I follow Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller fame on Twitter. I'm a big fan of the act and find his points of view on things rather fascinating. He's a devout atheist. Last night, he retweeted an image that his wife had shared (I'm using a higher-quality version than she did):

First, let me say that I wouldn't consider myself a Tim Tebow fan, but I certainly have nothing against the guy. He seems like a class act when he's not playing football and when he is, he has a ton of heart and drive. Whether he becomes an elite quarterback in the NFL still remains to be seen in my humble opinion; I think there's an enormous over-reaction to each game he wins (no, he hasn't yet proven that he can win you a Championship; beating the Vikings is not that proof) and each game he loses (no, just because they lost one game doesn't mean he should be benched for all eternity; he's young and he'll improve). Given his positive attitude to, well, everything, it's hard not to like him ... unless, of course, you REALLY don't like overtly-religious people.

I do somewhat understand how he has become a religious lightning rod: the guy is simply more open about his faith than most and people get uncomfortable with that. The now-infamous "Tebowing" pose, pictured above, is to me his way of thanking God for his talents. From his point of view, he simply can't do what he does without God's assistance. One does not make assumptions about what a man prays, but I think implying that he's petty enough to simply pray for touchdowns is quite insulting.

Forgive me for getting off on a bit of a side note here, but I've not read the Bible (I willingly accept your disapproving stares at this gross oversight). This is, therefore, prejudicial of me to think this way, but I think it's a bit of a Rorschach test, that the words and phrasings are so foreign to modern English that you can derive just about any meaning you want from at least some passage in it. To that end, I find it amusing that this passage from the Bible has been cited as a kind of condemnation of "Tebowing:"

Matthew 6:5-8:
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

After looking at that image, for whatever reason, I felt compelled to respond:

• BrentButler: @EmilyJillette I don't think Tim Tebow prays for TDs; he believes he only has his talents because of God and thanks Him for them.
  
• EmilyJillette: @BrentButler He should ask for some intelligence.

• BrentButler: @EmilyJillette I don't share his beliefs, but I don't think him ignorant or stupid because of them. You do?
  
• EmilyJillette: @BrentButler ignorant, mentally ill...not sure which or both. Imaginary friends can come with both.

Still, I've always been against people persecuting others simply because their beliefs differ from theirs. That's being incredibly close-minded in my opinion and I don't really see how that point of view is any different from the folks that say they worship "the one true religion".

• BrentButler: @EmilyJillette So you judge the man based on his beliefs? Don't religious zealots do the same with atheists? It's prejudicial ... isn't it?
  
• EmilyJillette: @BrentButler I absolutely judge people on their beliefs. No, prejudicial means judging before. I have the information they give me.

I guess you could call me a religious pacifist. Up to the point where your religious freedom interferes with mine, I have no problem with you believing whatever you want. You want to believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster? Go for it. I'll leave you alone as long as you leave me alone. I shouldn't judge what you believe and you shouldn't judge what I believe.

Faith is like an emotion from my point of view, which is why people are so touchy on the subject; it's extremely personal. Tebow certainly draws more than his fair share of anti-religious nutjobs, but I think it comes with the territory of being open about something so personal. There's just something to be said for moderation.

I have no problem whatsoever with his faith, but I also have no desire hearing about it. It'd be a like if your buddy kept bragging to you about how much he was in love with his wife. You'd be happy for him, but at a certain point, that's about the end of it for you. There's not much else to express, so you don't really care to hear any more about how awesome she is. You don't hate her, your buddy, or his love for her by feeling that way; you've just had your fill.

Bad analogy? Matthew 6:5-8 above basically says to not pray in public; I'm not going anywhere near that far. Like Public Displays of Affection, Public Displays of Faith are perfectly fine, but there's a line there that can be crossed. Maybe Tebow hasn't crossed that line, but it's not too difficult to imagine how some folks would think that he has.

None of this excuses Emily Jillette's bigotry. I mean, c'mon... even Chuck Norris wears Tim Tebow pajamas.