Thread: What if Tim Tebow were a Muslim?

Originally Posted by USA-1

Tim Tebow 6/22 for 60 yds 1 int.
Backup Matt Flynn 31/44 480 yds 6 Tds.
Tebow is one of the worst QBs I have ever seen. Denver should try to sign Flynn after the season.

He only looks bad on passing plays.

Originally Posted by Vortex

I call "bullshit". Show me something that supports your position.

Multiple court cases that have made it unconstitutional for any person who can be even indirectly construed to be associated with the authority structure of a public school to express their own, religious faith.

Originally Posted by Djinn

I'm not sure if it's been discussed over the past 150+ posts, but one major factor is that Tim Tebow is a public figure. And not unwillingly - he's a public performer whose living is directly dependent on the number of people who watch him perform. And as a public figure, he is subject to additional scrutiny - it's a part of the package when you deliberately put yourself on display.

The OP includes a picture of several Muslims in prayer. These aren't public figures.

When Tim Tebow does his almighty-god schtick, he's going to great lengths to do it in full view of a telecast audience of millions. The same cannot be said of the Muslims depicted in the OP.

This is an attitude thing. Attitudes are shaped by culture. When the guys who scored in last night's Cowboys-Giants game, gyrated in the end zone for 4-5 seconds each, the booth announcer at least once reinforced the behavior by talking about getting into it. An end zone dance has no particular meaning. One might, if they were to choose to, assign a meaning of religious celebration to an end zone dance gyration, like praying to the Gods for rain or celebrating the goddess of fertility. In general, paganism is celebrated as culturally neutral, not as religious. Presenting your genitals with a pelvic thrust is considered "cool" by many.

Many players point to the sky as an acknowledgment of God's blessing. This is ignored and tolerated because it is short and indistinct. A lot of players do it.

But public kneeling stands out. And it isn't short. And there is a cultural bias against traditional solemnity, sobriety and restraint.

The problem with the anti-religious attitude is that we are supposed to be an open society. If I can pelvic thrust or gyrate, I should be free to take a knee. I think that if a Muslim player whipped out a prayer rug and bowed to Mecca before a game, the reaction would be at least as severe. If I did a fertility dance on the sidelines to get "pumped," there would be a cultural reaction of positive reinforcement. Modern culture is becoming more pagan.

One of the problems I have with the aforementioned court cases is that they apply modern interpretations of the establishment clause to purely symbolic forms of speech. This makes religious speech and expression inferior and culturally negative.

Originally Posted by aboutenough

Tebow is just doing what Christians do that are strong beleivers and being criticised for it. If he was a Muslim doing what Muslims do and playing football you wouldn't hear a peep out of anybody. If anything you would hear praises for what he is doing

@aboutenough ..wrong. You'd hear a whole hell of a lot of bitching. As evidence you only need look at the call to boycott the "All American Muslim" tv show and the protest over the Islamic center being built at Manhattan.

soo puhleez, save your victimized routine. it's getting old.