Perhaps as long as he team keeps winning, people will keep talking about Denver quarterback Tim Tebow and his rather open religious faith.
Here on Episcopal Cafe, we already have three entries on him, all due to many people writing on him:
Tim Tebow: Protestant Saint? (10/25)
Tebow unifying religions of Christianity and Football? (11/30)
and just a day later: “Tebowing”
The latest is Ibrahim Abdul-Martin’s provocative “If Tim Tebow were Muslim, would America still love him?”
What makes him irresistible is this collision of a series of factors: the media-saturated world we are in makes it so that we know far too much about athletes and public figures than ever before. Tebow is unique because he is both an underdog and a winner. He is both humble and non-judgmental — a dynamite combination for any human being. FInally, his fellow teammates love him, he does not drink, smoke or do drugs, he is celibate, unmarried, and he has a winning smile and personality.
People of faith should be cheering this model Christian on. Anyone of any passion should be exalting his independent thinking and supporting his right to speak freely about what he holds dear.
But what if he were Muslim? Americans look to people who are successful and they want to be like them. So, in some ways, young people want to be like him. If he were Muslim, would young people want to be Muslim? Would that scare people?
Abdul-Martin pursues this question in numerous ways: Tebow’s focus on his own faith development rather than focusing on what others should and shouldn’t do, the reactions (and counter-reactions) of those who think he should be less vocal about his faith, and of course, the question that if the Broncos actually keep winning, is God on Tebow’s side?
Abdul-Martin wonders what America’s reactions to all of these questions would be if Tebow was Muslim.