With the media’s fascination with unique individuals and the world of sports, it is not surprising that Tim Tebow has garnered a whole lot of attention in recent weeks. Tebow, quarterback of the resurgent Denver Broncos and a Christian who is very open and honest about his faith, is a media darling. His football exploits and his demonstrative displays of religious faith, on and off the field, have elicited a wide range of responses, from mocking to affirmation. When the dictionary gets updated, we might even add a new word – “Tebowing,” which refers to Tebow’s practice of dropping to one knee and giving thanks to God.
Recently, one journalist posed an interesting question, “What if Tebow was Muslim?” This was in response to Detroit Lions players who mocked the one-knee prayer during their game with Denver. The journalist concluded that if Tebow was Muslim, and these same players bowed toward Mecca to mock him, the media and the public would be “up in arms.” She goes on to say that “we have become so enamored of politically correct dogma that we protect every minority from even the slightest blush of insensitivity while letting the institutions that the majority holds dear to be ridiculed.” She rightly argues that this is about respect, period. It should not matter who is the focus, majority or minority.
Tim Tebow makes many of us uncomfortable, just like people who look Muslim (whatever that means) make us uncomfortable, especially when we are in airports. But to say that we protect every minority from insensitivity shows that this journalist must be living in a world that is foreign to me. Let me provide a few examples of the kind of insensitivity Tebow would encounter if he was Muslim:
His autobiography, “Through My Eyes,” would not have been on the New York Times best-sellers list.
His jersey would not rank sixth in sales.
Many people would have a difficult time seeing beyond his master status as a Muslim, and appreciating his exploits and his leadership on the football field.
As a Muslim, Tebow would encounter considerable mockery and derision among players, especially behind “closed doors.”
People would be more apt to see him as a threat and therefore, maintain a certain degree of social distance from him, in neighborhoods, at social functions, and in the workplace.
We live in a world where there is far too much insensitivity and not nearly enough respect when it comes to Evangelical Christians or Muslims or Jews or Sikhs. Why can’t we simply acknowledge that, instead of comparing?