George W. & the Tebow

There’s an email going around right now that asks an intriguing question:

The wise and objective Ralph Hiatt had this to say:

Tim Tebow’s “Te-bow” reminds me of the almost exact position shown in the famous painting of General George Washington who was not ashamed to be a Christian when he knelt and prayed for his troops during the revolutionary war… while his ragged, tired men fought for freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom from undue taxation under the rule of the king of England. Years ago almost every school child used to see that painting displayed in his school room or in his school books.

America… Where are we headed?

Personally I’m not a big fan of professional sports unless Seattle teams happen to be winning something. The lifestyles of some pro athletes disgust me. I also don’t think God cares that much about which team wins or loses a football game. But should He be given credit for a win, or a great performance, or any other good thing? You bet! He’s who gives us the ability to accomplish anything in the first place.

I am becoming increasingly concerned about religious intolerance in this country. While I may not care much about pro football, the attacks against Tim Tebow for displaying his faith are disturbing. This is what I mean when I say it’s “okay” to hate Christians. Everyone’s free to express their own beliefs and opinions, but I’m noticing a widespread furor, almost a groupthink, that spews stereotypes and demeaning generalizations over those who profess faith in Jesus Christ.

Christianity has started to be treated as abnormal and dangerous when it’s plainly been the majority faith in this country (and Western civilization) for a long time. People who can’t even rationalize their dislike of it attack the faith as radical, extremist, and narrow-minded. I fear that we are losing our grasp on the concept of freedom of religion. True Christianity, in my opinion, is not a religion anyway, it’s a relationship without all the ritualistic, legalistic manmade embellishments. Regardless, it’s protected by the Constitution.

Jen Floyd Engel wrote an insightful piece about the hatred towards Tim Tebow on Fox Sports: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Tim-Tebow-why-the-heck-do-we-hate-him-110211. It brings that Selwyn Hughes quote to mind again, the one I just mentioned in my blurb on worldwide Christian persecution: This is why the scribes and Pharisees hated our Lord so much. It wasn’t because He was good; it was because He was different.

Yeah, Tim Tebow is different. I don’t care that he plays good football. I care that he’s man enough to stand up for the time-honored tradition he believes in and doesn’t let an army of critics shout him down. Walter Lippmann said, “He has honor if he holds himself to an ideal of conduct though it is inconvenient, unprofitable, or dangerous to do so.” That’s what Tebow is doing in a world of self-indulgence and I commend him for it.

As Ralph Hiatt said, George W. did the Tebow, and nobody should be afraid, ashamed, or timid about taking a knee in front of the Almighty. After all, as the great preacher Adrian Rogers said, the man who kneels before God can stand before any problem.

That’s what George Washington did more than two centuries ago, and the result was a nation that, at least in days past, believed in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness above all else.

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Update: You can read Ralph Hiatt’s take on the Tebow at http://ralphhiatt.blogspot.com/2012/01/tim-tebow-does-george-washington-bow.html.

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