The term "Tewbowing" means to go on one knee and pray; usually it is used in a celebratory way when Tebow did it (and has done it since High School) for when he scored a touchdown. However, recent mocking of the celebratory act has caused a lot of concern.
Before we really enter the issues behind this, lets look at the facts. First of all, Tim Tebow was not the first person to pray on one knee as a celebration. It has been around the NFL for years and been popular for a long time. Secondly, Tebow has been doing this since his High School days, it is not a new thing but has gone national recently due to Tebow suddenly starting. Lastly, Tim Tebow explained that he was not offended by the Stephen Tulloch's mock celebration when he sacked Tebow. Now let the controversy begin.
Tim Tebow has always been very proud of his Christian faith. Whether it is praying on the field, saying it in press conferences or wearing a Bible verse on his face paint. he is very proud of his faith. For that you have to respect him. This is why. He is not fake about it. The amount of people I have seen make the crucifix on his chest before a punt return or point up to the sky when he has scored a goal and yet does not follow Christianity the way he or she should. I actually use to make a crucifix on my chest at the start of each tennis match; this was only for luck as I was not a Christian at that time. So respect him dedicated and true to his faith. Secondly, Tebow's faith makes him stand out as a professional athlete because it has led him to be such a nice guy and helping a lot with charity. I hear some people annoyed that he is promoting it everywhere. First off, he is not preaching at people but showing his faith and people who get annoyed at that are being annoyed for the wrong reasons. Tebow does so much charity work and is an excellent role models for children. Sports writers and presenters are mad at Tebow showing his faith yet it has made him a good person. Makes no sense to me. Respect the man for being dedicated to what he says, backing up his actions and ultimately living a self-less lifestyle.
Now, when it comes to mocking Tebow's celebration, you find a very thin line. As ESPN already discussed, the Lions' players who mocked Tebow were only doing it to mock Tebow not God. People have explained that if he did not want it mocked then he should have done it. To those people I say that you are bias because when something as important as religion means so much to someone, then you should steer clear of it. "Give everything to the glory of God" is what the Bible says, Tebow is doing that. He is doing it in a harmless and humble way. This is the fine line. Even if the players are only mocking Tebow, it does not look that way to other people.
Lets look at the outer consequences of the mocking. I am sure that some people playing football would mock the celebration. But, is there a deeper meaning to it? Some children sitting at home could see that mocking Christian practises is normal. This leads to less seriousness taken about religion and lets be honest, if you are not serious about your purpose on this Earth then you probably should look into that. Taking this from a Christian point of view, I may sound bias. But certain things should not be mocked and religion is at the top of my list in my opinion. However, it isn't in the world's opinion and religion is mocked all the time. When people see top athletes doing it then it only promotes it to increase. After all, is being a Christian such a bad thing?
Lastly, if Christianity is what makes Tim Tebow such a good person off the field then why should it be mocked? Why are sports writers angry at someone who does great things for the world? He is not forcing his religion on anyone, you do have to read the Bible verses put on his face or be bothered by his celebrations, yet people choose to condemn someone for something that is only benefiting the world. Whether you are a Christian or not, I am sure we would all agree that Tebow's reputation is something that we would want more professional athletes to have rather than the stereotypical arrogant, spoilt and selfish fasard that exists today. You yourself can choose whether you make a connection between Tebow's good character and his beliefs, but think about the affect it has on children and their upbringing and that mocking something that makes a person do more for the less fortunate is wrong.
If Tebow had been Jewish or Muslim then it would be a complete uproar of commotion. The reason it has not been as big of a deal is because people seem to mock Christian practices all too often. When you think about it from this point of view, you see more of the destruction of the mocking. Before you make an opinion about this subject, think whether you want Tebow's life to be taken seriously or mocked. If his good nature and giving spirit is something you respect, then respect the thing that makes him a good person.
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