# Is Tim Tebow a hypocrite? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 29, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717 "2011-12-29T13:43:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/61 "2011-12-30T02:34:07Z")
Tebow used to party all night and sleep with lingerie models until Ned and his bible group showed him he could have more. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/62 "2011-12-30T14:11:17Z")
> [@Troppus](#): > > This cracks me up. As far as I can tell, no one in this thread has misunderstood any of the verses mentioned. The OP seems not to have understood the verses he quoted, and you seem to think there is a contradiction between those verses and the ones about not hiding your light under a bushel. There isn’t, as **NotreDame05** has been at pains to explain. > [@](#): > > The OP wondered if anyone felt that Tebow deserved the label hypocrite, because his public displays of affliation seem to eclipse any good works he has been credited with. But Tebow does appear to spend time off the field supporting mission work and other causes related to his beliefs, therefore he probably isn’t guilty of making an empty show of faith. No, he didn’t say anything about good works. It was about public vs. private prayer. > [@](#): > > Seriously, folks, the Bible isn’t that hard to understand. Parts of it are pretty straightforward; others are less so. The verses in Matthew about praying in public are often misunderstood on the SDMB. Often it appears it appears this is more or less deliberate. Which is unfortunate, but probably unavoidable. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/63 "2011-12-30T14:36:49Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I’ve always interpreted Matthew 6:5-6 as referring to people deliberately making a big show out of praying in order to impress others. In other words, they’re not really praying so much as acting like, “look at me, look at how pious I am!”, and then acting like a jackass the rest of the time. And I don’t get that impression from Tebow. > > It doesn’t mean you can’t ever pray in public. Otherwise you’d never be able to hold Masses or anything like that. > > I don’t think he’s praying to win, as in, “God, make our team win and crush the other guy.” More like, “Give us the strength we need in order to perform” etc. And when they DO win, it’s like, “Thank you for the victory, and the support we needed,” blah blah blah. > > I swear, some people will find ANY excuse to attack the guy. He’s over-hyped, yeah. Is he over-exposed? Yeah. Is that his fault? No. That’s the media, not him. Assuming your understanding of the verse is correct, your understanding of Tebow’s actions is suspect. I have absolutely no doubt that Tebow sincerely believes in whatever brand of Christianity he subscribes to, has accepted Jesus as his savior, and thinks God is a swell guy and so on. I have significant doubt that his _post-touchdown_ genuflections are as much for God as they are for the camera. That doesn’t make him a hypocrite; half the other guys in the NFL point at the sky when they score. ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/64 "2011-12-30T15:58:05Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The OP seems not to have understood the verses he quoted, and you seem to think there is a contradiction between those verses and the ones about not hiding your light under a bushel. There isn’t, as **NotreDame05** has been at pains to explain. I responded to **SenorBeef’s** question of contradiction with a verse that encourages public devotion. The only way Tebow is in violation of Matthew 6:5-6 is if he is only pretending allegiance in order to shore up his fan base and acting like a heathen off field. So far, there is no evidence of that, therefore his end zone prostrations are not evidence of Christian hypocrisy. Simple question, simple answer, no problem finding supporting Biblical evidence that public displays of faith are encouraged. > [@Shodan](#): > > The verses in Matthew about praying in public are often misunderstood on the SDMB. Often it appears it appears this is more or less deliberate. Even though the verse referenced in the OP does not include context, I doubt anyone in this thread misunderstands the admonishment to avoid offering merely lip service to Christianity. The discussion of whether or not politicians, evangelists, and other public figures truly espouse the belief system they lay claim to comes up often, so this topic is not a novel idea. The issue of obvious Biblical contradictions is a topic for another thread. The Bible is not and will never be an unbiased reference. It is a scrapbook compiled from oral histories and multiple authors over a long period of time which has been translated numerous times. The creation and destruction myths aren’t original, the agendas of the various authors are usually transparent, and in some places the Book contains more than one version of the same story. Factor in the political agendas of the various denominations and the experience and bias of the individual reader and the Bible becomes a most convoluted and untrustworthy measure of overall morality. Hell, you guys rarely agree about the meaning of verses and symbols in the Bible; if you did the countryside wouldn’t be littered with the ever-splintering sects, denominations, and spin-offs of the original. But it doesn’t require a Biblical scholar to answer whether or not Tebow’s public displays of piety are congruent with Biblical impetus. The Christian bristling at the word “contradiction” is a frivolous tangent. > [@Shodan](#): > > Parts of it are pretty straightforward; others are less so. The verses in Matthew about praying in public are often misunderstood on the SDMB. Often it appears it appears this is more or less deliberate. Which is unfortunate, but probably unavoidable. Take it as a literary reference and apply historical and cultural context to the more credible and widely accepted translations: and the Bible is nothing the average high school English student can’t master. Much like any other widely studied literary work: any novice can grasp the concepts made clear by experts, and if any doubts remain verse can be cross-referenced multiple times in a matter of seconds. Long-winded exposition and tedious nuances offered by the devout are rarely if ever necessary. But if you or **NotreDame05** feel you have a unique interpretation of a verse that will unite the various sects, football fans, or save just one errant soul: knock yourselves out. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/65 "2011-12-30T16:40:05Z")
> [@Troppus](#): > > Long-winded exposition and tedious nuances offered by the devout are rarely if ever necessary. In the case of the sort of semi-deliberate misunderstanding I mentioned, it is necessary to correct misinterpretations. In the case of deliberate misunderstanding, it is rarely if ever _effective_ - much of the time the atheists hereabouts are just trying to score points and have no real interest in what Jesus taught. > [@](#): > > But if you or **NotreDame05** feel you have a unique interpretation of a verse that will unite the various sects, football fans, or save just one errant soul: knock yourselves out. The interpretation of the Matthew passage about praying in public is hardly unique - it is pretty straightforward and clear. Which rather undercuts your notion of how easy it is to interpret the Bible - if it is so easy to read, why would anyone misinterpret it so badly as to suggest that Jesus forbids all public prayer, or to believe that it contradicts the passage about “let your light so shine…”? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![NotreDame05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90ced4/32.png) [@NotreDame05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotreDame05)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/66 "2011-12-30T17:10:04Z")
**Troppus** , I think you are confused, not myself, and not Shodan. In post number 3 you said, "Did someone say Biblical Contradictions??? You betcha. Matthew 5:15and 5:16 “…don’t hide your light under a bushel; let it shine” Those two verses do not contradict the verses in Matthew chapter 6 about hypocrites and praying in secret. You can bloviate and persist in your self-aggrandization of your understanding of scripture but the fact remains you have not discovered a contradiction between these two verses. It is mystifying how you profess the Bible to be easy to understand and yet, demonstrably fail in adequately understanding these two verses and based on your erroneous reading of them, not surprisingly, you find a contradiction when none exists. I will also add, the Bible is not as easily interpreted and understood as you believe. In some places, the plain text in an English translation can be taken at face value but in other places, one must go beyond the plain text itself to acquire an accurate and correct meaning of the verses. One thing is sure, you haven’t convinced anyone of your self-proclaimed accurate knowledge and understanding of the Bible in general or in regards to these verses. ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/67 "2011-12-31T03:26:12Z")
I don’t think he is a hypocrite but I do think he is a showboater. If he wanted to pray without calling attention to himself he could, but he doesn’t. He makes a show of it where people, cameras and sportscasters can see it. He might as well have a flashing sign above him saying “look how humble I am”. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/68 "2011-12-31T03:31:31Z")
> [@Troppus](#): > > I think Tebow is a tool for co-opting the NFL platform to gain attention for himself, his causes, or the religion of his understanding. I feel he is detracting from the game and from his team in general with his showboating. Do you feel the same way about Muhammad Ali? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/69 "2011-12-31T08:17:02Z")
> [@Troppus](#): > > Even though the verse referenced in the OP does not include context, I doubt anyone in this thread misunderstands the admonishment to avoid offering merely lip service to Christianity. The discussion of whether or not politicians, evangelists, and other public figures truly espouse the belief system they lay claim to comes up often, so this topic is not a novel idea. The entire point of the OP is that a Tebow is not following a certain two verses in the Bible and is thus a hypocrite. You clearly understood this, as your first remark is to quote another verse that you claim contradicts it. You also make it very clear what you think both verses mean. Don’t try to cover this up as a Christian/anti-Christian thing. This is a failure to either argue your original point or say that you made a mistake. You’re simply backpedalling all over the place, while claiming that that’s what you meant all along. That is the type bullshit that always gets called out here on the Dope. Christianity has nothing to do with it. As for the question: nope. Even if Jesus did mean what you thought he meant, it would not make Tebow a hypocrite unless he also professed to believe that that was what Jesus meant. A hypocrite is someone who says one thing and does another. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/70 "2011-12-31T08:36:52Z")
I suspect the charge of hypocrisy comes from the christian habit of considering themselves to be imitators of Christ and therefore when one sees a christian behaving in a way condemned by Jesus, one is viewing a hypocrite as they have taken his words as being binding upon their actions. ---
**Author:** ![Smitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Smitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smitty)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/71 "2011-12-31T13:55:38Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The OP seems not to have understood the verses he quoted, and you seem to think there is a contradiction between those verses and the ones about not hiding your light under a bushel. There isn’t, as **NotreDame05** has been at pains to explain. > No, he didn’t say anything about good works. It was about public vs. private prayer. > > Parts of it are pretty straightforward; others are less so. The verses in Matthew about praying in public are often misunderstood on the SDMB. Often it appears it appears this is more or less deliberate. Which is unfortunate, but probably unavoidable. > > Regards, > Shodan And you are the world’s greatest authority on the bible, I take it? Or maybe you were the original author? How about instead of arrogance, you say that you disagree instead of accusing someone of not understanding something? In your mind, the bible may not be open to interpretation, but to people with an actual education as opposed to dogmatic belief, it is. And since you seem to have utterly missed my point, I will try to explain it again. It is not the praying in and of itself that I was questioning. It is the fact that the ACT of praying, and the person doing it, has become the object of public focus. Continuing to publicly do so in the face of THAT is what I was questioning. Get it now? [QUOTE=BigT] The entire point of the OP is that a Tebow is not following a certain two verses in the Bible and is thus a hypocrite. [/QUOTE] Not even close. Go back and read the OP, or just read above. ---
**Author:** ![Theophane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@Theophane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theophane)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/72 "2011-12-31T14:04:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Is Tim Tebow a hypocrite? He’s not a hypocrite because he’s never used his celebrity to admonish anyone against doing what he himself does after every success on the football field. ---
**Author:** ![Smitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Smitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smitty)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/73 "2011-12-31T14:22:54Z")
Let me clarify a bit further. I think it is entirely possible to believe in the precepts of Christianity AND to glorify yourself by making a public display of its practice. THAT is what the verse I quoted admonishes against just as much as it admonishes against giving a public display while NOT believing. This is what I am questioning of Tebow. I do not doubt that he believes what he claims. I question his continuing public displays in light of the fact that the focus is on him, the man, rather than the belief in God. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/74 "2011-12-31T14:44:34Z")
> [@Smitty](#): > > And you are the world’s greatest authority on the bible, I take it? Or maybe you were the original author? I am explaining the plain meaning of the text. Sorry if I was going too fast. > [@](#): > > In your mind, the bible may not be open to interpretation, but to people with an actual education as opposed to dogmatic belief, it is. I don’t recall saying that the Bible was not open to interpretation - just the opposite, in fact. If you cannot read the SDMB for comprehension, I wonder why you think the Bible is any easier. > [@](#): > > And since you seem to have utterly missed my point, I will try to explain it again. It is not the praying in and of itself that I was questioning. It is the fact that the ACT of praying, and the person doing it, has become the object of public focus. Continuing to publicly do so in the face of THAT is what I was questioning. Get it now? So you don’t object to the praying, just the ACT of praying. That’s a rather fine distinction - fine to the point of being meaningless. I will stipulate that Tebow is praying. He is doing so in public - I certainly grant you that. It has become the subject of public focus - no duh, that’s what “in public” means. So you think that Tebow should not continue to pray in public. Why on earth not? Jesus did not forbid public prayer. That’s what has been explained several times over. So the answer to your question of the OP is answered - no, Tebow is not a hypocrite because praying in public _per se_ does not make one a hypocrite. Glad to clear that up. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![NotreDame05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90ced4/32.png) [@NotreDame05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotreDame05)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/75 "2011-12-31T18:43:45Z")
> [@Smitty](#): > > Let me clarify a bit further. I think it is entirely possible to believe in the precepts of Christianity AND to glorify yourself by making a public display of its practice. THAT is what the verse I quoted admonishes against just as much as it admonishes against giving a public display while NOT believing. This is what I am questioning of Tebow. I do not doubt that he believes what he claims. I question his continuing public displays in light of the fact that the focus is on him, the man, rather than the belief in God. Jesus’ objection in Matthew 6 was not how others would react to the individual engaging in some conduct in public, or publicly engaging in some act. Hence, the fact the media and people are objectifying Tebow because of what he is doing in public, this does not appear to be a problem for Christ as his opinion is expressed in Matthew 6. Jesus was condemning hypocrisy and the intent of the individual. I might also add, his belief in God is part of the public discourse as the public has linked Tebow’s action to his belief in God. It is because of his belief in God which has acting in a specific manner on the field and it is his belief which has the media obsessing over him. You take away the known quantity of Tebow’s faith as precipitating his actions on the field and he is just another football player kneeling in the endzone and nobody talking about his action of kneeling. ---
**Author:** ![dorsk188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f05b48/32.png) [@dorsk188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorsk188)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/76 "2012-01-02T08:38:00Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Public prayer, dogfighting, rape, and dirty pictures. > > One of these things is not like the others. > > Regards, > Shodan Dirty pictures never hurt anyone. The other three degrade the spirit and harm the lives of everyone involved in them. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Theophane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@Theophane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theophane)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/77 "2012-01-02T09:41:40Z")
> [@dorsk188](#): > > Dirty pictures never hurt anyone. The other three degrade the spirit and harm the lives of everyone involved in them. 🙂 Prayer won’t damage your spirit like rape or porn or dog-fighting. And if your spirit remains undamaged after doing what Michael Vick did, you are not someone I care to meet. ---
**Author:** ![dorsk188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f05b48/32.png) [@dorsk188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorsk188)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/78 "2012-01-02T09:55:34Z")
> [@Theophane](#): > > Prayer won’t damage your spirit like rape or porn or dog-fighting. And if your spirit remains undamaged after doing what Michael Vick did, you are not someone I care to meet. Prayer teaches people that talking to an imaginary friend is actually helping. I contend that it is damaging one’s spirit to sit around begging for something rather than trying earn it. It encourages a lottery mentality that something hoped for enough will happen. Even without actually asking for things, prayer is essentially a delusional attempt at reflection. If a person or couple wants to make sexually explicit photographs and share them with other consenting adults to enjoy, there is nothing inherently damaging going on here. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/79 "2012-01-02T12:41:02Z")
> [@dorsk188](#): > > Prayer teaches people that talking to an imaginary friend is actually helping. I contend that it is damaging one’s spirit to sit around begging for something rather than trying earn it. In what way is Tebow sitting around begging for something rather than trying (to) earn it? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717/80 "2012-01-03T00:12:57Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > There is no way for him to run into the locker room when he wants to pray once the game starts and there is no part of the sideline where he can not be photographed. So his only options is to pray in public or not pray. And what kind of fanatic can’t go an hour without praying? And by the way, there _is_ a way to run into the locker room when you’re not on the field. Guys do it all the time, for more mundane reasons. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tim-tebow-a-hypocrite/607717.md?page=5)