How long before this story gets passed around?

Gastric ReFlux · 6th August 2004, 12:57 PM

For that matter, does anyone know if this is true, or is it just something that a Christian writer fabricated for a compelling piece of drama?

From Where was God on September 11th?

To quote the relevant portion to my question:

Quote:

The day before the terrorist outrage an American Airlines passenger noticed a stewardess breaking up ice with a wine bottle. Concerned that she might hurt herself, he asked if there was some other way of doing this. The stewardess was impressed that he should be so concerned, and after they had talked together she gladly accepted a Christian tract from him. Later in the flight she told him it was the sixth tract of this kind that she had been given recently, and asked,

What does God want from me?

The man replied,

Your life!

He then explained her need to get right with God through trusting Christ. Less than twenty-fours later she was on the first plane to crash into the World Trade Centre.

I'm curious if anyone else has come across this, and if there is any sliver of truth to it. Thanks.

Skeptical Greg · 6th August 2004, 01:32 PM

All I can say is that it was mighty nice of God to give her a chance to get right with him before killing her...

Too bad, she didn't catch a bad cold and decide to stay home..

Eleatic Stranger · 6th August 2004, 01:36 PM

It's also too bad she didn't hurt herself breaking up ice with a wine bottle and have to stay home...

6th August 2004, 01:47 PM

No proper names.

Not for the tract giver, who would have 'witnessed' this miracle for the story, since this is a day before the UL, who presumably must have traced the (also unnamed) flight attendant to the other flight, a day later.

We don't get details about where the plane was going, what flight number, etc. either. Presumably, after a full workday, the flight attendant received at least 12 hours of crew rest.

I'm certain that given all these concerns, someone could probably find some flight attendant to assign this story to, but no way to connect the story to her.

If you're someone who routinely busts up ice with a bottle (first class?), is she more likely to be 'touched' by a Christians concern you'll hurt yourself, or simply be polite?

Of course, 'gladly accepted a Christian tract' sounds fishy, too.

It is possible some fundy saw a girl with 'Barbara' on her name tag, saw a 'Barbara' on the list and simply assumed they were one and the same.

It's also more than a little possible the story is pure B.S.

Gastric ReFlux · 6th August 2004, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Eleatic Stranger
It's also too bad she didn't hurt herself breaking up ice with a wine bottle and have to stay home...

Isn't this where someone says, "Well God works in mysterious ways."? So in this case I guess God planned on using her story and condemnation to Hell as a way to really get the point across.

Ladewig · 6th August 2004, 02:09 PM

Wait a minute. Are you suggesting that Christians would lie in order to spread the Gospel of Jesus?!?

I wonder if it was a Chick tract?

Gastric ReFlux · 6th August 2004, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ladewig
Wait a minute. Are you suggesting that Christians would lie in order to spread the Gospel of Jesus?!?

I wonder if it was a Chick tract?

Hmm, I doubt that. A Chick tract is irresistible, she would have instantly been born again, and gone to Heaven happily the next day, although she might have been disappointed by missing out on the chance to wax on rapturously about the Rapture, along with preparing Rapture Packages for friends and families left behind to battle Satan.

TragicMonkey · 6th August 2004, 02:22 PM

So how about all the people who get given tracts and preached at who don't get killed the next day?

Gastric ReFlux · 6th August 2004, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TragicMonkey
So how about all the people who get given tracts and preached at who don't get killed the next day?

Obviously, that proves that God isn't out to make everyone suffer in order to get them to "get right with God." That gets chalked up in the God is all-loving category.

TragicMonkey · 6th August 2004, 03:35 PM

Well, at least this story is perfectly sane compared to the "I saw the devil's face in the smoke from the WTC!" and the "angels caught on tape flying around the falling towers!" stories, both of which I heard from my coworkers this week. It's sickening that people want to exploit tragedy to make their stories more compelling.

Dancing David · 6th August 2004, 05:07 PM

I would assume that Sylvia Browne must have contacted the dead stweardess to get the message.

Ladewig · 6th August 2004, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TragicMonkey
Well, at least this story is perfectly sane compared to the "I saw the devil's face in the smoke from the WTC!" and the "angels caught on tape flying around the falling towers!" stories, both of which I heard from my coworkers this week. It's sickening that people want to exploit tragedy to make their stories more compelling.

I can understand the devil story. The enormity of this tragedy is so great that many people could not accept it. The angel story confuses me. No one who jumped from the towers lived. What is the purpose of saying that angels watched people fall to their deaths? It all seems rather heartless to me.

Paul C. Anagnostopoulos · 6th August 2004, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Eleatic Stranger said:
It's also too bad she didn't hurt herself breaking up ice with a wine bottle and have to stay home...

Hey, yeah! Why did that passenger butt his nose in in the first place? I bet he was the Devil.

~~ Paul

Gulliamo · 7th August 2004, 11:05 PM

Are there any depths to which these people will not sink?! They are already the "majority shareholders" in the "death industry". Now they feel the need to exploit every last tragedy! Is nothing sacred?! As a 9/11 survivor I find this absolutely appalling!

I wish for this person a swift clown shoe to the groin.

kedo1981 · 8th August 2004, 06:09 AM

I have it on very good authority that on Sept 10th 2001, Muslims all over the US were in fact, handing out Islamic religious pamphlets written by the great and famous Muslim tract writer Al-Chick-el-Sadur and they said???????????????

Anders · 8th August 2004, 06:35 AM

Can ANYBODY say "Urban Legend"?

C'mon, its so obvious!

Gastric ReFlux · 9th August 2004, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Anders
Can ANYBODY say "Urban Legend"?

C'mon, its so obvious!

Well it's a potential Urban Legend. I performed a Google search for keywords in the story, and the site I linked in the initial post is the only one with the story, so far as I can tell.

Other than that lack of general communicative transmission, it certainly has the potential. Unverifiable, with that lurking message of "Hey, you could die tomorrow, you might want to believe in God, let me tell you about this stewardess..."

It's got potential. Totally fictional, but that's never stopped other fictions from becoming best-sellers.

phildonnia · 9th August 2004, 10:51 AM

You may find some help (and a lot of snarky comments) from this forum:

Glurge Gallery

Gastric ReFlux · 9th August 2004, 10:58 AM

Over at Rapture Ready they would probably love this story.

6th August 2004, 12:57 PM	#1
Gastric ReFlux Critical Thinker Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 257	How long before this story gets passed around? For that matter, does anyone know if this is true, or is it just something that a Christian writer fabricated for a compelling piece of drama? From Where was God on September 11th? To quote the relevant portion to my question: Quote: The day before the terrorist outrage an American Airlines passenger noticed a stewardess breaking up ice with a wine bottle. Concerned that she might hurt herself, he asked if there was some other way of doing this. The stewardess was impressed that he should be so concerned, and after they had talked together she gladly accepted a Christian tract from him. Later in the flight she told him it was the sixth tract of this kind that she had been given recently, and asked, What does God want from me? The man replied, Your life! He then explained her need to get right with God through trusting Christ. Less than twenty-fours later she was on the first plane to crash into the World Trade Centre. I'm curious if anyone else has come across this, and if there is any sliver of truth to it. Thanks.

6th August 2004, 01:32 PM	#2
Skeptical Greg Agave Wine Connoisseur Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Just past 'Resume Speed' Posts: 12,872	All I can say is that it was mighty nice of God to give her a chance to get right with him before killing her... Too bad, she didn't catch a bad cold and decide to stay home..
	__________________ " Somewhere between Jesus dying on the cross, and a giant bunny hiding eggs,there seems to be a gap in information. " Stan - Southpark Prove your computer is not a wimp ! Join the JREF Folders ! Team 13232

6th August 2004, 01:47 PM	#4
evildave Guest Posts: n/a	No proper names. Not for the tract giver, who would have 'witnessed' this miracle for the story, since this is a day before the UL, who presumably must have traced the (also unnamed) flight attendant to the other flight, a day later. We don't get details about where the plane was going, what flight number, etc. either. Presumably, after a full workday, the flight attendant received at least 12 hours of crew rest. I'm certain that given all these concerns, someone could probably find some flight attendant to assign this story to, but no way to connect the story to her. If you're someone who routinely busts up ice with a bottle (first class?), is she more likely to be 'touched' by a Christians concern you'll hurt yourself, or simply be polite? Of course, 'gladly accepted a Christian tract' sounds fishy, too. It is possible some fundy saw a girl with 'Barbara' on her name tag, saw a 'Barbara' on the list and simply assumed they were one and the same. It's also more than a little possible the story is pure B.S.
evildave Guest Posts: n/a

6th August 2004, 02:09 PM	#6
Ladewig Hipster alien Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: not measurable Posts: 16,785	Wait a minute. Are you suggesting that Christians would lie in order to spread the Gospel of Jesus?!? I wonder if it was a Chick tract?
	__________________ Is the JREF message board training wheels for people who hope to one day troll other message boards? It is not that hard to get us to believe you. We are not the major leagues or even the minor leagues. We are Pee-Wee baseball. If you love striking out 10-year-olds, then you'll love trolling our board.

6th August 2004, 02:22 PM	#8
TragicMonkey Poisoned Waffles Pither Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Monkey Posts: 30,050	So how about all the people who get given tracts and preached at who don't get killed the next day?
	__________________ One cannot expect wisdom to flow from a pumpkin.

6th August 2004, 01:36 PM	#3
Eleatic Stranger Critical Thinker Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 439	It's also too bad she didn't hurt herself breaking up ice with a wine bottle and have to stay home...

6th August 2004, 01:50 PM	#5
Gastric ReFlux Critical Thinker Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 257	Quote: Originally posted by Eleatic Stranger It's also too bad she didn't hurt herself breaking up ice with a wine bottle and have to stay home... Isn't this where someone says, "Well God works in mysterious ways."? So in this case I guess God planned on using her story and condemnation to Hell as a way to really get the point across.

6th August 2004, 02:16 PM	#7
Gastric ReFlux Critical Thinker Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 257	Quote: Originally posted by Ladewig Wait a minute. Are you suggesting that Christians would lie in order to spread the Gospel of Jesus?!? I wonder if it was a Chick tract? Hmm, I doubt that. A Chick tract is irresistible, she would have instantly been born again, and gone to Heaven happily the next day, although she might have been disappointed by missing out on the chance to wax on rapturously about the Rapture, along with preparing Rapture Packages for friends and families left behind to battle Satan.

6th August 2004, 02:26 PM	#9
Gastric ReFlux Critical Thinker Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 257	Quote: Originally posted by TragicMonkey *So how about all the people who get given tracts and preached at who don't* get killed the next day?** Obviously, that proves that God isn't out to make everyone suffer in order to get them to "get right with God." That gets chalked up in the God is all-loving category.

6th August 2004, 03:35 PM	#10
TragicMonkey Poisoned Waffles Pither Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Monkey Posts: 30,050	Well, at least this story is perfectly sane compared to the "I saw the devil's face in the smoke from the WTC!" and the "angels caught on tape flying around the falling towers!" stories, both of which I heard from my coworkers this week. It's sickening that people want to exploit tragedy to make their stories more compelling.
	__________________ One cannot expect wisdom to flow from a pumpkin.

6th August 2004, 05:07 PM	#11
Dancing David Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 34,695	I would assume that Sylvia Browne must have contacted the dead stweardess to get the message.
	__________________ Hell, dynamiting fish in a barrel is more challenging. - Ladewig I suspect you are a sandwich, metaphorically speaking. -Donn And a shot rang out. Now Space is doing time... -Ben Burch You built the toilet - don't complain when people crap in it. _Kid Eager

6th August 2004, 06:52 PM	#12
Ladewig Hipster alien Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: not measurable Posts: 16,785	Quote: Originally posted by TragicMonkey Well, at least this story is perfectly sane compared to the "I saw the devil's face in the smoke from the WTC!" and the "angels caught on tape flying around the falling towers!" stories, both of which I heard from my coworkers this week. It's sickening that people want to exploit tragedy to make their stories more compelling. I can understand the devil story. The enormity of this tragedy is so great that many people could not accept it. The angel story confuses me. No one who jumped from the towers lived. What is the purpose of saying that angels watched people fall to their deaths? It all seems rather heartless to me.
	__________________ Is the JREF message board training wheels for people who hope to one day troll other message boards? It is not that hard to get us to believe you. We are not the major leagues or even the minor leagues. We are Pee-Wee baseball. If you love striking out 10-year-olds, then you'll love trolling our board.

6th August 2004, 07:09 PM	#13
Paul C. Anagnostopoulos Nap, interrupted. Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: a little toolshed Posts: 18,588	Quote: *Eleatic Stranger said:* It's also too bad she didn't hurt herself breaking up ice with a wine bottle and have to stay home... Hey, yeah! Why did that passenger butt his nose in in the first place? I bet he was the Devil. ~~ Paul
	__________________ Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. ---Susan Ertz RIP Mr. Skinny

7th August 2004, 11:05 PM	#14
Gulliamo Critical Thinker Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: NYC Posts: 488	Are there any depths to which these people will not sink?! They are already the "majority shareholders" in the "death industry". Now they feel the need to exploit every last tragedy! Is nothing sacred?! As a 9/11 survivor I find this absolutely appalling! I wish for this person a swift clown shoe to the groin.
	__________________ Understand, you have a right to a belief and a theory, but when they are contradicted by observation, you probably should reconsider them. -Doctor X "I'll pray for you." -Kirk Cameron (Evangelist) "I'll think for you." -Brian Sapient (Rational Responders)

8th August 2004, 06:09 AM	#15
kedo1981 Master Poster Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: ohio Posts: 2,075	I have it on very good authority that on Sept 10th 2001, Muslims all over the US were in fact, handing out Islamic religious pamphlets written by the great and famous Muslim tract writer Al-Chick-el-Sadur and they said???????????????
	__________________ "Prove all things, hold fast that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21) I readily admit I don’t know enough to say for sure that there is no God. But I do know enough so say that anyone who claims to know the mind and will of a being such as God is a liar. I have no problem with Jesus, but his fan club sucks!

8th August 2004, 06:35 AM	#16
Anders Muse Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 752	Can ANYBODY say "Urban Legend"? C'mon, its so obvious!
Anders Muse Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 752	__________________ "A Demon in a Jesus infested world" Save Katie!

9th August 2004, 06:38 AM	#17
Gastric ReFlux Critical Thinker Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 257	Quote: Originally posted by Anders Can ANYBODY say "Urban Legend"? C'mon, its so obvious! Well it's a potential Urban Legend. I performed a Google search for keywords in the story, and the site I linked in the initial post is the only one with the story, so far as I can tell. Other than that lack of general communicative transmission, it certainly has the potential. Unverifiable, with that lurking message of "Hey, you could die tomorrow, you might want to believe in God, let me tell you about this stewardess..." It's got potential. Totally fictional, but that's never stopped other fictions from becoming best-sellers.

9th August 2004, 10:51 AM	#18
phildonnia Master Poster Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Sac'to CA Posts: 2,339	You may find some help (and a lot of snarky comments) from this forum: Glurge Gallery

9th August 2004, 10:58 AM	#19
Gastric ReFlux Critical Thinker Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 257	Over at Rapture Ready they would probably love this story.