Another brave poster about the Tebow phenomenon

The Tebow Phenomenon: Two Kinds of Prejudice

Posted by Kathy Schiffer | Posted in Athletes | January 15th, 2012

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I know—I’m coming really late to the dance. In the last several months, everyone and his brother has jumped into the fray to beat up on Denver Broncos’ starting quarterback Tim Tebow.

Actually, though, what I want to do is something quite different:  I want to use this winsome young man as a foil, merely to talk about PREJUDICE.

I have in mind two kinds of prejudice:

1. Prejudice Against Faith.  The prejudice against Tim Tebow and, by extension, against all people of faith.  The prejudice on the part of sports reporters, the entertainment media, even his teammates.
2. Prejudice Against the Catholic Faith.  The prejudice of the Tebow family, especially his father Bob Tebow, toward Catholics.

Let me explain.
First, reporters and writers from the secular left have decried Tebow’s “in-your-face” expressions of faith.  Religion is okay, they tell us, but should be kept private—not flaunted on the field nor vocalized in every post-game interview.  Athletes, even Tebow’s own teammates, have mocked his on-field bended-knee prayer posture.  All the “Tebowing” talk has become a cliché on late-night talk shows and radio sports channels.
Actually, though, the sports pages are replete with stories about athletes who take their faith seriously. 

• Brian Dawkins, a teammate of Tim Tebow’s on the Denver Broncos, is actually more outspoken about his faith than is Tebow. 
• Pittsburgh Steelers star Troy Polamalu is known among his teammates for his spiritual devotion.  The Greek Orthodox Christian prays during the action—crossing himself before every play and sometimes after.  Of the team’s 2006 Superbowl win, Polamalu said it was “really beautiful and a blessing.  But success in football doesn’t matter.  Success in anything doesn’t matter.  As Mother Teresa said, God calls us not to be successful but to be faithful.  My prayer is that I would glorify God no matter what, and not have success be the definition of it.”
• New York Giants kicker Jay Feely, who was second in the NFL last season with 148 points, is a devout Catholic who seeks to use his football stardom to affect people’s lives in a positive way.  He described a particular meeting with a sick little boy:  “That was my moment of clarity.  It solidified my faith.  That was when I understood my life as a man….”
• Minnesota Vikings backup quarterback Mike McMahon, a lifelong Catholic, carries a rosary and prays every day. 
• German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer recommitted himself to his Catholic faith after meeting Pope Benedict XVI in 2005.  “Benedict XVI leads people to the Church,” Beckenbauer told aMunich newspaper, “and I am the best example of that.”

So why, then, is there an outcry among some groups, who urge Tebow to keep his faith private?  Is it possibly that his strongly pro-life television commercial filmed with his mother, that aired during last year’s Superbowl, has offended some  viewers?  Or has the climate just become more toxic for faith?
Then, there’s another kind of prejudice—that demonstrated by believers of some Christian denominations toward adherents of the Catholic faith.  And unfortunately, it would appear that Tim’s father Bob, and probably Tim himself, fall into this group.
Somehow as we’ve cheered Tebow’s public acts of piety, we’ve failed to notice some discriminatory messages emanating from his father’s Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association (BTEA), the missionary organization in the Philippines to which Tim contributes both financial and hands-on support.
Bob Tebow’s missionary efforts in the Philippines began in 1985.  Bob, his wife Pam and their five children lived in the Philippines from 1985 to 1990, preaching the gospel, planting churches, and establishing a staff of Filipino national evangelists, which now number 52.  In addition to training the BTEA staff, Bob also began holding seminars and conferences to train local Filipino pastors.
Among the BTEA’s missionary efforts is an orphanage, Uncle Dick’s House, which is now home to 50 orphans, and a boat ministry intended to reach every small island in the Philippine island chain.
On the BTEA website, Bob Tebow claims, “In a country of 92,000,000, it is estimated that over 65,000,000 Filipinos have never once heard the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Currently, there are 41,949 barangays (villages), and 26,675 (64%) of them have no evangelical church of any kind.” And, he adds, “…many Filipinos would believe in Jesus if they were just given the opportunity.”
BUT….  In actuality, the Philippines are a strongly Catholic country.  According to the most recent data, fully 82.9% of Filipinos are Catholic.
Bob Tebow believes that Catholics are not Christian, that they do not believe in Jesus, and that they need to be converted to Tebow’s particular brand of Evangelical Protestantism.  His life-long ministry has been devoted to “converting” Catholics away from their faith.
That is an insidious prejudice, and one which must be countered by Truth.


Kathy Schiffer has a great blog: Seasons of Grace.

Great article and well researched Kathy.

Tim Tebow: some elevating him to the one being worshipped. Blasphemy.

Sorry about the verbage above the picture but I certainly want everyone to get a good look at the jersey.  This Tim Tebow thing has gotten way out of hand; way out of hand.  I'm afraid that in some circles we have elevated Tebow to the one being worshipped.

Tim Tebow's faith is both personal and very public and both are correct.  The faithful are not to hide their love of God and faith in Jesus under a bushel basket and are called to take the faith to the world.  But this Tim Tebow thing, because of the media and certain sports reporters, has just gone too far.  Tim Tebow should be admired for his faith and his willingness to demonstrate that faith publicly.  But here's a newsflash: he ain't the first.  Over the years many a Christian athelete has knelt, pointed to heaven and made the sign of the cross or uttered a prayer of thanksgiving.  Tebow does not "tebow" my friends; he kneels, he prays, he gives thanks, he worships God.  To call this gesture "tebowing" is flat out blasphemous.  How insulting to the millions upon million of folks who have dropped to their knees in prayer, worship and adoration of the God who is, who was and forever will be.

I don't blame Tebow as much as the media, but the media just can't help themselves.  For them it's novel, and sporty, and even sexy and for the most part, when trying to tie this whole phenomena to faith, they can only display their overwhelming ignorance of God.

And as a Catholic, am I but just one lone voice who has some concern about the ministry that Tim Tebow learned all about God from, the ministry of his own father.  While certainly Christian, Tebow's father has used his ministry more than once, especially in the Phillipines, to save those "misguided" Catholics from the error of their ways and become "real" Christians.  I did not know that Catholics, the original Christians, were no longer Christian.

You know we have had our own version of this type of idol worship here in New Orleans when Saints fans want to refer to QB Drew Brees as Breesus; equating his name to the holy name of Jesus.  Now, Drew don't like this either and we must understand that this too is blasphemy.

I'm going to watch Denver vs. New England today and probably not care who really wins the game.  God is not ordaining Tebow to win just like he does not hate Tebow if they loose.  I'll watch Tebow to see if he continues to play with determination and grit and wahtever skill sets he indeed is blessed with.  If he scores and genuflects, or kneels; great.  When it's called "tebowing" I'll send a little prayer heaven bound for the ignorant sap who calls it that!