Forbes: The most influential athlete in American sport is...

[Spider-Dan]

For the point of this conversation I'm just saying it's funny to me that you should be able to make fun of something as deeply personal as religion but you can't make fun of a person who flaunts their gay sexuality.

Do you think it's OK to make fun of someone because of their gender?  How about their race?

Again, it boils down to this: criticizing someone's choices (including, but not limited to, their religion) is OK.  Do you think that Collins (and other homosexuals) choose to be attracted to the same sex?

[Brian Fein]

Do you think that Collins (and other homosexuals) choose to be attracted to the same sex?

Oh, no you didn't...

[CF DolFan]

Yes. Just as I choose to love to my wife, follow Jesus, take care of my family, mow my yard, watch movies, go to the doctor, eat fat foods etc.  Everything is a choice that we have to make. I can choose to ignore certain impulses I have or I can choose to act on them. Either way its a choice.

[Spider-Dan]

To clarify:

You are saying that the actual attraction to the same sex (the attraction itself) is a choice?  That, say, Collins could choose to be attracted to women instead?  (Keep in mind that there's a difference between the attraction and acting on that attraction.)

See, unless you frame attraction itself as a choice, the rest of the argument basically turns into "well, homosexuals should either be celibate or fake it, but since I was born heterosexual, I get to have sex with people I'm attracted to."

P.S. Please restrict any rebuttals to the realm of those who are legally able to consent, since that's what we are talking about: consenting human adults.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

He's a unemployed backup quarterback who has never started a full season.  And yet, for some supposedly unknown reason, he is the most influential athlete in America.

Not an unknown reason. 

He gives a sermon and thousands show up.

Is he an athlete?  Yes.

Now, name an athlete that is more influential?  Brady? Manning? Rodgers?  While each of them are better at throwing a football then Tim.  None of them are nearly as influential.  As in what they say influences anyone. 

[Spider-Dan]

Yes, the "supposedly" was for all the people who claim that Tebow's popularity is NOT directly due to his outspoken evangelism.

It is the ONLY reason for his popularity.  There are plenty of extremely good college players and charitable citizens that don't have 1/1000th the following of Tebow, because they don't dedicate every action on the field to the Glory of Christ.

[Landshark]

Do you think it's OK to make fun of someone because of their gender?  How about their race?

It's not ok to make fun of anyone for any reason.  I've heard that in Lake County, FL they are starting a "gay-straight" alliance in schools to prevent bullying of gay students. 

While this has good intentions, it only covers a small portion of the reasons why kids get bullied.  I've seen kids get picked on and made fun of because they are overweight or wear glasses or would rather study instead of party.  Maybe to go with the gay-straight alliance, they should create a jock-nerd alliance or a fat-skinny alliance.

[Sunstroke]

It's not ok to make fun of anyone for any reason. 

So, when Tommy was around these boards, it wasn't OK to make fun of him for being a lard ass? Or for being a brain damaged douchebag?

I swear, you just about have to be a professor to figure out all the political correctness rules these days...

[Landshark]

So, when Tommy was around these boards, it wasn't OK to make fun of him for being a lard ass? Or for being a brain damaged douchebag?

I swear, you just about have to be a professor to figure out all the political correctness rules these days...

No, it was not ok.  Just like it's not ok to make fun of you for being a sarcastic idiot.  But I'll call you out for it anyway.

[Sunstroke]

If you had known Tommy, you would have made fun of him just like everyone else around here. He was the Clown Prince of Whack-Jobs, and when he got the boot for being a general dick, TDMMC marked the event with 12 days of celebration and festivities. TDMMC old-timers still mark that date on our calendars each year as "Farewell, Fuck-wad Day."

[Fau Teixeira]

It isn't social acceptable to mock someone based on their belief system. And to a certain extent It's justifiable. However that belief system should carry some baggage. If you believe something that has no proof of existence, you should not be surprised when people hold that against you.

As long as they aren't trying to force their misguided belief system on me, I fully support their right to it.

However, I DO have the right to judge them based on these beliefs. Religion is just one of many factors i can use to judge someone's character,  morality or  trustworthiness.

If i went around telling people that the sandy hook massacre was an Obama carried out plot just to push through gun control legislation, that would be used against me in people's judgement of me. Telling people they will go to hell because they don't believe in Jesus, or that Mohammed flew on a winged horse, or that Joseph Smith found gold tablets in New York with angelic writing on them is no different. It's just an older conspiracy theory.

And i do look at people that believe in those things in the same way i look at people that believe in the loch-ness monster or bigfoot, or that the US staged 9-11, or that we never landed on the moon.

[Spider-Dan]

I think it's important to point out that no one is criticizing Tebow for his religion.  There have been plenty of religious players in the NFL, Drew Brees and Matt Hasslebeck among them.  The difference is that:

1) Tebow goes out of his way to promote his religion within his sport
2) Unlike, say, Kurt Warner, Tebow's religious antics greatly eclipse his actual ability to play NFL football

I don't remember many people complaining about Ray Lewis saying that God wanted the Ravens to win or some such nonsense.  That's because Ray Lewis is one of the best NFL players of all-time.  Tim Tebow... is not.  With Ray-Ray, the religion is a distant second to his play on the field; with Tebow, he's not even ON the field!

[Sunstroke]

Not sure if you folks have seen this yet...an Orlando attorney ponied up for a TV commercial in support of Jacksonville signing Tim Tebow...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WTz_8kdsruw

[Brian Fein]

^^ what a joke.

The commercial conveniently skipped over how he got stomped in the 2nd round of the playoffs, and how he couldn't get on the field the ENTIRE following season.

What a joke!

[CF DolFan]

Not sure if you folks have seen this yet...an Orlando attorney ponied up for a TV commercial in support of Jacksonville signing Tim Tebow...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WTz_8kdsruw

He's a character for sure. He lives not too far from me and has even hosted Obama at his house. I don't think I have to tell how that screwed up traffic around here in little Lake Mary!! Anyway he's not afraid to spend a lot of money in speaking his voice so he may actually go a little overboard before it's all over.  Years ago he spent a ton of money labeling the Central Florida light rail the "crime train" and got it voted down because it was going to disrupt traffic for his Wonder Works on International Drive.