1) Tebow and Faith

The theology of GOD on our side against other people who claim GOD is on their side is the height of insanity.  And to see strange coincidence as proof of that is ridiculous.  GOD sends signs rather than proofs of already held beliefs.  If anything, I’m willing to see that as a sign, not of ascendency and divine support, but as what was about to happen: the mighty fall.

Our mistake is that we think GOD wants us to be mighty.  We don’t know what GOD has in store for us, but one thing we are assured is that GOD doesn’t raise us up to be mighty.  GOD doesn’t make us big and powerful to vanquish our enemies; especially on the football field.

GOD promises to make the mighty low and to disempower the powerful and build up a faith community.  Superhuman feats for singular human glory are not GOD’s bag.  Jesus said that over and over.  Nor is GOD glorified by Tebow touchdown passes or Bronco victories.  GOD is about building up communities while the Cult of Tebow embraces vapid individualism.

Like most Christians, Tim Tebow’s faith is inseparable from his other identities.  This is a big part of the reason your grandmother knows who he is.  Actually, that isn’t accurate.  It is because he’s so famously Christian that your grandmother know who he is.  All of the other Christian football players are pretty anonymous.  

Unlike the thousands of other athletes that make obvious expressions of faith on the field without earning a verb for it, only Tebow has his own cult-like following, based on his faith.  It is also the primary reason the cultists assume any criticisms of Tebow are entirely based on his Christian identity. Virtually none of them are.

2) Lots of Reasons to dislike Tebow

A person doesn’t need to criticize Tebow because of his Christian identity.  There are plenty of other good reasons.

Despite all of the wins, his stats are horrible.  He isn’t a good quarterback, yet.  And it is entirely possible that any number of quarterbacks could have led this Broncos team to the playoffs.  It does not correlate that a team’s winning necessitates its quarterback is above reproach.  Just ask Tom Brady.

He’s clutch in the 4th Quarter, but terrible for the first three.  One of the reasons Tebow wouldn’t need to make comebacks is if he were a better quarterback  the whole time rather than the last five minutes.  People get on Tony Romo for choking, but at least he is spectacular for 3 quarters!  That’s three times more quality play than Tebow!

He has some growing up to do.  Watching his poor handling of a bowl loss to Michigan his Junior year at Florida and the way he all but threw Kyle Orton under the bus at the beginning of the season make it really hard for me to see him as the beacon of Christian morality.  He seems like an opportunist.

The cult of Tebow wanted the Broncos to lose.  Now, this isn’t entirely Tebow’s fault, but he did seem to encourage this behavior in interviews, but Broncos fans actually seemed to want their team to lost just so that Tebow would play.  This is one of the problems with the Christian divine intervention plot line I’ll talk about in a minute, because Christians shouldn’t root for another’s failure.  It also exposes an unhealthy relationship with a singular figure, particularly considering how lousy Tebow played in the preseason, how well Orton played, and how the fans forced the coach to skip over another quarterback that outplayed Tebow (Brady Quinn).  This isn’t the behavior of people that are devoted to their team, but inappropriately attached to a leader.

His style of Christian evangelism is impersonal and simplistic.  Most people I’ve read or heard criticizing Tebow for something other than football, do so because they don’t actually like his style of evangelism.  A big reason is that he puts Bible verses on his face and makes a very big physical deal.  He doesn’t quickly cross himself or point his finger in the air (which are ridiculous enough), but model a specific pose.  These, though encouraging to some and his own thing, are both very demonstrable and grand gestures intended to be seen.  Not everyone agrees that such public displays of overt piety are the best expressions of one’s faith.

3) The Magical Mystery Tour

Belief in the power of prayer is about being in relationship with GOD.  Which, I am certain Tebow is.  However, it is not for the granting of wishes or the expectation that GOD will grant one superhuman abilities that we pray.  Being in that relationship is empowering.  This is in strong contrast to the articulation that GOD is completely responsible for one’s actions.

In his article, “An Atheistic Defense Of Tim Tebow,” Eric Adelson argues that Tebow’s accomplishments this year prove, not providence, but the power of human achievement.

Tebow’s success is based in his courage and almost reckless abandon; that he is unafraid to face adversity.  Adelson argues that this proves Tebow’s ability, and rarity, rather than GOD’s influence.

Adelson is half-right.  

Of course, it disproves the terms of providence set by many conservative evangelicals that GOD directly alters a person’s fate if they just prayed harder or better.  But his description of Tebow’s courage and lack of fear is quintessentially Christian.  

GOD’s supposed empowerment of Tebow is not fulfillment of prayer in a magical victory, but in the strength to face the adversity without fear.  In other words, Tebow does achieve because of GOD, but not in the way he thinks!

4) No Mighty Christians

The biggest problem with the Cult of Tebow is the theology.  They think GOD picks favorites and directly acts in football games.  What is the criteria, praying harder?  It is dangerous theology to see a GOD so actively connected, not to us and our desires, but to our actions and expectations of victory.  GOD doesn’t pick winners and losers.  Except…

There is something more provocative than the 316 nonsense from the Pittsburgh win.  And for those that don’t know, there was an eerie recurrence of the combination of the numbers 3, 1, and 6 throughout the game and Tebow wore John 3:16 on his eye black!  Oooooh!  Creepy!  And Denver beat the best defense in the country on a “miraculous” pass play to get Tebow 316 yards passing.  Oh!  Many have started to think that GOD is actually directing Tebow.

What is more provocative is what happened two nights ago.  Tebow got smacked around and the Broncos were obliterated by the New England Patriots.