As I've said on many occasions, if one wishes to trace the origins of our increasingly sick modern-day society back to its roots, the left's determination to substitute moral relativism for any codified definition of right and wrong — most specifically religious codification — cannot be denied.
Fifty years after the national temper tantrum they nostalgically define as the "revolution of the '60s," we are seeing the fruits of the "everything is a shade of gray" mentality that is little more than anarchy masquerading itself as freedom. Anyone daring to defy the trend must be ridiculed and ostracized. Exhibit A? Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow.
What has this man done to enrage the self-appointed guardians of our debased culture? In an age where everything short of dry humping the football in a personal celebration of one's exploits on the field has become "colorful," Mr. Tebow has the temerity to kneel and put a fist to his head as an indication of his thankfulness towards the Divine for helping him become successful. For that he has become a national laughingstock among leftist sophisticates, for whom faith per se represents a complete absence of intellectual acuity.
Such people also can't stand one other thing: the guy seemingly has a knack for winning — one that might exceed his physical talent.
That is an important distinction. The world is full of supremely talented people, very few of whom have the gift of rising above expectations, as well as inspiring others to do the same. As a former athlete I can attest to the fact that the world is full of "stars" who couldn't care less if their team is winning or losing, as long as they're getting their points, their hits, etc. Tebow, much to his credit, intuitively understands that the ability to lead others, often to the point of over-achievement (trust me when I tell you the Denver Broncos are hardly a powerhouse team this year), is as important as any other facet of team sports.
Thus it becomes a true measure of our societal dysfunction when inspiring others to better themselves makes one the focus of national ridicule.
Would that it were only ridicule. Joshua Hammerman, a left-wing rabbi, had this to say in a column for The Jewish Week — before it was surgically removed from internet circulation. "If Tebow wins the Super Bowl, against all odds, it will buoy his faithful, and emboldened faithful can do insane things, like burning mosques, bashing gays and indiscriminately banishing immigrants. While America has become more inclusive since Jerry Falwell's first political forays, a Tebow triumph could set those efforts back considerably."
Hammerman's subsequent apology was equally pathetic. "I have spent my entire career engaged in dialogue with people of all faiths while speaking out passionately against intolerance and extremism. I have the deepest respect for those who are committed to their faith, including Mr. Tebow. I realize the way in which I attempted to make my points was clumsy and inappropriate, calling to mind the kind of intolerance and extremism my article was intended to disparage. I sincerely apologize to Mr. Tebow, his family, the Broncos and Patriots and all those whom I may have offended."
To all those whom I may have offended? In sane society, everyone would be offended by such an obvious manifestation of ideologically-driven contempt.
Or is it fear? I'm betting on the latter. Nothing scares more leftists than the idea that a few strong individuals here and there can resist the siren song of "everyone else is doing it, why not me?" The ability to think for oneself is absolutely anathema to the collectivism ambitions of an ideology that, whenever it has reached a certain level of power, has sought to eliminate religion as one of the first orders of business.
Thus, any man who gives credit for his success to something bigger than himself — other than the state — must be vilified. And make no mistake: all the deaths attributed to the excesses of the "emboldened faithful" across the ages of history, including the outright fanatics of our modern era, pale by comparison to the number of people executed wherever the godless ideologies of totalitarianism have prevailed.
As I write this, Sunday's game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots has yet to take place. For more than a few Americans, for obvious reasons, the game transcends football. That is a mistake. Tim Tebow will be no more or less decent a human being if he wins or loses, because either way he will remain the epitome of graciousness that defines his character, not his football ability.
That decency of character remains under attack says far more about the American left than it does about Tim Tebow.
