Tim Tebow and the First Baptist Church of Dallas


Recently Tim Tebow made some news for agreeing to speak at the First Baptist Church of Dallas, then he made even more news for canceling his appearance.  There has been a lot of debate swirling around as to whether or not he made a good decision but that's not what I want to talk about right now.  I'd like to talk about both sides of the controversy.

Had Tebow spoken at the church he would have been viewed as controversial by many in the LGBT community as being anti-gay or at least anti-gay marriage based on the stance of the church.  By not speaking he is now controversial among Christians primarily for not taking a stand for his beliefs and caving to the pressures of the naysayers.  Whatever the true reason for Tebow's decision is up to him and honestly his business.  I would guess that it must be exhausting just to be him and have everything you do either questioned or mocked by half the nation.

The point I'd like to evaluate is this notion that we must separate ourselves from people who are controversial.  Why must we do so?  I think if we asked most people that question the reason given would be that we don't want others to think that we think the same way as the person we are trying to distance ourselves from.  We see this all the time in politics.  "Leaders" (and I use that term loosely) establish their clans and then avoid all others so there is little chance of being "associated" with people with who have different stances.  But again I ask, "Why?"  When we break this down to its most basic premise, we are just plain scared of what people might think we think.  Once again, it is perception that we allow to trump truth.  Why can't we as a nation develop the fortitude to be comfortable with our own true thoughts.

Tebow's thoughts are Tebow's thoughts.  Where he delivers them really doesn't matter.  As Christians especially, we are called to love everyone, so if that's really the case, why do we have to avoid anyone?  If a Christian celebrity gets called to speak at the Westboro Baptist Church or a Gay Convention, why do they have to "avoid" either.  Why can't they just stand up and confidently speak their own thoughts and their own beliefs and if the hosts get upset too bad, its their fault for inviting that person.  When we are transparent and real, we don't have to avoid people because everyone knows where we stand.  And for those who think we think differently, they are wrong, the truth is what really matters.

Christian, atheist, conservative, liberal, where every we stand it's time to stop cowardly pandering to perception.  It's time to stop furthering the divisions of our nation by "avoiding" and "distancing" ourselves from one another.  It's time to stop worrying about where others think we stand based on who we hang out with.  It's time to speak the truth about what we believe, whatever that might be, and have the courage to let the chips fall where they may.

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