Airline Prayer Scare - Is there ever a bad time to pray?

I can almost sense the many readers who believe in prayer, raising an eyebrow after reading the title of this article.  There is nothing harmful about prayer, nothing at all. But, what if the  act of exercising your religious ritual, caused a panic? Or, it raises concerns to those around you? Especially if your on an airplane? Although we have the right to speak freely, no one has the right to incite panic for the sake of their right to freely speak or pray openly...out loud.

It was reported on a CNN blog, how a few Orthodox Jewish Business men, prayed out loud, in Hebrew on a flight from Mexico.  Well, considering the time we live in and the heightened alert on terrorism, its no wonder why the passengers of flight 241 from Mexico City were a bit unnerved.  When the authorities and the FBI, met these businessmen, they determined they were no threat and let them go. This left the airline in an apologetic state.  I cant help but to wonder, was it because of the ethnicity of the businessmen?  I would venture to say, If it were the average passenger or someone who looked or dressed in a manner that would fuel the fears of your average airline passenger, they would have been lead away possibly in hand cuffs.

Amazing how our right to practice and exercise our religious beliefs can stir such a panic and its just as amazing how the exercise of those beliefs do not include consideration, sensitivity and common sense.  Everyone knows, when you get on a plane, you caution your language and your words so that you don't say things like; crash, my gun, burn, BOOM!, BANG! or BAM!... out load and if you act erratic or abnormal (or too normal) you are watched with caution.  That's just how things are, in light of the worlds current situation.  Why these men chose to pray at this time? It wasn't reported, the fact that they did this, loudly, on a plane was enough to put passengers on the defensive and fearful for their safety. This is not a bash on the Jewish community, its merely my opinion on this situation. If these were Christians or Muslims, they would have probably been led away in handcuffs or cited.  When does a religious right supersede the safety and well being of others? Should not believers of all faiths, exercise caution and a little commonsense when exercising their religious freedoms? One thing is for sure, you will never see or hear of anyone,  of any faith, remain in a burning building for a word of prayer or stop in the middle of a busy New York City intersection, roll out a prayer mat and pray.