Tim Tebow’s profession of faith has thrust the mixture of sport and religion into the national spotlight in a way that few can remember
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I enjoyed the article and I do agree with it. I do have to add this question though- would there be folks angry if there was the mocking that Tebow has endured done to an athlete with a different faith than xtianity or would people just laugh and find it acceptable as they do for the mocking that Tebow endures? Would there be an outcry of folks screaming that you can't say those things about that other faith, it isn't right or fair, that we have freedom of religion and our choices shouldn't be mocked?
Or is mocking xtianity but not other religions okay now? I can never keep up with what is politically correct.
I am not saying what Tebow faces is anywhere near what happened to Ali. Apples and oranges. I just happen to believe that belittling anyone's faith- either through violence or comedy, regardless of the faith, is rather immature and not all that funny to me.
And for those that attack a person physically for their faith, end their career for their faith, put them in jail for their faith... absolutely disgusting and against everything this country stands for- or at least should stand for.
I haven't seen any mocking of Tebow in my circle of acquaintances (former coworkers from my former job in SC). Its more comparisons to Jesus, noting "wonderful" coincidences when the number of yards he throws coincide with particular Bible verses (stuff like "his coach's name is John and tonight he threw for 316 yards and John 3:16 is his favorite verse!!!"), anti-choice screeds about how his mother was counseled to have an abortion when she was pregnant with him because of certain medications she had taken but she ddidnt have one and clearly the doctors are wrong and abortion is ALWAYS BAD...and so on.
If his coach's name was Matthew and he threw for 656 yards they wouldn't say a peep, I'm sure (Matthew 6:5-6 being the verses about praying in private and not making a big show of it). My Facebook feed was covered in this kind of shit after the last game and it makes me ill. Ostentatious public displays of any religion turn me off, but this in- your- face "Christianity" is the worst.
If his coach's name was Matthew and he threw for 656 yards they wouldn't say a peep, I'm sure (Matthew 6:5-6 being the verses about praying in private and not making a big show of it).
I personally think that the people who would be upset about a Muslim player thanking Allah for a touchdown would mercilessly mock his religion, or at the very least, say ugly things about it.
I think someone like Bill Maher would mock a player of any religion who is that in your face with it, and i kinda feel the same. If you're going to parade your religion around like a six-foot icon dangling over your head, you deserve to be mocked. Same for the people who paint themselves purple and wear giant foam things to games.
Religion, to me, (who is an atheist) is private, and if you wanna drag it out into interviews and the playing field, well......it's gonna be mocked, and that's just life.
*though i think there would be a lot more SJ-type people being very upset about a Muslim player being mocked, but then - i doubt Tebow gets death threats and stuff for praying on the field, and a Muslim player probably would.)
Christians are hardly picked on any more than any other religion. They just whine about it more.
Think about all the stereotypes and jokes about Jews and Muslims. And that's not even considering the outright vitriol aimed at them. You don't see anything on that scale associated with any branches of Christianity, with maybe the exception of Catholic priests and pedophilia. I'm sure if Buddhism had a more visible presence in the US, people would mock it too.
Honestly, I don't have a problem with mocking religion. I'm all for respecting people's beliefs as well, but once you make a public spectacle of yourself or drag other people into it with you, it's open season.
Besides, a lot of Christians do get upset that Tebow is mocked. And no, it wouldn't be the same thing at all if Tebow was a different religion--especially Muslim. They wouldn't get mad at people mocking him, probably because they're too busy calling him a terrorist.
Tim Tebow asks for it by shoving his views in your face every single time that he speaks. If there was a Muslim football player who was so obnoxious and talked about Allah every single time that he went out or gave an interview, I would make fun of him, too.
Tim Tebow is dangerous. His religion is trying to put people like Tim in all sorts of jobs and public service (especially the military) because they want to push their religion into the government. I was raised evangelical, so I know. I get it.
The "Stop being mean to Tebow!" crowd generally misses a few things.
People who mock him aren't often mocking him for being Christian. They're mocking him for thinking that being a football player is a missionary act, for yapping on about Jesus in post-game interviews, for running misleading Focus on the Family ads condemning abortion. Basically he's being mocked for being incredibly obnoxious, pushy and condescending about other people's religious views.
There are plenty, plenty of Christian players who are deeply religious but never use their position as up and coming stars to push an agenda - Roy Helu is a perfect example of this, he's a solid rookie on a shitty team who has spoken of his faith before but doesn't go on fucking Fox News to state that he thinks he's doing missionary work through football. For every one guy who makes crass remarks about Christianity or religion or whatever wrt Tebow, there are fifty who are simply tired of this guy using the sport to push an agenda.
Troy Polamalu is a Christian too, but once again, doesn't make a big show of it. I think he might cross himself or something on the field, but that's not a big deal. (I know I'm always talking about him, but he's just so adorable!)
No, he's a cutie, so don't feel bad talking about him.
But yeah, there are tons of other players who are Christian and proudly so, but Tebow happens to be nasty about it and white, so I suppose he plays better to the crossover white nationalist/Christian nationalist crowds.
I have to disagree a little bit. I think the majority of people mocking him are doing so because as an NFL quarterback he is mediocre at best but there are so many people making him out to be a football god (pun intended)and evangelicals are so happy to have someone so prominent on their side that they are convinced it is divine intervention and anyone who suggests otherwise is dissing christianity. Tebow is from my hometown and my alma mater and in the last 6 years I don't see any change at all in what he's doing. He plays, he prays, he wins. I don't think he's using football to push any agenda and I don't think he's asking God to help the Broncos win. He uses his status to help people and when the Patriots win again tonight he will still be the same guy. The press is currently fascinated with Tebow and he remains humble and does his job. <---Obviously I may be a bit biased though.
Or is mocking xtianity but not other religions okay now? I can never keep up with what is politically correct.
I am not saying what Tebow faces is anywhere near what happened to Ali. Apples and oranges. I just happen to believe that belittling anyone's faith- either through violence or comedy, regardless of the faith, is rather immature and not all that funny to me.
And for those that attack a person physically for their faith, end their career for their faith, put them in jail for their faith... absolutely disgusting and against everything this country stands for- or at least should stand for.
(My own faith for the record? Agnostic pagan)
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Christians also hate that verse. ;)
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I chuckled at this.
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I think someone like Bill Maher would mock a player of any religion who is that in your face with it, and i kinda feel the same. If you're going to parade your religion around like a six-foot icon dangling over your head, you deserve to be mocked. Same for the people who paint themselves purple and wear giant foam things to games.
Religion, to me, (who is an atheist) is private, and if you wanna drag it out into interviews and the playing field, well......it's gonna be mocked, and that's just life.
*though i think there would be a lot more SJ-type people being very upset about a Muslim player being mocked, but then - i doubt Tebow gets death threats and stuff for praying on the field, and a Muslim player probably would.)
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Think about all the stereotypes and jokes about Jews and Muslims. And that's not even considering the outright vitriol aimed at them. You don't see anything on that scale associated with any branches of Christianity, with maybe the exception of Catholic priests and pedophilia. I'm sure if Buddhism had a more visible presence in the US, people would mock it too.
Honestly, I don't have a problem with mocking religion. I'm all for respecting people's beliefs as well, but once you make a public spectacle of yourself or drag other people into it with you, it's open season.
Besides, a lot of Christians do get upset that Tebow is mocked. And no, it wouldn't be the same thing at all if Tebow was a different religion--especially Muslim. They wouldn't get mad at people mocking him, probably because they're too busy calling him a terrorist.
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Tim Tebow is dangerous. His religion is trying to put people like Tim in all sorts of jobs and public service (especially the military) because they want to push their religion into the government. I was raised evangelical, so I know. I get it.
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People who mock him aren't often mocking him for being Christian. They're mocking him for thinking that being a football player is a missionary act, for yapping on about Jesus in post-game interviews, for running misleading Focus on the Family ads condemning abortion. Basically he's being mocked for being incredibly obnoxious, pushy and condescending about other people's religious views.
There are plenty, plenty of Christian players who are deeply religious but never use their position as up and coming stars to push an agenda - Roy Helu is a perfect example of this, he's a solid rookie on a shitty team who has spoken of his faith before but doesn't go on fucking Fox News to state that he thinks he's doing missionary work through football. For every one guy who makes crass remarks about Christianity or religion or whatever wrt Tebow, there are fifty who are simply tired of this guy using the sport to push an agenda.
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But yeah, there are tons of other players who are Christian and proudly so, but Tebow happens to be nasty about it and white, so I suppose he plays better to the crossover white nationalist/Christian nationalist crowds.
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