Tebow or not Tebow
Tebow or Not Tebow
Tebow or not Tebow, that is the question. Should an athlete express his religion and beliefs after making an exceptional play or after a victory in a game or competition? If memory serves me correctly, and I’m sure it does, athletes have been kneeling in prayer or thankfulness after scoring a touchdown or sacking the quarterback or after the final buzzer for generations. But none have seemed to stir more controversy, or provoke more negative reaction, than Tim Tebow.
On the bright side, Tim does have his myriad supporters, such as other noteworthy athletes including Lebron James, and there is even a website highlighting the ‘tebowing’ mania called tebowing.com that features photos submitted by people all over the world striking the pose in places from Sydney, Australia to Africa to the South Pole. It is a great site, go there and see all of the different settings and locations in the world where people have taken to ‘tebowing.’
On the dark side, he also seems to have developed legions of adversaries. They habitually criticize him in news broadcasts and sports shows, and he has become the butt of jokes on late night talk shows and Saturday Night Live, that paragon of great entertainment, sarcasm intended, and vacuous, anti-Christian, disrespectful tweets from the likes of Bill Maher, that paragon of journalistic integrity, again extreme sarcasm intended.
All this because he strikes a very memorable and, some would say, artistic pose to thank the Lord after miraculous accomplishments on the football field. But, also because he is unabashed and unrepentant in expressing his Christianity off the field. I believe that is why the Liberals, Leftists, and anti-Christians that dominate the media and entertainment industries despise him so.
It is a well-known fact that Liberals and others on the Left are the biggest hypocrites in the history of the Universe. In fact if you look up ‘hypocrite’ in the dictionary, the entry ought to say ‘liberal.’ If another player were to strike such a memorable pose during or just after competition to express his support of leftist causes dear to the liberal heart, such as gay rights, the right to abort fetuses, distribution or wealth, the hoax and scam of “Global Warming” now called “Climate Change,” the defense of Islam or really any religion other than Christianity, the biased, prejudiced media would be jumping up and down in praise for that athlete supporting a worthy cause.
But since it is a man’s heartfelt embrace of Christianity that is displayed, he becomes a butt of jokes and disparaging remarks by those same pundits in the news, entertainment, and sports. Of course, among the media, the only religion that is safe to criticize without mercy or remorse or any fear of retribution is Christianity, especially if the target of that criticism is a white, conservative male from the South. Things are said and disrespectful stereotypes are shown in the media about that demographic group that, if they were said or shown about ANY other subsection of society, would provoke instant outrage, public backlashes, boycotts, protests, and riots. But, to the liberal powers in control of that industry, white, conservative, Christian males are not only fair game, they are a specific target.
There are some that even question whether such displays are appropriate in an athletic setting, as if an athlete should leave his religion and his Christianity in the locker room, or, better yet, at home before coming to the stadium. As always, those on the Left conveniently forget the First Amendment unless it is their beliefs and views to be expressed, and not those on the Right. I read that one school district somewhere went so far as to even expressly forbid ‘tebowing’ by its athletes during competitions.
This concerted campaign against Tim Tebow and his expression of belief is just the latest salvo in the unending attacks by the Left against the Right and conservatism in general, and Christianity in particular. It displays the utter hatred and disrespect the Left has for those that do not adhere to their twisted, upside-down-and-backwards view of the world, and is yet another example, among literally millions, of their utter and complete hypocrisy in all things.
The New Testament warns Christians that they should be expected to be persecuted for their beliefs. And that goes double for those who express them so publicly and deeply. Tim Tebow now knows that firsthand, but like the Christian he is, he doesn’t let it show or affect him, being brave enough to maintain his integrity, poise, and manners in the face of unending disrespect and disparagement. He still stands strong and unapologetic about his beliefs in the face of a storm wall of adversity from those on the Left.
Tebow, from Florida, was among a trio of inspirational, admitted Christian quarterbacks taken in the 2010 NFL draft, including Colt McCoy from Texas and Sam Bradford from Oklahoma, who was selected first. But Tebow is the one who has stirred the pot the most with his miraculous comeback victories for the Broncos and the controversy invented by the liberal-biased media over his pose. If there were more athletes like these three outstanding young men who stand up for Christianity in defiance of the godless pundits on the Left, the world would be a much better place.
Tebow or not Tebow. If that is indeed the question, then I say keep Tebowing!
Jeff Vanderslice
Tebow or not Tebow, that is the question. Should an athlete express his religion and beliefs after making an exceptional play or after a victory in a game or competition? If memory serves me correctly, and I’m sure it does, athletes have been kneeling in prayer or thankfulness after scoring a touchdown or sacking the quarterback or after the final buzzer for generations. But none have seemed to stir more controversy, or provoke more negative reaction, than Tim Tebow.
On the bright side, Tim does have his myriad supporters, such as other noteworthy athletes including Lebron James, and there is even a website highlighting the ‘tebowing’ mania called tebowing.com that features photos submitted by people all over the world striking the pose in places from Sydney, Australia to Africa to the South Pole. It is a great site, go there and see all of the different settings and locations in the world where people have taken to ‘tebowing.’
On the dark side, he also seems to have developed legions of adversaries. They habitually criticize him in news broadcasts and sports shows, and he has become the butt of jokes on late night talk shows and Saturday Night Live, that paragon of great entertainment, sarcasm intended, and vacuous, anti-Christian, disrespectful tweets from the likes of Bill Maher, that paragon of journalistic integrity, again extreme sarcasm intended.
All this because he strikes a very memorable and, some would say, artistic pose to thank the Lord after miraculous accomplishments on the football field. But, also because he is unabashed and unrepentant in expressing his Christianity off the field. I believe that is why the Liberals, Leftists, and anti-Christians that dominate the media and entertainment industries despise him so.
It is a well-known fact that Liberals and others on the Left are the biggest hypocrites in the history of the Universe. In fact if you look up ‘hypocrite’ in the dictionary, the entry ought to say ‘liberal.’ If another player were to strike such a memorable pose during or just after competition to express his support of leftist causes dear to the liberal heart, such as gay rights, the right to abort fetuses, distribution or wealth, the hoax and scam of “Global Warming” now called “Climate Change,” the defense of Islam or really any religion other than Christianity, the biased, prejudiced media would be jumping up and down in praise for that athlete supporting a worthy cause.
But since it is a man’s heartfelt embrace of Christianity that is displayed, he becomes a butt of jokes and disparaging remarks by those same pundits in the news, entertainment, and sports. Of course, among the media, the only religion that is safe to criticize without mercy or remorse or any fear of retribution is Christianity, especially if the target of that criticism is a white, conservative male from the South. Things are said and disrespectful stereotypes are shown in the media about that demographic group that, if they were said or shown about ANY other subsection of society, would provoke instant outrage, public backlashes, boycotts, protests, and riots. But, to the liberal powers in control of that industry, white, conservative, Christian males are not only fair game, they are a specific target.
There are some that even question whether such displays are appropriate in an athletic setting, as if an athlete should leave his religion and his Christianity in the locker room, or, better yet, at home before coming to the stadium. As always, those on the Left conveniently forget the First Amendment unless it is their beliefs and views to be expressed, and not those on the Right. I read that one school district somewhere went so far as to even expressly forbid ‘tebowing’ by its athletes during competitions.
This concerted campaign against Tim Tebow and his expression of belief is just the latest salvo in the unending attacks by the Left against the Right and conservatism in general, and Christianity in particular. It displays the utter hatred and disrespect the Left has for those that do not adhere to their twisted, upside-down-and-backwards view of the world, and is yet another example, among literally millions, of their utter and complete hypocrisy in all things.
The New Testament warns Christians that they should be expected to be persecuted for their beliefs. And that goes double for those who express them so publicly and deeply. Tim Tebow now knows that firsthand, but like the Christian he is, he doesn’t let it show or affect him, being brave enough to maintain his integrity, poise, and manners in the face of unending disrespect and disparagement. He still stands strong and unapologetic about his beliefs in the face of a storm wall of adversity from those on the Left.
Tebow, from Florida, was among a trio of inspirational, admitted Christian quarterbacks taken in the 2010 NFL draft, including Colt McCoy from Texas and Sam Bradford from Oklahoma, who was selected first. But Tebow is the one who has stirred the pot the most with his miraculous comeback victories for the Broncos and the controversy invented by the liberal-biased media over his pose. If there were more athletes like these three outstanding young men who stand up for Christianity in defiance of the godless pundits on the Left, the world would be a much better place.
Tebow or not Tebow. If that is indeed the question, then I say keep Tebowing!
Jeff Vanderslice
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