On CNN a few weeks ago I was asked whether I agree with the sentiment that Tim Tebow's religious displays in football games are overdone and out-of-place. "Oh yes," I replied, "it certainly is. Faith should have no place in sport. Indeed, I believe that the only thing that should be allowed at football games are truly dignified displays like women jumping up and down in lycra with pompoms and cleavage, and bare-chested, pot-bellied men with their teams written across their stomachs, and people wearing cheese hats on their heads. But faith? G-d forbid."
Yes, I'm a Tim Tebow fan. And not only because he's the underdog who pulls off miraculous victories, the scrappy boyish quarterback who always snatches victory from the jaws of defeat. Nor because he is openly religious and celebrates the fact that amid his love for football there are things in life infinitely more important than sport. No, I'm a Tim Tebow fan because frankly my dear, he just doesn't give a damn. Here is a guy who has decided who he is, what his convictions and principles are, and will stick with it whatever the criticism, whatever the price. And in age where people have such wobbly identities, that kind of enthusiasm for one's core beliefs is positively infectious.
The attacks on Tebow are bizarre, the hatred shown to him by critics strange. People seem to loathe his missionary work more than Ben Roethlisberger's treatment of women (Ben's repented, so let's move on). They seem more offended by his morality than by Kobe Bryant's infidelity. Tebow is touching some real nerve.
I believe it is this. America is a religious country, and sincerely so. Ninety-two percent of the population believes in G-d, who is even on our money. It is a Church-going, Synagogue-supporting nation. But it loves compartmentalizing religion. Keep it in the Church, but not in the schools. Put G-d in Presidential campaigns, but never in the popular culture. Aside from those who pay for their air time, like Joel Osteen, notice that you never see religion on TV. There are a thousand different reality TV shows on the cable networks about everything under the sun. That is, except faith. You never see religion in a concert hall or in Rock and Roll. And aside from the occasional mention of G-d by a coach or a player in an interview, you never see it in sport.
Until Tim Tebow.
Tebow brought prayer to the secular cathedral of the stadium, and infiltrated the foremost religion of all -- worldwide sport. What Tebow is most guilty of, and what gets him under people's skin, is breaching the line that all are supposed to respect, namely, that which separates the secular from the religious, the holy from the profane, the sacred from the everyday. G-d is a serious subject. People want Him in their lives, and will turn to Him at the appropriate time. But not in their recreation. We just want to have a good time. We want to see bone-crunching tackles, running backs diving into the end zone, not people on their knees in prayer.
So Tim, take it to the Church, man. We'll catch up with you later. We came to watch touchdowns.
But people like me admire Tim Tebow precisely because we don't believe in these artificial lines. We believe in live and let live. We're not here to ever impose our faith on anyone else. But we won't accept having it knocked out of us either. We're not fanatics. We don't argue that it's our way or the high way. We're not going to make you pray but less so are we going to allow you to forbid us to practice our faith. It's a free country. Some want to spike the ball in the end zone, some want to get on a knee and give thanks. Who does it bother?
Public schools should never have mandatory prayer. But as the Lubavitcher Rebbe argued, they should have a moment of silence where students can choose to reflect on something higher if they so choose. G-d should not be mandated at school but He need not be chased out either.
Religion should obviously not be enforced in public schools, but parents should get vouchers to send their children to religious schools if they so choose. It's their tax money, after all.
So hack away at that artificial line, Tim. Pray away on the Gridiron. Keep on visiting orphans in your downtime while your colleagues do their thing. Keep on being you. We're rooting for you. And you're plenty large, whether you win the big game or not.
Shmuley Boteach, "America's Rabbi," is the international best-selling author of 27 books and has just published Kosher Jesus. He was The London Times Preacher of the Year at the Millennium, and received the American Jewish Press Association's Highest Award for Excellence in Commentary. Follow him on Twitter @RabbiShmuley.
Follow Rabbi Shmuley Boteach on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RabbiShmuley
Rev. James Martin, S.J.: Does God Listen to Tim Tebow More Than Me?
Would TT even be in the news if he were Muslim?
I've been putting these questions to Christians now on this topic for some time, and it would be nice to get an answer, because it does influence people's lives in a quite meaningful way. Do you seriously believe that God is taking an interest in a football match? If so on what criteria does God decide who the winner is going to be? Because in my humble opinion, it should be the team that plays better. But the possibility exists that the game is being decided on religious affiliation, or the sinful state of some players, or the general religious health of the team. This must influence the betting, and it would be really nice if people who bet could make some judgement on the likely winner, if criteria other than skill count. Or is betting in itself so sinful that god doesnt care?
Already he is building a hospital in the Philippines( his birth place )...and there will be many more to come. The ammount of work this young man will do to help the less fortunate, will be his legacy....
To him & to his God....football is just a means to a greater purpose & of course, the more famous he becomes, the more income he generates..and ultimately more and more poor children will get things they need !!!
Often it seems the secular human...has no heart or vision !
This can be good or bad. I am appalled that one day he picked up a scalpel and surgical mask and began cutting off the ends of little boy's penises as part of his "missionary work". That is sexual assault and battery. What kind of man enjoys doing this? It is deeply disturbing.
Here comes tebow to remind us that we need God, who is the source of all blessings and Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior and hope of the humanity. Thanks from this Indian friend
Read Matthew 5:11-12...Tebow understands this because he's living it....“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
What Vick did was wrong and appalling. I had a problem with it.
On the voucher issue .. many people pay taxes who don't have children .. should they be able to pull "their money" out in a voucher as well ? .. what about severely disabled children (whom a voucher will not even pay a fraction of the their cost of moving to a new school .. and who's services are less funded as other children move out ?
God loves New England as much as He does the Broncos. Jesus Christ died for us all!
The 92% number isn't accurate - the last survey showed 14% are either agnostic or atheist.
God being on our money has nothing to do with the religious views of the majority - it has more to do with pandering politicians and those 'godless communists' that the politicians thought we needed to be distinguished from.
Church-going? Less than half attend church on a regular basis, barely more than that attend on even a sporadic basis.
You for example claim "he's the underdog who pulls off miraculous victories, the scrappy boyish quarterback who always snatches victory from the jaws of defeat".
Is that really your definition of a miracle? Have you cheapened miracles so much as to believe that a completed pass is one? Is that how petty miracles are? As for 'always snatches victory'....well I guess that's true except for the games he's lost.
I have no issue with Tebow or his faith, he's pretty quiet about it. I do however have issue with the rhetoric his fans are pushing, like yours.
Football has always had a deep Christian undertone to it, for years teams have prayed or thanked the lord. Tebow is nothing new.
His fans claiming god helps him pass however, that's new and doesn't do Tebow or Christianity any favors.
Tebow will need more than a prayer to beat Pats.
Go Giants!
And how perverse to pray that you complete a pass with all the suffering that's going on in the world. I don't think Jesus was into the trite.
Imagine if a Muslim publicly displayed his religion at a sporting event or a Hindu did it. I suspect those good "Christians" would be up in arms.
Jesus says that many who believe they'll be in the light, won't be!
Well JC did say not to make a spectacle of your piety. Yet he was a serious thorn in several groups sides. -With good reason, too. He chose to challenge the authorities, but I don't think he recommended it wholesale
Every time he gives all of the credit for a win to his "lord and savior Jesus Christ", he is offending Christians by saying that their god sits back and does nothing about famine, disease, and war, but that he gets involved for football. And he certainly offends his team mates by suggesting that they suck so bad that they can only win when god chooses him to win.