do not find Neo’s behaviour aggravating. A few users stated that he should be allowed to sing his songs if he so desires to.
Source: TikTok
Some also deemed the hostile reactions to Neo’s behaviour excessive.
Source: TikTok
One said that while it may have been inappropriate, calling what Neo did “scary” would be going too far.
Neo’s social media accounts have been deleted
It looks like the reactions eventually became too much for Neo to bear. According to AsiaOne, most of his social media accounts have been deleted.
They also reported that Neo did obtain permission from the easyJet flight crew to perform during the journey.
MS News has tried to reach out to Neo, but all attempts have been unsuccessful thus far.
Source: Twitter
Prior to the incident, Neo was spotted conducting a similar performance with his band for Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
In an interview with Christian media site Thir.st, he said this is something he does often.
Most days… I grab a guitar and head to the train station to lead a team of evangelists, worshippers, translators and people who love healing.
Should Neo have performed during the flight?
Both sides of the argument regarding Neo’s form of ‘in-flight entertainment’ have equal merit.
On one hand, his performance did inconvenience other passengers. After all, not everyone is willing to listen to live songs – religious or not – in the middle of an exhausting journey by air.
On the other, Neo definitely had good intentions — he merely set out to share his faith with others, perhaps to encourage them during these difficult times.
What do you think about Neo’s behaviour? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
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Featured image adapted from Twitter.
