Last week we began to look at a difficult topic for Christian airline people in the 21st Century West, the increasing pressure (often backed by new corporate policy) to conform to “progressive” values that may be directly opposed to our biblical ones. The advent of company “training” which furthers contemporary worldly cultural trends, with the implied or official threat of disciplinary measures, is a very real challenge. It is one that, in some cases, may even threaten our employment.
It is easy to preach a defiant noncompliance based on our understanding that persecution of believers has been going on for centuries, starting with our Lord Himself and that we should “stand up for what we believe.” However, such a response begs the question as to what truly Godly “defiance” looks like. History is full of examples of sufferers, and even martyrs, in the Faith who did not give up their convictions yet also did not resist the punishment inflicted by governing authorities which the Bible tells us are over us by at least the “permissive will” of God (men like Huss, Wycliffe, and Martin Luther King come to mind).
So how do we then deal with a situation in which our airline tells us, sometimes literally, to sign on to a statement about current social concepts which we know are not pleasing to God? That, without doubt, is the key question yet the answer may vary from person to person and situation to situation. Even so, we will try to give some general guidance that will hopefully apply to most situations believing airline employees are having to face in these times, beginning with our next Thought for the Week.
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…” -2nd Timothy 3:12 (ESV)
