Following an internet backlash over a Singaporean missionary singing a Christian worship song on a public aircraft on Good Friday, one church has come out in defense of the 24-year-old who was observed strumming a guitar and singing mid-flight.
On Tuesday (April 19), a pastor at 3:16 Church on Robinson Road supported Mr Jonathan Neo's conduct on the plane, stating that they were "an expression" of his religion and that the response was part of a "anti-Christian" climate.
"To see young Christians who are unafraid and unapologetic about their faith, witnessing and ministering with enthusiasm is an answer to prayer for many," pastor Norman Ng said.
Mr Neo's and many others' sighting playing a guitar and singing worship songs to passengers has divided public opinion online and drew criticism from commenters outside Singapore in recent days.
The majority of criticism focused on the worshippers' inconsiderate behavior toward other passengers on the airplane, while some passengers were spotted singing and clapping along.
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"I believe my family and I should have a prayer session the next time I'm on a plane," American congressman Ilhan Omar, who is Muslim, stated on Twitter. How do you think it will conclude?"
Interfaith and multiculturalism expert Mohamed Imran Mohammed Taib, a Singaporean, compared the act to someone loudly playing a song by pop musician Justin Bieber on public transportation, and other passengers are afraid to express their disagreement for fear of being accused of being "anti-Bieber" or denying another person the right to listen to music.
"It's as simple as this: either you approve of me playing Justin Bieber's music loudly or you're anti-Justin Bieber," Mr Imran Taib explained.
He emphasized that such an argument would be fallacious.
"Neither is true. You have the right to listen to Justin Bieber's music. Simply do not coerce me into listening to it. It will be unpleasant if I am forced to advise you to exit the bus or train or if I am forced to exit myself to keep my peace and quiet," he said, stressing that other passengers on an aircraft cannot opt to exit.
"Therefore, the problem is rather straightforward: Let us be respectful of our mutual rights in a shared area," he said.
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The user stated that he was a member of the same group as Mr Neo and that, in a subsequent video, he reiterated that the cabin crew and pilot were "100% in accord." They were returning from a mission to offer humanitarian supplies to Ukrainian refugees near the border.
"They also made an announcement to all passengers explaining who we are and what we accomplished in Ukraine," he stated, adding that the missionaries sang only one song that lasted between three and four minutes.
He stated following that, the party returned to their seats and was praised by the crew and passengers upon disembarking.
Additionally, the user responded to questions regarding the event posed by Ruslan KD, a YouTuber located in the United States who posts videos on Christianity and religion, by asserting that the flight was public and that permission was requested from the flight crew.
Mr Ng from 3:16 Church also disputed Mr Neo's assertion that he was "imposing his religious ideas on others" on April 20, claiming that a multi-religious society entailed accepting the diversity of religious practices rather than eliminating them.
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"The beauty of our nation is not in its rejection of religious practices and viewpoints, but in its provision of a neutral platform for the free exercise of all cultural diversities, which are both beautiful and necessary for the survival of a civilization."
He lauded Mr Neo's activities on Good Friday as a "expression of resurrection" in which he publicly expressed his religion.
Mr Ng then described the internet outcry as a manifestation of a "increasingly anti-Christian climate."
"It's notable that Jon was given permission to sing," Mr Ng said, referring to how the worshippers had asked permission from the air crew.
"Also, everyone on board had the ability to express their dissatisfaction if they did not wish to accept his singing. I'm confident Jon would have replied humbly and appropriately."
Mr Neo stated in an interview with Thir.st, a Christian website, on April 11 that he was scheduled to work at a church in London but chose to join the organization Awakening Europe to assist Ukrainian refugees. He said that he had hitchhiked and performed music over the world in order to "worship in every town square with my guitar."
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