"God is sparing us from danger": Passenger removed from flight for religious preaching

A Christian preacher from Florida was removed from an Alaska Airlines flight bound for San Diego after she stood up and began addressing passengers during a takeoff delay at Orlando International Airport. In recordings she later uploaded to social media, she described the incident as part of a "spiritual war."

Whitney Lynn, 40, documented her removal from the plane in a series of videos. In the clips, Lynn is seen standing in the aisle, speaking to passengers for nearly a minute:

"I know we are all waiting. It's quite frustrating, right? God's timing is perfect and God knows everything. And maybe He is sparing us from danger today. So I want you to rest and know that Jesus Christ loves you so much that He died on the cross for your sins."

When she finished her remarks and declared, "I am praying for the protection of this flight in the name of Jesus," the sound of the flight attendant call button was heard. Shortly thereafter, a crew member approached her, ordered her to collect her belongings, and leave the plane, explaining that "the flight crew does not feel safe with you."

Lynn expressed astonishment: "Oh my God. I didn't know that the message of Jesus Christ is not safe. Do I have guns on me? No. So freedom of speech is not safe?" While being escorted off the plane, she told other passengers: "We are being persecuted for being Christians." Later, she told her followers: "This is called spiritual war. Demons don't like the name of Jesus. These are the last days; you can't talk about Jesus anymore."

In an official statement, Alaska Airlines confirmed the crew was concerned about the passenger's behavior and its impact on others. The company added: "The passenger was asked to leave the plane for safety reasons. For the foreseeable future, the passenger will not be allowed to fly on the company's flights."

Lynn, who was traveling to California for a follower's funeral, said she has been banned from Alaska Airlines and its subsidiaries, Horizon Air and Hawaiian Airlines, pending an investigation. She intends to contact a lawyer and continue preaching on planes in the future.

The incident sparked sharp disagreement online. Some users supported her, while many critics argued that a commercial flight is not a pulpit. One flight attendant commented:

"Your intentions may have been good, but it is important to understand that not everyone shares the same beliefs, and people feel uncomfortable when addressed with religious messages in a confined space from which they cannot leave."

Lynn has previously defended her habit of preaching, stating she "loves a captive audience," though many religious figures have expressed reservations about her methods.