SubscribeSports and religion: Giving thanks
For the last couple of years, football fans have read and heard about Tim Tebow, quarterback for the Florida Gators and considered by some sports pundits as one of the greatest college athletes of all time.
But more recently, questions have come about about his squeaky clean image. Not that there’s anything wrong with that or that he’s a hypocrite, seen out dancing and drinking with the wrong crowd. No, it’s more that he’s too good, too religious in his comments.
This column by Tony Krattenmaker in USA Today (Oct. 12) brings up a sensitive point: When athletes praise their particular deity, what does that mean for the rest of their fans who do not happen to follow the same beliefs?
He offers nothing but praise for Tebow as an outstanding role model, but wonders about the message of tolerance imparted by those who believe their way is the only way.
Tebow does his missionary trips to the Philippines under the auspices of his father’s Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association. The Tebow organization espouses a far-right theology. Its bottom line: Only those who assent to its version of Christianity will avoid eternal punishment. The ministry boldly declares, “We reject the modern ecumenical movement.”
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In making and acting on rigid claims about who is or isn’t in good standing with God, the Bob Tebow organization is working at cross purposes with the majority of Americans — indeed, the majority of American Christians — and their more generous conception of salvation.
Certainly, Tim Tebow must be applauded for the good he does working on his father’s missions, but he should be seen, too, as one who promotes a form of belief that makes unwelcome judgments about everyone else’s religion. Let’s not forget the twinge that is felt by sports-loving Jewish kids and parents, for example, or by champions for interfaith cooperation, when adored sports figures like Tebow use their fame to push a Jesus-or-else message. [emphasis added]
Is sports-world evangelicalism really “good for everything”? Certainly a lot, but not everything. Not if you’re Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, non-evangelical Protestant, agnostic or anything else outside the conservative evangelical camp.
I’ve spoken with several sports figures — Jewish and gentile — who have mentioned their discomfort with the clubhouse chapel and feelings of helplessness about being in the minority. In 2005, Ryan Church, then with the Washington Nationals, made front page news in 2005 when he had to apologize for saying that those who didn’t believe in Jesus — Jews specifically — were doomed to hell.
An article in Sunday’s paper about Baseball Chapel quoted Church as saying that he had turned to Moeller for advice about his former girlfriend, who was Jewish. “I said, like, Jewish people, they don’t believe in Jesus. Does that mean they’re doomed? Jon nodded, like, that’s what it meant. My ex-girlfriend! I was like, man, if they only knew. Other religions don’t know any better. It’s up to us to spread the word,” Church said.
I would guess that most of these evangelical athletes are well-meaning and believe in their mission. But they should heed the proverb, “The road to hell is paved weith good inettnions.”
Nothing worse than Evangelicals trying to “save” every non-believer they encounter.