Why Tebow bothers me...

[acroyear]

...and it isn't just the whole "Thanking God When We Win" (as if God really cares who wins a football game).

When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.  But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.  When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.  So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. (Matthew 6:5-6:9)

The problem isn't that he is a Christian.  The problem is that he is going out of his way to make a display of the fact that he is a Christian, and then he is reaped praises by the evangelicals for his display of faith.  Yet these same Evangelicals would condemn a player in the harshest of terms if he happened to be Muslim and decided that in the middle of a game he was going to make a display of praying towards Mecca.

This is not true Christianity.  This is wearing the label of Christianity on as a badge of honor, praised upon by others in a show of pure, raw tribalism.

This is what God truly commanded us NOT to do when we were ordered (by those very Commandments these people want to put up in every American courthouse, in spite of the dubious Constitutionality of them) to "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.".  That is what he and others are doing, they are wearing God's name as a vanity (the true meaning of this term), and as such he is in my opinion setting a bad, very UN-Jesus-like example to his fans.

And yeah, I have a problem with that.  People like him are the reason I have overtly declared (in spite of my faith, such as it is), that I am not a 'Christian' anymore.  I refuse to wear the same label as they choose to own and control and wield as a tool to control others.  They can have it.

Comments

[stori-lundi.livejournal.com]

I like what Jake "the snake" Plummer" said, "“I wish he’d just shut up after a game and go hug his teammates,” Plummer said, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. “I think that when he accepts the fact that we know that he loves Jesus Christ then I think I’ll like him a little better. I don’t hate him because of that, I just would rather not have to hear that every time he takes a good snap or makes a good handoff.”

[silvrwillow.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know the situation because I just don't follow sports stuff. Maybe he is "wearing it as a vanity badge" and maybe not. I am a Christian. I keep it low-key because public evangelism is not my style. I try to be a witness (albeit a poor and oft-times failing one, I'm sure) through what I do & sometimes what I say. Yeah, the guy is probably somewhat annoying to others. To me, it just seems he is just witnessing in his way (which is something Christians -and I assume other religions- are supposed to do and spread the word). But the whole thing reminds of this Bible verse: "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh upon the heart". Great Bible verse quote though! :) That part is true too.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

We were told (by the Angel at the grave, the end of Mark first version (other verses were added later) to "Go and Tell".

I have no problem with "Go and Tell", especially to those who ask. But our actions, our piety, is not what we are necessarily to tell. Piety itself that which we should be witnessing and advertising, but it is what the evangelicals believe is most important (look at all the public displays of religion by the current crop of candidates for the GOP).

It is putting piety on display that I have the problem with, that i believe He told us explicitly NOT to do (Paul's take on it is something different of course, aside from Galatians, and there are times that I believe Paul himself is in contradiction with the Gospels). Perhaps he is being used by the religious right, a good man being used as a poster child by corrupt men looking to increase their power and influence by pointing out the *wrong* parts of this man's behavior as the role model.

I never heard of his kindness off the field (maybe it is there, maybe it isn't), I never hear of his real family life (perhaps we shouldn't even if it is a healthy happy family, as such matters should stay private), I never hear of his charity work (ok, for his income this is something to know), I only hear that he's a Christian because openly he prays in public, and that to me was one thing listed as a negative thing in BOTH testaments. (meanwhile as I said, these same people who praise his public displays of prayer would turn around and condemn a Muslim for doing the same.)

[neadods.livejournal.com]

This is what God truly commanded us NOT to do when we were ordered (by those very Commandments these people want to put up in every American courthouse, in spite of the dubious Constitutionality of them)

I've always said that the world would be a better place if the people who want to wallpaper it with the 10 Commandments *followed* those commandments.

[thelongshot.livejournal.com]

As one who surrounds himself with the NFL during this time of year, and watching a bit of Tebow play and talk in interviews, I do feel I need to say something. What I get from all of what I've seen of the guy is one who is thankful to God for all the opportunities he's been given and the people who have surrounded and supported him. To me, that doesn't seem out of bounds, particularly since he probably wouldn't have come as far as he has without the help. I don't think he believes that God hands him wins.

He comes across as a guy who didn't expect to be handed things by God, but had to work for them. Others explained it to me as the Protestant Work Ethic. Given how far he's come this season from what he was to what he does now, you don't get there without hard work.

Tebow isn't unique in the NFL. There have been other demonstrative Christians before (Reggie White and Kurt Warner come to mind). Kickers often point to the sky after making kicks. I've seen players gather before games to pray. And yes, I've seen them thank God in postgame interviews. I've never taken it as them using God's name in vain. If they are, well, they probably should be worried about God's reaction when their time comes. It isn't anything to be concerned about.

Kurt Warner did speak about Tebow, and while he does think Tebow should tone it down, it isn't because he feels that he's taking God's name in vain, but because he feels people take his demonstrations of faith the wrong way. You are one end of things, the evangelical Christians are another. Tebow seems to do it for his love of God. And yes, for a lot of us who don't care, it gets annoying after a while.

That being said, when Sam Hurd gets arrested for trying to set up a drug ring in Chicago, I think the NFL has bigger problems than a guy who might praise God a little too much.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

Tebow's public prayer is a bit more than just pointing to the sky. Granted, it may be helping improve is playing (even if you don't believe in prayer like this does anything supernatural) simply as a meditative and focusing action.

I'm not begrudging the NFL (though it isn't their place to say anything) as much as the Evangelicals (on radio, tv, etc) who are making an example of him, of this idea that the only people of any worth are those who make public displays of their faith. It bothers me because he's being held as an example yet his actions go against what I believe the Word intended, and it bothers me because of their rank hypocrisy regarding people of other religions being public with their own prayers.