I not going to try and mislead you, or use a clever hook to get your attention, this post is about Tim Tebow.
There has been a strange fascination with him for the past year, love him or hate him there was no escaping “Tebow” this NFL season. Tebow mania leaked from sports radio to cable news and newspapers. Christians love Tim Tebow. To them he is a refreshing, wholesome break from self absorbed, irresponsible, dog fighting, and “alleged rapist” football players with whom we normally suffer.
Of course, this is a completely false viewpoint, Tebow is just as bad as every other athlete we love to hate. I know that people who support him will point to his off field conduct and spirituality, saying he's no Ben Roethlisberger or Michael Vick, or even O.J. Simpson."
I am not saying that Tim Tebow will kill anyone, or even “allegedly rape” anyone, but the point remains that every stupid or evil thing a famous (or non famous) person does is motivated by a core weakness to a “deadly sin.” Aside from being a terrific plot device in the movie “Seven” the seven deadly sins are a great way to categorize what major vice people are susceptible to. Ben Roethlisberger: Lust, O.J. Simpson: Wrath, and Tim Tebow: Vanity. I am not going to try and make Tim Tebow's sideline prayer sesssions, anti abortion ads, and general “look at me!” Christian attitude out to be as bad as killing someone, but from his own religions standpoint it is stemming from the same place.
A popular argument defending Tebow is that “he doesn't ask for all this attention. But I would disagree. Based on his actions he wants every single person in the world to know just how damn Christian he is. Lets first look at his preferred praying “stance” what has now become known as “Tebowing.” Kneeling with one hand on his face and his helmet in his clenched fist on the grass. He made a conscious decision to start doing this, like he wanted every one to know he was DEFINITELY praying, and not just concentrating really hard or something.
I don't think its difficult to accept that Tebow wants everyone to know he's praying, every time he's praying.
"So what's the big deal there's no law against praying! At least not until Obama gets his way! right?"
Wrong again easily persuaded hypothetical reader. Let's try and think of a group of people from the Bible who were rebuked by Jesus for praying loudly on street corners “where everyone can see them?”
Pharisees. That's right, Tim Tebow is a pharisee. In Matthew 6:6 it says:
"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.”
But there's Tim Tebow, up on the jumbo-tron prayin' away, like he's got something to prove. I take issue with Mr. Tebow in the same way I take issue with everyone who gets in front of a mall church and prays for twelve minutes to show off. That's not praying it's showing off.
“But Tebow is praying silently!”
Yes, but the important part of the passage above is “inner room” otherwise known as a place where no one can see you, I wouldn't be surprised if Tebow got his hands on a mic and led the whole stadium in prayer before each Broncos possesion. Tim Tebow is praying publicly to get attention for being really Christian, for himself, not for God, again it comes back to vanity.
Let's pretend Tim Tebow is instead completely private about his praying and humble in his faith. He would be known as a great college QB who wasn't ready for the pros but found a way to win when his team needed him to, and maybe he'd talk about God a little and inspire someone. But instead he is either God's servant sent to earth to win the superbowl for Jesus, or a vain idiot who prays all the time on TV for attention. See the difference? Fellow Christian football player, Kurt Warner, publicly told Tebow:
“Put down the boldness in regards to the words, and keep living the way you’re living. Let your teammates do the talking for you. Let them cheer on your testimony.”
I would have no problem with Mr. Tebow if he behaved this way, but it's the publicity of his faith that irks me. I have no issue with Tebow praying, but the way he's doing it screams: “pride.”
So where is your God now? Evidently not on the gridiron.
tl;dr Tim Tebow is vain and proud in the way he prays, which defeats his religious persona.
PS: If you like Tebow because (a. you are a Broncos fan, (b. are a Florida fan or (c. find it amusing that a QB with bad throwing form can run the ball a bunch and somehow win games, then I have no problem with that.
