# Bill Maher stirs controversy with Tim Tebow tweet **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 28, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655 "2011-12-28T19:28:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/161 "2011-12-29T22:28:36Z")
And who exactly are these organizers and founders of which you speak? ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/162 "2011-12-29T22:37:57Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > And who exactly are these organizers and founders of which you speak? 700 club and any other Protestant and American Evangelical, competing, lie. The religion that is splintered, and scizophrenic from normal… His Illusion. The organization that led him to his peculiar and unusual beliefs…the thing that makes him heretical and American from true Christian Beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/163 "2011-12-29T22:41:36Z")
Tim Tebow is a lot more like Ned Flanders than Pat Robertson. Both can be annoying, but given the choice, I’d definitely prefer to have Flanders as my neighbor. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/164 "2011-12-29T22:49:20Z")
The religous organiztion that imprinted him quite oppourtunistkicallyy and cynically, not to mention selectively, with published Home teachings. He is a a moronic Christian only supplied with propaganda., ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/165 "2011-12-29T23:05:49Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > 700 club and any other Protestant and American Evangelical, competing, lie. So you think that Christianity was “founded” and “organized” by the 700 Club? With all due respect, you are severely misinformed on this matter. I’m trying to exercise some restraint here, but really… You really should become better informed on a subject before you speak out against it. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/166 "2011-12-29T23:10:22Z")
It’s just that the 700 club represents so many of the fringe Christian beliefs and supports what is wrong with Protestantism in its peculiar American form that I condemn them to their iluusionary hell. They are simply fanatics in a moderate world. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/167 "2011-12-29T23:24:54Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > I got no hatred of his beliefs. Definately getting a \*hate-like \*feel from your responses. > [@](#): > > He is a a moronic Christian only supplied with propaganda > [@](#): > > the thing that makes him heretical and American from true Christian Beliefs. > [@](#): > > he’s priveliged. and most impourtunely famous… and the organizer’s and founders of his religion are using him… not unlike the star center of Scientology > [@](#): > > Religiousity is the last refuge of a seriously disturbed man > [@](#): > > ohhh, look… I’m a great little Christian…Glory be. I will never trust him because his allegiance is to a codified lie of organized"Christian" religiosity. His salvation depends on a lie and his lie to himself, rather than a duty to humanity. I have no such illusions. Yup, _hatred_ coming through loud and clear. But in retrospect, it make not be hatred for Tebow. Maybe just directed at Christianity, or maybe religion as whole? Tebow just a visible and easy target? **Marley23** is right. He’s _Ned Frickin’ Flanders_. He may be annoying but there doesn’t seem to be an ounce of malice in him. Seems like good-natured sort. Until I see some malice, I say let folks be. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/168 "2011-12-29T23:39:12Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > It’s just that the 700 club represents so many of the fringe Christian beliefs and supports what is wrong with Protestantism in its peculiar American form that I condemn them to their iluusionary hell. They are simply fanatics in a moderate world. That’s not what you said, though. You said that the “organizers and founders” of Christianity were exploiting Tebow, so I asked you who those people were. It seems to me that you’re just playing fast and loose with the facts. Heck, you’ve now practically admitted it, stating that you were simply motivated by your intense dislike of the 700 Club and their ilk. Personally, I don’t think that makes for a very meaningful discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/169 "2011-12-29T23:46:30Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > Seems like good-natured sort. Until I see some malice, I say let folks be. Meh. I won’t go out in public and mock Tebow, but I don’t see anything wrong with other public figures taking potshots at him. That’s the price everybody pays for being a public figure - Christian, NFL QB, anarchist, or whatever. Doubly so for anybody that the subject of so much hero worship. Maybe that’s not fair, but dem’s the breaks. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/170 "2011-12-29T23:48:55Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > That’s the price everybody pays for being a public figure - Christian, NFL QB, anarchist, or whatever. Doubly so for anybody that the subject of so much hero worship. Maybe that’s not fair, but dem’s the breaks. Tebow seems to be getting a pretty fair trade. He’s not a very good quarterback at this point, but he’s getting adulation and millions of dollars, and even if his NFL success is limited he’ll be able to make a living in speaking and broadcasting gigs. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/171 "2011-12-29T23:54:26Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Tebow seems to be getting a pretty fair trade. He’s not a very good quarterback at this point, but he’s getting adulation and millions of dollars, and even if his NFL success is limited he’ll be able to make a living in speaking and broadcasting gigs. There are plenty of people who get adulation and millions of dollars who aren’t the subject of so much antipathy. So, he’s go a rough deal compared to them. Then again, there are plenty of mediocre QBs who’ll never have that kind of fame and money. So, I guess it’s a wash. Personally, I hope he doesn’t go into sports broadcasting. Nice enough kid and would make serious bank as a speaker, but I don’t find his voice particularly appealing on TV. And that’s not a personal slight. Brett Favre is a horrible color commentator. He’s got an appropriately deep voice and knows his stuff. But he doesn’t provide very much color and speaks in a monotone. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/172 "2011-12-29T23:58:55Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Meh. I won’t go out in public and mock Tebow, but I don’t see anything wrong with other public figures taking potshots at him. I don’t either. That _is_ the price of fame. And it is fair to judge those public figures for doing so. The silly part is Maher’s comments via tweet were mild and restrained. A little harmless fun. I couldn’t see any meanness in them. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/173 "2011-12-30T01:05:58Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > If you want to use scripture as your reference on this matter, you might want to consider the fact that Jesus himself prayed in public. Preaching is not the same as praying. Aside from teaching his disciples the Lord’s Prayer, and perhaps his last words on the cross, I can recall no such public prayers. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/174 "2011-12-30T01:08:50Z")
> [@Theophane](#): > > At least he’s trying. How easy for to you to hold people to standards you don’t hold for yourself. It’s too easy to criticize someone else for failing at something you don’t even try to do yourself. I don’t claim to be a Christian, and I don’t pray in public, so I don’t know what you are on about. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/175 "2011-12-30T01:09:09Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > There are plenty of people who get adulation and millions of dollars who aren’t the subject of so much antipathy. He’s _not_ “the subject of so much antipathy.” He was the subject of a rather mild quip, one which some people might consider deserved and some might not. And Ned Flanders is constantly mocked. In fact, the actual character of Ned Flanders constitutes at least 49 percent mockery. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/176 "2011-12-30T01:11:26Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > What is it about this guy’s faith that is driving so many people nuts? What need is being filled by pointing out Tebow’s hypocrisy? The need for humor. He is the butt of jokes that make people laugh. Mocking someone is not hatred. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/177 "2011-12-30T01:26:35Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > He’s _not_ “the subject of so much antipathy.” He was the subject of a rather mild quip, one which some people might consider deserved and some might not. I’ll agree people are taking Maher’s tweet way too seriously, but Tebow IS the subject of a ton of antipathy. How many different threads are there on the guy on this board alone? How much controversy is there because not everybody considers him the greatest thing since sliced bread? He’s been called a joke of a QB pretty much every week and had constant jokes made about his public displays of faith. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/178 "2011-12-30T01:33:44Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > **Marley23** is right. He’s _Ned Frickin’ Flanders_. He may be annoying but there doesn’t seem to be an ounce of malice in him. Seems like good-natured sort. Until I see some malice, I say let folks be. Just to make sure my point was totally clear, I said he’s more Flanders than Robertson. Flanders is absolutely a figure of fun: he’s a goody two-shoes, he’s holier than thou, a naif, meek, and dogmatic even when he admits the rules he is following don’t make any sense. It’s just that those qualities rarely overwhelm his fundamental decency, and he is ultimately a very good and giving person who will do almost anything to help others. I have no idea if Tebow is anywhere near that good, but he seems alright. What they have in common is being very chipper, cheery Christians who want to tell you all about it. 😉 Robertson is vile, judgmental, bigoted, self-aggrandizing, stupid, dishonest, and I’m probably forgetting some stuff. I’ve never seen that side of Tebow, if it exists. I very much prefer Flanders to Robertson, but that doesn’t mean I think we shouldn’t make fun of the Flanderses of the world. Life would be pretty unbearable if we couldn’t. I do think some perspective is called for, but the fact that Maher made a joke about Tebow right after a football game doesn’t indicate that his priorities are of out whack, that he hates Tebow, or anything of that type. > [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > There are plenty of people who get adulation and millions of dollars who aren’t the subject of so much antipathy. We could probably think of some, but if so, there are very few. Once you get to be as famous as Tebow is - he’s been made fun of on Saturday Night Live, so it’s not just football fans who know him - some people are going to loathe you for one reason or another. > [@](#): > > Personally, I hope he doesn’t go into sports broadcasting. Nice enough kid and would make serious bank as a speaker, but I don’t find his voice particularly appealing on TV. I was thinking of religious broadcasting, not football commentary. However long his career lasts, he should have a long career as a motivational speaker and on Christian TV/radio/internet/whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/179 "2011-12-30T01:41:29Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > But he is not religious. His superficiality ignores the commandments of the one he claims to follow. I am sure he does it out of sincere belief that praying in public is doing god’s will, but he demonstrates a lack of understanding of key parts of the teachings of Jesus. He has been misled. How so? If he’s only praying as he is to impress, then yeah, he’s a hypocrite. But there’s nothing to indicate that he’s insincere. He’s a wee overzealous, yeah. But I don’t think he’s only trying to put on a show. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655/180 "2011-12-30T01:53:19Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Preaching is not the same as praying. Aside from teaching his disciples the Lord’s Prayer, and perhaps his last words on the cross, I can recall no such public prayers. Cite? Matthew 14:19 Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. John 11:41, 42 So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-maher-stirs-controversy-with-tim-tebow-tweet/607655.md?page=10)