Tim Tebow to the Jets? Whoop-dee-fucking-doo.
Now I suppose New Yorkers will either love or hate this self-proclaimed Jesus worshiper who prays to God for victory — you know, just in case the guy upstairs has finally decided to ignore the NFL’s craziest Christian zealot.
Thankfully I’m a Giants fan. Go Big Blue!
But I feel bad for the Jets fans who have, up until now, been wishing for some way to silence us Giants fans and finally make it to a Super Bowl of their own. With the addition of this superstar, we really don’t know if it will be talent or God’s will that leads the Jets to victory or defeat.
However, the bigger problem here is not whether or not Tebow would be an asset to the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets! It’s about Tebow’s place in a larger movement sweeping the United States, popping up daily on a television near you.
We’ve already seen how a religious zealot in a pro sports role can affect a fan base, either gaining popularity through attractive Christian ideals or achieving infamy through flaunting distasteful religious enthusiasm. Unfortunately, this state of affairs is no longer found few and far between, and has even begun to rear its nasty head in other spheres of influence.
If you don’t believe me, go have a quick read about Rick Santorum.
Is that not enough? Find out what’s been motivating multiple states to push legislation forcing females seeking abortion to go through invasive tests and extensive interviews in order to have the procedure.
This is not going to be a preachy argument about why separation of church and state is important, why it’s ridiculous that women’s bodies are constantly the subject of (mostly) old white men’s policy platforms or even why encouraging an idiot like Tim Tebow is more dangerous than facetious.
This is me telling you — the person judging these outlandish attention-seekers — to always be educated.
So now you’re wondering how I got from the New York Jets scooping up the NFL’s most Christian quarterback to advocating education. To me, the connection is quite clear.
Tim Tebow’s personal belief in his lord and savior Jesus Christ is not the problem, nor is what we have come to affectionately refer to as his “Tebowing” in the middle of the field. It’s that he is a popular enough icon to influence his devoted admirers, and even possibly bring them over to the dark side of ostentatious religious expression.
Understanding why this man is who he is and why he does what he does is important. Tebow doesn’t kneel to pledge his faith to the beloved pigskin, nor does he do it to appreciate his teammates. He does it to show off his personal connection with God and his belief that you should have such a connection too.
The same goes for so many other public figures who have professed that religion, specifically Christianity, should be inextricable from morality, policy or just the daily grind.
Just saying that Rick Santorum is an idiot isn’t enough. Know why he’s an idiot, and you won’t be one too.