Why People Don't Like Tebow

Tim Tebow was in the news yesterday . . . again.

He was traded to the New York Jets. I truly do not think he would be in the news so much if he was not so divisive. I believe he is so divisive because he is so showy with his religion.

He has been this way since college. Some people in his ear must have told him to tone it down, from a P.R. standpoint, in the NFL. But the fact remains that he wears his religion on his sleeve. And in our culture today, be it right or wrong, that sells well. People in the Bible belt eat that up. Every time he goes down on a knee to pray on the field, even though Jesus told us to pray in secret in our closets, millions of people think he is being a true witness of their faith. And when he goes on a commercial during the Super Bowl to promote so-called the "pro-life" camp, some people just can't get enough of it.

This year will truly tell whether Tebow is just a fad or is here to stay. He had quite a story, from a sports perspective, last year, as he led the Broncos to the playoffs. Now comes his biggest test of all, as he will be put under the NYC sports microscope.

Best of luck, Tebow . . .

Liberal Media . . . War on Women . . . Enough is Enough.

The main problem with the political climate today is that everyone demonizes the other side. If we try to respect each other and understand people whose thoughts, opinions, and convictions differ from ours, we do not demonize. I call especially on those who call themselves followers of Christ, particularly in the public square, you need to say enough is enough: you may not agree with someone; but that does not give you the license to demonize them, to put them down. You can criticize someone's beliefs without criticizing them.

This problem, then, bleeds into society. Whether we like it or even realize it, we take our cues from those that we see in the news, in the media, particularly on political issues. Many times, we give in to their sweeping remarks about the other side, whether it's the "liberal media," or a "war on women," or "secular humanists," or "religious fundamentalists." Let's look at the issues and not lump everyone who disagrees with me into a phrase that I can pounce upon.

Take the above examples. Are all members of the media so-called "liberal?" Are people who believe contraception should not be included in the health care bill trying to make a war on women? Are people who believe in equal rights for all people somehow non-religious? Are people who believe that church and state should not be separate the same on all issues? Of course not to each of these examples! If we demonize, it makes it easier for us to dismiss someone who disagrees with us and their ideas.

Politics today suffer from the twenty-four hour news media and from being continually obsessed with re-election. In the midst of this, we should demand more from our politicians. We should demand that they stick to the issues, not the other side. We should demand that they actually listen to politicians on differing sides of issues and work together to compromise, rather than always throwing their hands up and walking away when they cannot get a majority to agree with them. By doing so, we would create a better political climate. And, I believe, we would be better off ourselves.