Weekend Plug-in 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-In” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Got feedback or ideas for this column? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com.

(ANALYSIS) Tim Tebow’s outward expressions of his evangelical Christian faith made him a polarizing figure during his college and professional football career.

There’s no doubt about that.

But did Tebow’s prayers on the field upset the NFL — the league itself?

Ryan Fournier, a leading supporter of President Donald Trump, made that claim this week in a tweet to nearly 1 million followers.

“I’m old enough to remember when Tim Tebow kneeled for God on the field,” said the Twitter post by Fournier, founder and co-chairman of Students for Trump. “And the NFL got upset because that wasn’t the place for ‘divisive’ displays of one’s beliefs.”

However, the accuracy of that statement is highly questionable. More on that in a moment.

First, though, some relevant background: The tweet came amid renewed attention over athletes kneeling in protest — or not — during the national anthem before games.

Colin Kaepernick, then the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, started the practice in 2016 to call attention to social injustice. But in a reversal from then, athletes now are having “to explain why they chose to stand, not kneel, during ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’” as the New York Times noted in a recent story.

That was evident last week when a San Francisco Giants relief pitcher, Sam Coonrod, declined to take a knee with his teammates. A Sports Illustrated writer subsequently accused Coonrod of “hiding” behind his religion.

“I meant no ill will by it,” Coonrod told reporters. “I don’t think I’m better than anybody. I’m just a Christian. I believe I can’t kneel before anything but God, Jesus Christ. I chose not to kneel. I feel if I did kneel I’d be a hypocrite. I don’t want to be a hypocrite.”

Back to Tebow: The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner won two national championships with the University of Florida before stints with the Denver Broncos (2010 and 2011) and the New York Jets (2012). During his college career, he frequently inscribed Bible references, such as John 3:16, on the black patches worn under his eyes. Later, he gained attention by pledging to remain sexually abstinent until marriage.

A controversial 2010 Super Bowl commercial featuring Tebow and his mother, Pam, touted his missionary parents’ decision to give birth to their “miracle baby,” despite doctors’ advice to terminate the pregnancy.

The New York Times reported during the 2011 season that “the fervor that surrounds both Tebow’s beliefs and his struggles in his second season for the Denver Broncos has escalated into a full-blown national debate over religion and its place in sports.” Saturday Night Live did a playful skit about Jesus visiting Tebow in the Broncos locker room.

A few opponents openly mocked Tebow on the field, including one who “celebrated by falling into the prayerful ‘Tebowing’ pose after sacking the quarterback,” according to the Denver Post.

But the NFL itself did not discourage Tebow or other players from praying before or during games, as far as I could determine. In fact, when a Muslim player — Kansas City Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah — received a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for practicing the Sajdah, a religious prayer, after a 2014 touchdown, the NFL quickly condemned the flag.

A viral list frequently shared online claims, “In 2012 the NFL had an issue with Tim Tebow kneeling for each game to prayer, they also had an issue with Tebow wearing John 3:16 as part of his blackout to avoid glare and made him take it off.”

Snopes.com investigated that claim and said it “found no record of the NFL having any issues with Tebow’s kneeling, and as it was a common occurrence among players across the league, we doubt that they ever did.”

Concerning the eye black, the fact-checking website said “the league wasn’t specifically singling out the quarterback or his religious beliefs. The league has a longstanding rule against modifying uniforms and prohibits players from marking themselves with personal statements.”

Power Up: The Week’s Best Reads

1. The deacon’s death from COVID-19 was heartbreaking. Losing his body was a nightmare: Like a thrilling movie, this incredibly well-told story immediately grabs the reader’s attention and never lets go.

From a writing standpoint, both the beginning and the end are phenomenal. At 3,500 words, it’s a long piece for a newspaper. But Michael M. Phillips’ front-page story from last Saturday’s Wall Street Journal makes excellent use of every syllable.

2. Faith in protest as young people find fervor on the street: After 10 years in Latin America, journalist Luis Andres Henao is doing excellent work as part of The Associated Press’ New York-based global religion team.

Wait, I already said that back in May. But it’s still true.

“The demonstrations against police brutality and systemic racism that have raged in the wake of (George) Floyd’s killing are often led by young people who find a sense of purpose, ritual and community on the streets,” Henao reports in his latest noteworthy story. “Many involved say the protests deepen spiritual connections and embody familiar elements of traditional faith.”

3. How Joe Biden’s Catholic roots have shaped his public life: Christopher White, the new national correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter, explores the faith of the man who could become the second Catholic president in U.S. history.

“He is hands down the most comfortable Democratic politician of his generation talking about the role religion has played in shaping his approach to public life,” White writes. “As such, John McCarthy, the deputy national political director for the Biden campaign, told NCR that ‘faith outreach is probably the most integrated it's ever been on a presidential campaign’ for a Democratic candidate.”

In related coverage, Michael J. O’Loughlin reports for America magazine on how both President Donald Trump and Biden are courting Catholic voters, while Kelsey Dallas of the Deseret News analyzes whether religious voters like Trump or Biden best. And nationally syndicated religion columnist Terry Mattingly suggests that Biden and Democratic strategists face faith issues that won’t go away.

More Top Reads

• Face masks and a Mohel: parents figure out how to host a bris during coronavirus (Gabriel T. Rubin, Wall Street Journal)

• For third-party Christians, some things are more important than winning (Daniel Silliman, Christianity Today)

• Pastor builds huge TikTok following by sharing passion for chai and spiritual conversation (Deepa Bharath, Orange County Register)

• Chicago’s Soldier Field rolls out blue carpet for drive-in screening of movie ‘Fatima’ (Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service)

• Alarmed by ‘death threat’ video, Orthodox Jews try to de-platform fiery ‘folk preachers’ (Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt, The Forward)

• The closure of Catholic schools is ‘devastating,’ advocates say (Tom Gjelten, NPR)

• Alabama politician resigns as a Southern Baptist pastor after KKK leader’s birthday celebration (Sarah Pulliam Bailey, Washington Post)

• When conservative justices revolt (Emma Green, The Atlantic)

• Where are churches in the Black Lives Matter movement? (Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)

Inside The Godbeat: Behind The Bylines

I’ve repeatedly praised the Godbeat work of Slate’s Ruth Graham (here and here, for example). So I was thrilled by this week’s announcement that the New York Times has hired her to join its national staff as a religion reporter.

I’m also excited to hear that she’ll be based in Dallas. As a former Associated Press religion writer based in that Bible Belt city, I can attest that it’s a wonderful hub for covering faith news. (It does get a little hot in the summer.)

A random stat: By my count, Graham will make three graduates of Wheaton College (“the evangelical Harvard”) serving as national religion writers at elite publications. The other two? Graham’s soon-to-be Times colleague Elizabeth Dias and the Washington Post’s Sarah Pulliam Bailey.

Charging Station: In Case You Missed It

Here is where you can catch up on recent news and opinions from Religion Unplugged.

• How the Hagia Sophia Decision impacts Turkey, minorities And now, Syria (Claire Sadar)

• Big tech hearing: Amazon slammed for "empowering" hate towards Catholics, Jews (Timothy Nerozzi)

• A human rights body calls upon states to take legal actions against China for its atrocities against Uighur Muslims (Ewelina U. Ochab)

• For America’s reckoning, the wisdom of Tisha B’Av and Jewish mourning (Noah Lawrence)

• Top 5 places to attend virtual Hajj (Jillian Cheney)

• The race to be the next Pope: new book details the possible candidates (Clemente Lisi)

• A death in Los Angeles symbolizes the COVID-19 tragedy (Gil Zohar)

• Flagship S.C. church makes statement of contrition on slavery and race (Christina Darnell)

• John Lewis knew desegregation wasn’t enough (Dr. David D. Daniels III)

• How political forces are capitalizing on an Ethiopian singer’s murder (Desta Hellso)

The Final Plug

From time to time, we like to highlight the fact that the religion beat is never boring.

For instance, a Religion News Service story by Bob Smietana this week explored the theology behind a Trump-supporting doctor who talked about demon sex and hydroxychloroquine.

Really.

Bobby Ross Jr. is a columnist for Religion Unplugged and editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 15 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.