Tebow Mania is Insania

"Because Tim Tebow is a religious figure rather than an athletic one, the limitations of his talent wind up testifying to the potency of his faith. The fact that he'll be almost comically inept for three quarters and then catch an updraft of mastery in the fourth serves to demonstrate not that he's a winner but that Jesus is — and, above all, that Christianity works." - Tom Junod, Esquire magazine. [Read more: http://www.esquire.com/the-side/feature/tim-tebow-christianity-6619366#ixzz1j0KYJ1ds]

Tim Tebow is the current poster boy for the miracles of Christian faith. And like Michele Bachmann, who believed that God had called her to run for office (and apparently, to lose!), Tebow's success on the field is due to--what else?--his faith in Jesus. At one level, all of this is warm, fuzzy, and even sort of inspirational. But at another level, it is a silly, incoherent, and even toxic way to think about one's life challenges.

All it really takes to unpack this belief system is to put it in a broader context. If it's 3rd and 7, and Mr. Tebow prays for a first down, what does it mean if he's successful? Apparently, it means that Jesus was on his side. Yet Tim Tebow is one of 54 Denver Broncos, at least some of whom are not of the same religious persuasion. So, does Jesus just figure that only the quarterback counts? If there are some non-believers on the team, are they just able to ride along on Tebow's coattails? And why does Jesus favor quarterbacks in the first place? Further, if he does succeed in converting that 3rd down, does that mean Jesus does not like the Steelers, or the Jets, or the Bears, or whoever the opponent is? If Tebow is praying for a 1st down, but two evangelical defensive lineman are praying to sack the guy, what in the heck does Jesus do? Flip a coin, I guess. At some point, the whole idea of divine intervention in a football game is nonsensical.

Even worse, in my view: attributing one's successes and failures to a higher power is to abdicate one's responsibility and one's power to choose. When Tim completes a 60-yard TD pass to win the game, as he did this past weekend, he should bow and take the credit. If he hits the receiver in stride and it all works out, that's his doing. And if he throws one that's picked off by the opposing cornerback, that's not God punishing him--no, that's Tim Tebow reading the defense incorrectly and/or a glitch in his motor skills as a passer. To think otherwise in either case is to engage in some kind of twisted, medieval claptrap.

But all of that will not faze Mr. Tebow. If the Broncos lose in the next round of the playoffs, he will still praise God for getting them there in the first place. And if they should win the Super Bowl (perish the thought), you might as well set up a revival tent outside the Broncos' locker room, because we all know how that happened.

The lesson is clear: if you want to play college football for a winner, choose either Oral Roberts or Brigham Young. They have a clear edge over those heathen public universities. And if you make it to the pros, pray that you can play your home games in Colorado, with Tim Tebow taking the snaps.

[News update: According to a telephone survey conducted Tuesday by the website Poll Position, 43.3 percent of people believe Tebow's accomplishments on the field can be attributed to divine intervention. The poll surveyed 1,056 people, and of the 756 who said they were familiar with Tebow, roughly 327 of them said they believe God plays a role in the second-year NFL quarterback's success. Only 42.3 percent of those familiar with Tebow said divine intervention does not play a role in Tebow's success (14.4 percent gave no opinion), meaning there are more respondents who do believe Tebow is receiving a little extra help than there are who don't.]