SubscribeThings that make you go, “Hmm”
Back in the early 1990s, C&C Music Factory recorded a popular song by that name. And Arsenio Hall frequently used the phrase during his monologue on his short-lived late-night talk show.
I think it’s time for it to make a comeback.
In today’s Chicago Sun-Times column, sportswriter Rick Telander discusses Tim Tebow, the Christian college football hero who will supposedly be featured (with his mother) in an anti-abortion commercial show during the Super Bowl.
Aside from the free speech issues (the writer suggests just flipping the channel when it comes on rather than censor it), Telander has some more basic issues with the incursion of sports and religion.
Some excerpts:
Studies have shown that we transform our God, whatever religion we espouse, into a deity with philosophical and moral teachings much like the ones we already hold.
God’s like me, in other words.
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But what if Tebow’s procession of biblical verse numbers on his eye patches — guaranteed instant and massive Google hits, by the way — were verses from the Koran instead?
What if they said, ”Believe in Morman”? ”Scientology Saves”? ”There Is No God”?
Or think of this: ”Death to Infidels.”
That is certainly not what people who love Tebow’s endless God-praising had in mind. Yet this is an open and multifaith society, and if one religion is allowed, others will be, must always be.
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How did Tebow’s college slogans get out there anyway? The NCAA rule book states that nothing but ”a player’s number; a player’s name; NCAA Football logo; memorial recognition; the American flag; or institution, conference or game identification … are permitted on a player’s person or tape.”
Is it possible Tebow was cut some slack because people like him and nobody wanted to offend the Christian right? Or that the ”powers that be” agreed with him?
A quarter of the world’s population is Muslim, and if our global terrorism battle against zealots is seen solely as Christians vs. Islam, we would do well to remember that there are Jews, atheists, Buddhists, Hindus and yes, Muslims in the American armed forces, and that as All-American a town as Dearborn, Mich., has 10 mosques, and its public schools close for Muslim holidays.
Somehow we’ve gotten to the point where big-time sport is overwhelmed by Baseball Chapel, Athletes in Action, Christian ministries, God squads and Bible-thumpers everywhere.
I wonder if that bothers Tebow at all. No, of course it doesn’t.
But I wonder how he’d feel if he scored a touchdown before a huge crowd, under the beckoning arms of ”Touchdown Muhammad”?
Think of that when you watch his ad.
You can read Telander’s column here.
You never see ads that promote abortion. This Tebow ad should not air.
Right. The point is not freedom of speech but why a network would sell an ad for a particular political view–which it is not required to. Ironically, I would bet that most people that work at CBS are pro-choice but I guess they feel they need the money. I’m outraged at CBS for doing this. As for Tebow, he’s just another right-wing southern brat who thinks it’s ok to impose his view of the world on everyone.
And, of course, CBS is doing it because he’s a right-wing Christian. They would never think of running a pro-choice ad.