*Special Note: I did not write this. (I wish I was this good though!)
This article was written by Jen Floyd Engel and can be found on foxsports.com
I am not re-posting the article because I agree with everything said – I am re-posting the article because it is an extremely interesting take from a secular writer on a current issue.
My personal take on Tim Tebow is that he is a guy that genuinely loves Jesus that will need to make dramatic improvements throwing the football to be a QB long term in the NFL.
I know it is a little long but I guarantee you will find it intriguing.
And PLEASE leave your comments – I am very interested in hearing what you think.
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What if Tim Tebow were a Muslim?
Imagine for a second, the Denver Broncos quarterback is a devout
follower of Islam,
sincere and principled in his beliefs and thus bowed
toward Mecca to celebrate touchdowns. Now imagine if Detroit Lions
players Stephen Tulloch and Tony Scheffler mockingly bowed towards
Mecca, too, after tackling him for a loss or scoring a touchdown, just
like what happened Sunday.
Imagine for a second, the Denver Broncos quarterback is a devout
follower of Islam,
sincere and principled in his beliefs and thus bowedtoward Mecca to celebrate touchdowns. Now imagine if Detroit Lions
players Stephen Tulloch and Tony Scheffler mockingly bowed towards
Mecca, too, after tackling him for a loss or scoring a touchdown, just
like what happened Sunday.
I know what would happen. All hell would break loose.
Stinging indictments issued by sports columnists. At least a few
outraged religious leaders chiming in on his behalf. Depending on what
else had happened that day, they might have a chance at becoming Keith
Olbermann’s Worst Person In The World.
And there would be apologies. Oh Lord, would there be apologies — by
players, by coaches, possibly by ownership with a tiny chance of a
statement from NFL commish Roger Goodell.
You cannot mock Muslim faith, not in this country, not anywhere really.
It is primarily a respect issue, because religion is sacred and should
be off limits.
Stinging indictments issued by sports columnists. At least a few
outraged religious leaders chiming in on his behalf. Depending on what
else had happened that day, they might have a chance at becoming Keith
Olbermann’s Worst Person In The World.
And there would be apologies. Oh Lord, would there be apologies — by
players, by coaches, possibly by ownership with a tiny chance of a
statement from NFL commish Roger Goodell.
You cannot mock Muslim faith, not in this country, not anywhere really.
It is primarily a respect issue, because religion is sacred and should
be off limits.
Yet when Tulloch and Scheffler dropped to a knee to mock
how Tebow prays — an action known as “Tebowing” that has gone viral in
the public too — we yawned and told Christians to lighten up. We blamed
Tebow for making a show of honoring
God rather than himself in moments
of joy. We excused them because Tulloch said he was mocking Tebowing,
not God.
Because ridiculing a man who chooses to honor God is so much better,
right?
His religious fervor is an easy target for the vitriol spewed from those
who dislike him, but the reasons are much deeper than that.
how Tebow prays — an action known as “Tebowing” that has gone viral in
the public too — we yawned and told Christians to lighten up. We blamed
Tebow for making a show of honoring
God rather than himself in momentsof joy. We excused them because Tulloch said he was mocking Tebowing,
not God.
Because ridiculing a man who chooses to honor God is so much better,
right?
His religious fervor is an easy target for the vitriol spewed from those
who dislike him, but the reasons are much deeper than that.
From his
advocacy of abstinence to his infamous “You will never see another team
play this hard” speech at Florida, it is like he is too good to be true.
He is too nice, and thereby we want him to trip up so we can feel
better.
advocacy of abstinence to his infamous “You will never see another team
play this hard” speech at Florida, it is like he is too good to be true.
He is too nice, and thereby we want him to trip up so we can feel
better.
We want him to be revealed as a hypocrite, and when that fails
to happen, we settle for gleefully celebrating his failures on the
football field. And why? Because he dares to say thanks?
to happen, we settle for gleefully celebrating his failures on the
football field. And why? Because he dares to say thanks?
I keep telling myself I am done with this Tebow debate only to be drawn
offside, this time by a Lions player I had never heard of and a viral
web meme that sprouted this week that had fans flooding an ESPN story’s
comments section with viciously funny, yet downright mean and very
sacrilegious quips of the “X > Tebow” formula.
offside, this time by a Lions player I had never heard of and a viral
web meme that sprouted this week that had fans flooding an ESPN story’s
comments section with viciously funny, yet downright mean and very
sacrilegious quips of the “X > Tebow” formula.
What this whole repeating cycle of Tebow — rip his game, mock his
faith, rise to his defense, repeat — has revealed about religious
discourse in America is ugly.
faith, rise to his defense, repeat — has revealed about religious
discourse in America is ugly.
We have become so enamored of politically
correct dogma that we protect every minority from even the slightest
blush of insensitivity while letting the very institutions that the
majority holds dear to be ridiculed. And this defense that Tebow invites
such scrutiny with his willingness to publicly live as he privately
believes calls into question what exactly it is we value.
correct dogma that we protect every minority from even the slightest
blush of insensitivity while letting the very institutions that the
majority holds dear to be ridiculed. And this defense that Tebow invites
such scrutiny with his willingness to publicly live as he privately
believes calls into question what exactly it is we value.
One of the things Boomer Esiason got right in his vicious takedown on
Tebow as a quarterback on a radio show earlier this
week was how
personal the criticism is. A good many NFL players and fans seem to be
rooting for this guy to be a massive failure.
I could not figure out what was causing this onslaught of venom for a
guy almost everybody claims to like, and I finally decided it is more
about us. He makes us uncomfortable. He is a reminder that the blue-red,
liberal-conservative fight over taking God out of everyday life is
intellectually dishonest.
Tebow as a quarterback on a radio show earlier this
week was howpersonal the criticism is. A good many NFL players and fans seem to be
rooting for this guy to be a massive failure.
I could not figure out what was causing this onslaught of venom for a
guy almost everybody claims to like, and I finally decided it is more
about us. He makes us uncomfortable. He is a reminder that the blue-red,
liberal-conservative fight over taking God out of everyday life is
intellectually dishonest.
He is too good.
Tebow is proof that God goes comfortably into whatever arena of your
life you wish to take Him.
Tebow is proof that God goes comfortably into whatever arena of your
life you wish to take Him.
I used to work with a great guy, Simon
Gonzalez, a very devout Christian, and he prayed before every meal.
Others would be killing free press meals and he would stop, bow his head
and silently say thanks. He was not making a spectacle of his beliefs.
He believed that God deserved thanks for what was before him, and not
just when convenient for Simon. And people would squirm — not because
what he was doing was wrong, but because it was right.
Gonzalez, a very devout Christian, and he prayed before every meal.
Others would be killing free press meals and he would stop, bow his head
and silently say thanks. He was not making a spectacle of his beliefs.
He believed that God deserved thanks for what was before him, and not
just when convenient for Simon. And people would squirm — not because
what he was doing was wrong, but because it was right.
It is the same
for Tebow.
There is no organized prayer led by Goodell before every game and no
mandate for a post-touchdown prayer. Players such as Tebow — and he
certainly is not alone in his belief and faith in the league — do so
because consciences request it.
That others chose to mock — and Tulloch is in good company with many
journalists I call friends and web posters with a wicked sense of humor
— reminds me very much of the final line of The Paradoxical Commandments so often attributed to Mother Teresa:
for Tebow.
There is no organized prayer led by Goodell before every game and no
mandate for a post-touchdown prayer. Players such as Tebow — and he
certainly is not alone in his belief and faith in the league — do so
because consciences request it.
That others chose to mock — and Tulloch is in good company with many
journalists I call friends and web posters with a wicked sense of humor
— reminds me very much of the final line of The Paradoxical Commandments so often attributed to Mother Teresa:
“You see, in the
final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and
them anyway.”
final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and
them anyway.”
And everybody is getting dropped in the grease on this one.
The defenses of Tebow, by Christians, are so ugly it defeats the point.
This is where Christianity so often loses people, the ardent preaching
of the gospel of “I’m Right, You’re Wrong” and
the demand for tolerance
and the unwillingness to grant it. Because if Tebow were Muslim and did
celebrate by bowing to Mecca, that would deserve respect too. Same for a
Jewish player, yet why do I see that blowing up into an ugly mess as
well?
The defenses of Tebow, by Christians, are so ugly it defeats the point.
This is where Christianity so often loses people, the ardent preaching
of the gospel of “I’m Right, You’re Wrong” and
the demand for toleranceand the unwillingness to grant it. Because if Tebow were Muslim and did
celebrate by bowing to Mecca, that would deserve respect too. Same for a
Jewish player, yet why do I see that blowing up into an ugly mess as
well?
The level of discourse about religion in this country is frankly
embarrassing, a bastard child of political discourse.
The only one who looks good in all this — maybe too good for some — is
Tebow.
embarrassing, a bastard child of political discourse.
The only one who looks good in all this — maybe too good for some — is
Tebow.
I find it especially telling that Tebow rarely lectures and does not
fight back.He did not create Tebowing, nor is he responsible for it
blowing up hipster style. It was kind of cool, I thought, after hearing a
kid had said he was “Tebowing” while getting chemo.
fight back.He did not create Tebowing, nor is he responsible for it
blowing up hipster style. It was kind of cool, I thought, after hearing a
kid had said he was “Tebowing” while getting chemo.
He is just a guy with the good sense to say thanks. Instead of taking
his cue, we mock his faith.
his cue, we mock his faith.
And that says more about us, none of it good.
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