The phenomenon that is Tim Tebow has extended outside the realms of the gridiron and into pop culture. Does he have God on his side? Would America love him if he was just as conservative and just as vocal, yet a member of the Islamic faith?
A version of this question was posed by Fox News recently. It was wrapped under the banner of their yearly "war on Christmas" with the subheading of a "war on Christians." They argued that the voices calling for him to pipe down about his faith were anathema to a war on the Christian faith and that this is a growing and disturbing trend. They argued that the founding fathers initially came here for religious freedom and those freedoms were under attack.
To that last point I agree. Religious freedoms are under attack. Lots of freedoms are under attack. As a Muslim in this country there are countless examples of religious freedoms being questioned by the majority the least of which is this current fracas where the Lowe's hardware store has pulled its money from ads on the "All-American Muslim" reality TV show. A show, from all accounts, that is neither universally reflective of American Muslims, but also, to right wing (nut) groups, does not expose Muslims for the real threat that they are.
So, it is in this cultural moment that we come to see Tebow Time every weekend. He plays terrible for three quarters and then, when all hope is lost, when the game is down to the wire, and the amazing defense of the Broncos (that love to watch him play instead of sitting when the offense is playing) puts him in a position to drive the team down the field, score to win or tie to go to overtime. They have done it consistently all season. The undefeated Green Bay Packers are now a side story to all that is the Denver Broncos led by Tim Tebow, probably the first home-schooled quarterback in American history. At the end of every game, Tebow, the child of Baptist missionaries, says the following: "First I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
I talked about this recently on Public Radio's "The Takeaway." It's not like he is the first athlete to be vocal about his faith. In reality, football is a very faith-filled sport. The Lord's Prayer is recited in almost every locker room in the country (save one town in Michigan that says the opening chapter of the Quran). As a Muslim, I know the Lord's Prayer by heart because I played football for 13 years.
No, faith and football are not a new combination. What is new is Tebow.
What makes him irresistible is this collision of a series of factors: the media-saturated world we are in makes it so that we know far too much about athletes and public figures than ever before. Tebow is unique because he is both an underdog and a winner. He is both humble and non-judgmental -- a dynamite combination for any human being. FInally, his fellow teammates love him, he does not drink, smoke or do drugs, he is celibate, unmarried, and he has a winning smile and personality.
People of faith should be cheering this model Christian on. Anyone of any passion should be exalting his independent thinking and supporting his right to speak freely about what he holds dear.
But what if he were Muslim? Americans look to people who are successful and they want to be like them. So, in some ways, young people want to be like him. If he were Muslim, would young people want to be Muslim? Would that scare people?
If he was Muslim would it be, as Fox News suggests, that everyone would be more careful when attacking him because the world is more sympathetic to Islam and on a march against Christianity?
Perhaps guilt that exists within Christians that were raised Christian but aren't "practicing" Christianity in a particular way. They are uncomfortable about their faith. They see him out there with his public proclamations and it makes them feel like bad Christians. Would a "Muslim" Tebow, with all the qualities of humility and grace that Tebow exhibits, then make reactionary, and self-absorbed, Muslims feel like they were bad Muslims?
Tebow makes people that are faithful feel two ways. Some want him to be private about his faith and simply live by example. Others are like "Yes! That's awesome!"
In general, some of the best people of any faith are too concerned about their own development and that challenges of living in this intensely secular culture to be worried about telling others what they should or should not be or do. That's Tim Tebow. He's concerned about his own development. That's what everyone admires him for. He does not really care about what you think and you feel like he wants you to be as ecstatic about what you believe as he is. But would it be the same if he were a Muslim?
Finally, the big question: Is God on Tebow's side? Obviously we will never know the answer. I will say this: If the Broncos continue at the pace they are going, make it to the playoffs, have a miraculous run all the way to the Superbowl, and if their defense is good enough to keep the game under 10 points and you give Tim Tebow the ball at the end of the game, then you might see Tebow as the Superbowl champion. Would we think he had God on his side this whole year?
And what if he did all that and the first thing he said in the interview was: "First, I would like to thank Allah and send blessings upon Prophet Muhammad."
Would America think God was on his side then?
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But my criticism of his public displays of prayer comes not from a criticism of Christianity, but from his failure LIVE his faith by following this admonition from Matthew 6:5-6
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. "
Tebow goes beyond "standing on the streets to be seen by others." His actions are broadcast to millions, amplifying the hypocrisy Jesus preached against.
Never mind that this is public prayer about winning a football game, thus magnifying his own riches while others starve.
It is a selfish prayer. Whether his subsequent performance on the football field is successful or not, I sincerely doubt God has anything to do with it, as it is a shameful display of self-aggrandizement, not true faith and prayer.
Anyone who pushes their religion so much on people irritate me.
To a degree, you could compare Olajuwon with Tebow.... and people still loved Hakeem "The Dream".
If a group of Muslim kids in a school wanted to pray in the hallway the same way a group of Christian kids in New York did, would the school administrator suspend them for doing so?
Answer to Question no. 2 - it's been done already. What you are really talking about is thinly veiled attempts at preaching in a school. It is well settled law that if a group of kids want to gather amongst themselves to pray in a manner which is not intended to disrupt the school day they can do so. Many school allow students access to a classroom before class, during a lunch break or after class in which to pray. Not to mention that during a pop quiz or a semester exam there is often a lot of praying going on. It annoys me how some people, not necessarily all of them Christians, seem to think that they have the perfect right to publicly preach about their religious convictions to a captive audience and children on a closed campus during school hours are definitely a captive audience. As a youth I cannot begin to count the number of time I was accosted by Campus Crusade members or others eager to "share the gospel" with me even when I made it clear I had no interest. Including such touching little additions as your prayers do not reach God or you and your family will burn in h ll because they have
re #2: I do not know where you live, but I have never seen "Campus Crusade" members in or around a public school. I don't think they belong there/ For that matter, I don't think any accommodations should be made for religion. Take it all out for everyone.
Last week on Saturday Night Live Jesus comes down to talk to the Broncos after their win over the Bears. Jesus tells Tim to ease up a bit on the Jesus talk and start reading the playbook so he doesn't stink in the first three quarters.
Is it possible to see Mohammed talking to Tim on SNL, if Tim were a Muslim?
Good point! IN FACT, South Park (the cartoon that lampoons most everyone) decided NOT to air an episode that made fun of Muslims. About the only time the show has done this...so perhaps the media/our culture is extra sensitive to Muslims and not so much to Christians? (South Park has had quite a few episodes making fun of Christians).
Islam should get the same sarcastic treatment like all beliefs do. People getting extra upset about it just make people want to do it more.
Great point! Also, South Park (the cartoon that lampoons almost everyone) decided to NOT air an episode that made fun of Muslims - something they RARELY do. They've done plenty of episodes that make fun of Christians...so does this mean that the media/our culture is actually more sensitive to not offending Muslims?
"yes, i would love Tim as my brother in faith, and I would support him, and I would ask God to Help him".
but first he has to actually worship God, like jesus worshiped God.
but he must worship ONLY God.
which is what mohammad said.
then i would love Tim as my brother in faith.
NOT if he worships jesus, or mary, or a saint, or an idol, or "something" or "no one".
then, he would not be my brother in faith, and no, i would not support him.
Because jesus never asked people to worship him. nor did he teach the trinity.
the trinity was taught by paul, who came 300 years after jesus- peace be upon him -
it was a type of chrisitianity taught to europeans who believed in greek mythology.
absolutely nothing to do with jesus' message.
up until the 7th century, the dominant christian teaching was that "son" in the bible, meant "righteous man". and was taught throughout the middle east by Arias, as "adoptionism".
then in the 7th century when islam came, adoptionism eventually died out because people
accepted mohammad as the last messenger of God, who taught the Quran
"Say: God is One [i.e. not three]. God does not need anyone. He did not have children. And He is not the child of anyone." as is in the quran "quran.com"
Now, how about the plight of non-Muslims in Muslim-majority countries? Suffices to say that the situation is very bad in many cases. Muslims living in the west (who enjoy great freedoms, rights, liberties and opportunities) should pay attention to that cause and help improve the human rights conditions for non-Muslims in Muslim-majority countries. That would be a noble pursuit.
My thoughts exactly.
I was recently in a Muslim city. On my flight, I was one of very few Muslims. The rest were American citizens working abroad, because they make major moolah working in a country that pays ridiculously high salaries to Americans, has no federal tax, sales tax or income tax. These people have no problems with "human rights conditions" that you speak of. They are treated better than the majority of the Muslims living there.
Why is your assumption that non-Muslims are treated unfairly in Muslim countries? Do you have a personal experience? If you have had a negative experience, it's probably in the minority, as the majority of American expats are well-off.
Think you missed entire point Ned Grant was making. OKay, say an athlete in predominantly Muslim country offered thanks to Allah at each game, would a writer be allowed to publish an article asking, "If "said athlete" were to praise Jesus Christ at each game would people here STILL love him?" First of all, no writer in their right mind would thik of doing that for fear of serious potential harm -- Christians cannot publicly announce or even practice their faith in these countries...THAT is the point (not how well ex-pats are treated working in those regions).