Tim Tebow Converting All those Catholics

Update- On a fun note I seem for some reason to be getting hundreds of hits today from this post Twenty Secrets Tim Tebow Doesn't Want You To Know Ok main post below

It is almost College Football Season. One week to geaux!!! Vox Nova has an interesting post at Christianity and College Football: Is Tim Tebow Anti-Catholic? There will no doubt be some discussion in the comments. This thread has also been picked up a Catholic discussion thread so something might be there too.

Tebow is a rare creature in the SEC. In a league where we love to hate opposing players and Coaches TEBOW is largely an exception. Despite being the cause of many of defeats good gosh one just can't dislike Tebow. His sincere faith is a part of it. (Please note the controversy over when Tebow was asked if he was saving himself for marriage- He answered yes at SEC MEDIA DAYS).

But I have pointed out several times that Tebow when he goes on these Mission trips he ain't coverting agnostics , Hindus or Muslims. Most likely they are Catholics. I often wonder in the personal discussions with his Coach , who was named after a Pope and is Catholic , they discuss this .

In a prior post I said

Heresy!!!!!!!!!
I really don't agree with that Sport's writer at all. I like the fact that Tebow's faith is out there. What goes unnoticed and unsaid that some very prominent players that Tebow plays against do the same.
I have to admit I am always curious in some of these very CATHOLIC Countries Tebow goes to spreading the word who exactly he is converting. It would indeed be interesting to see what some of these services are like. I am curious if Tebow was caught on tape telling these kids to please stop your pagan Mary worship Cracker Worshiping Idol nonsense and come to the pure Biblical faith what the reaction would be.

Are Tebow parents in their Medical Missions PASSING OUT BIRTH CONTROL!!!!

NOT SAYING HE IS DOING THAT or passing out the pill . Still that is sort of the religious questions I would love a reporter to ask :) (I know I am devious ) because the thought has crossed my mind. If he is hopefully the Catholic Coach Urban (who was named after a Pope) will make him run gassers or Bleachers while reciting Rosary in latin.

No doubt if he transgressing this way God will make sure his Purgatory time is just being hit with marshmellows by sweet little Angels while having to watch Alabama play non stop.

In the end though the Faith of Tebow is important. It is a great Christian witness. Much better than the assorted scandals we hear about in College football and too often get overblown By the way at the NC game Tebow had John 3:16 under his eyes. That night according to google that was at the top of Google searches. I think that is perhaps what has got people upset. IT WORKS.We are called to all sort of vocations and those vocations rather the ministry or a priest or a religious or a football player is to be centered in Christ. In the end that is what Tebow does and he should be applauded.

Now I used a little humor there. College football in the south is a Religion and the stadiums on Saturdays are the Cathedrals where we take our communion. As was pointed out in by a former LSU Football player in It Never Rains In Tiger Stadium :

Will the damn thing never come?" I yelled one day, loud enough for everyone to hear."What thing?" Coach Mac asked."Saturday. I want it to be Saturday.""Only trying to make you better."
He sat in the shade of his golf cart, watching from the middle of the field, so we had to run around him and waste more energy."Only doing this because we love you. Don't think about yourself. Think about the people of the great state of Louisiana. They're counting on you. Every last one of them is counting on you."The governor was counting on me. The rednecks in the northern part of the state were counting on me. The Cajuns in the south were counting on me. The black people and the Creoles were counting on me. The Asians and the Hispanics were counting on me. The Catholics and the Baptists and the Jews and the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Hare Krishnas -- even the nondenominationalists were counting on me. Under the stars in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night, we were all the same."Can't let the people down, buddy. Can … not … let … them … down …"

So one must be a tad sensitive in talking about this issue and our fellow Saturday Communicants. Humor helps that a tad. In the state of Louisiana with its traditional religious divides football has served as a common bond. Even an ecumenical one.

But it is something I have thought about. This is also why I go to some pains on here to point out Catholic role models in college football and the NFL.

Football players , for all the bad press they get, are often very religious folks. In the Christ haunted South the SEC has a ton of players that got saved at the Revivals.

IS Tebow anti Catholic?

Where first I think a couple of columns by Catholic Convert and Apologist David Armstrong should be noted as to this situation. David is constantly on the front lines dealing with Anti-Catholicism. First a good one is How Anti-Catholics Can be Catholics' Brothers in Christ. I think that is important to read to give the proper overview we should all have. Also see Prayer For Our Non-Catholic Brothers and Sisters (Especially Those Who Do Not Regard Us As Their Brothers and Sisters in Christ)

The term anti Catholic is one that should be discussed. I am sure that Tim Tebow thinks that the Catholic Church Theology is off its rocker in some regards. If not he would be a Catholic. So I guess he is anti Catholic in that way but so are then all Protestants.

Does Tebow think Catholics are Christians? Well I don't know. . That is the question. If he does not well I guess he is an anti catholic as the term is used today. I do suspect that Tebow is not anti Catholic in the way some Seventh Day Adventist are or those that truly hate Catholics. It just does not fit his personality.

Armstrong again has given several articles on this that are helpful in this regard to Catholics and Protestants. See

Definitional and Terminological Controversies
Use of the Term Anti-Catholic in Protestant and Secular Scholarly Works of History and Sociology (Dave Armstrong vs. "Romans 45")

The Legitimacy of the Term Anti-Catholic as a Noun as Well as an Adjective

Scholarly Use of the Term Anti-Catholicism in Precisely the Way I Habitually Use It (the Theological or Doctrinal Sense)

On the Objectionable Use of the Terms Romanist and Papist"Free grace's" Glaring, Ludicrous Double Standards Regarding Anti-Protestant and Anti-Catholic (see exchange in the comments thread)

Reiterating the Meaning of "Anti-Catholic" With an Anti-Catholic and Getting Nowhere, As Usual (+ Discussion) (Dave Armstrong vs. Peter Pike)

Defense of Scott & Kimberly Hahn's Use of Anti-Catholic in Their Testimony Book, Rome Sweet Home

Fruitful Discussion With a Protestant About the Definition of Anti-Catholicism, Knowing Jesus Personally, and Constructive Dialogue

Not "Any" Difference Between Catholics, Muslims, Moonies, and Hindus? (+ Discussion)

Dialogue With a Baptist About Sola Scriptura, Keith Mathison's Fallacious Critiques of Catholic Ecclesiology, and Anti-Catholicism

Those links I think are instructive for Catholics and the term "anti Catholic".

So what should we do. First Catholics should learn from the witness Tebow gives. Catholics Schools produce a ton of Football players in this Country and we should be seeing a ton of Catholic Tim Tebows running around. They have had a history of doing this.

Second of all pray for Tim Tebow. Boy his conversion to the Catholic faith would be something else.

Last but not least support MISSIONS!!! Catholics and even Protestants have had overall decrease in giving to Missions for some reason. If we are concerned about Tebow making those Philippines kids Fundamentalist then send some money and prayers to help prevent that. I would recommend the sites that this Catholic Convert is involved in. Be sure to email him to get more details.

Also but not least root against FLORIDA especially when they play LSU. :)