American Family Association Attacks Tim Tebow, Gets Attacked By Its Own Supporters

The American Family Association yesterday decided to wage an all-out war across its channels, and in one instance published a scathing editorial attacking Tim Tebow, saying he was “caving” to the “liberal media.” The piece even created a Twitter hashtag, #TebowCaves, and urged readers to slam Tim Tebow over his very personal decision to cancel a speaking engagement at the First Baptist Church of Dallas, a church run by anti-gay, anti-Islam, anti-Obama, anti-choice, anti-Catholic Pastor Robert Jeffress.

READ: ‘For Bully Bigots At Big Gay Tim Tebow Is Another Scalp’ Says American Family Association

Last night, the article had well over 200 comments, the vast majority of them slamming not Tim Tebow, but the American Family Association and the head of its One News Now “news” website, Tim Wildmon.

The readers were so angry that One News Now removed the story (note the “404” not found) and republished it, drastically changing the focus from trying to create a Frankensteinian peoples’ villager burning of Tim Tebow, to one claiming “This was more of a story about the bullying by the media.”

Lest the AFA try to claim the article didn’t exist, here’s a screenshot of Google’s results, and above, their own, nasty tweets.

One News Now never documented what media “bullying” it claims was so intense that Tim Tebow had to “cave.”

READ: Tim Tebow’s Unforgivable Sin: ‘Much More Than His NFL Career Is In Jeopardy’

For more, read the American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer’s response to the Tim Tebow news:

No possible explanations that come to mind reflect favorably on Tebow at this point. If he publicly separates himself from Dr. Jeffress’ thoroughly biblically and historically orthodox views on matters of faith, then this makes him look weak and soft, because there is no flaw in Dr. Jeffress’ theology.

If Tebow doesn’t disagree with Dr. Jeffress’ theology, then this makes him look like a coward who flinches under pressure rather than standing tall and strong.

Martin Luther said, “Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battlefield besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.”

Instead of standing with the Christian leader of their day, the disciples of Christ fled like panicked sheep when he came under direct attack. I had thought and hoped Tebow was made of sterner stuff.

Tebow needs to clarify and expand on his remarks immediately, and undo this disastrous decision. Dr. Jeffress is a man of unconditional love and will gladly receive him back.

If Tim Tebow doesn’t reverse field here, much more than his NFL career is in jeopardy.

[Bolding ours]

 

Blogger Alvin McEwen, author of Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters, on his website chronicled some of the readers’ comments:

• I am not disappointed in Tebow, but in you for setting up a hashtag and news headline “tebowcaves” to automate heckling of someone that has stood far beyond where most people, and probably yourself would stand. Why would you create a link to entice thousands of others to torment him? As believers we understand that your acts do not represent Christianity, However, non believers view these type of acts as a representation of “Christians”. Please consider your actions before recruiting thousands of people to turn against another believer. Thank you.

 

•  My thoughts mirror most of the prior ones. How quickly we jump to conclusions w/o knowing the whole story. Tim Tebow has not suddenly become the bad guy here. We should be showing our love and support during what must be a difficult time for him. How can we “Christians” turning on him help the situation? It’s hardly acting the part of a Christian…

 

• Much as I have supported, sponsored and appreciated AFA for years, and as a  large part of my pro-family, anti-tyranny activism is through them, I believe  that the hashtags are a downright mean-spirited idea and I’m ashamed of AFA in  that regard. From the whole world’s history with Tebow’s faithfulness to date in the face of the diseased liberal left, I think we can be certain he knows how to pray about his  own decisions –and has the freedom to do so! Good GRIEF, AFA! Voice your disappointment if you wish, and raise questions that will draw accurate answers when the facts come in, but draw the line at bullying, please! You’ve got an  apology to make, and I hope to see you somehow back off that foolish  mob-gathering “Tebowcaves” hashtag. You are always ready for me to pop off  pointed letters that register my disappointment with various offenders; well,  here’s my letter to you.

 

• I couldn’t agree more,  …. I will be looking a lot more closely at AFA activity and agenda in the future before I jump in and support. My antennae are up bigtime …

 

• What is wrong with the people that wrote this article?? You’re being judgemental! You are not God. Only Tim knows what is between him and God and the reasons he is not speaking at this church. Read the Bible and you will see many instances where people are persecuted for doing the very thing God has asked them to do. Several years ago (about 12 years), my family and our pastor’s family started a new church. We felt the Lord was calling for us to do that work. Wouldn’t you know it, the very people that made fun of us by calling us names (seriously!) were the supposed Christians we had attended church with earlier! Today, that church is alive and well. If God is in it, NO man can defeat it. Tim, you keep doing what the Lord tells you to do…………pay no mind to mere men who call themselves Christian.

 

• When a pastor chooses to take such a public stance on controversial issues – perhaps devoid of the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, I might add – then they will get the attention they want, but only serve to further separate people rather than helping people join together. Chasing homosexuals from your church is not what Jesus did. This pastor is a loudmouth who wanted attention…and he got it. clapclapclap But I do not applaud his clumsy attention-getting behavior. I do applaud Tebow distancing himself from this loudmouth attention seeker. While we all are guilty of all-too-Human behavior from time to time, pastors must hold themselves to a higher standard and not take advantage of the trust and sometimes blind faith congregations have in THEM, rather than in Jesus Christ. Just sayin’.

 

• I am no longer in receiving messages or participating in this judgmental site. I’m not perfect like the people who run it. I don’t deserve to associate with them.

The American Family Association showed its true, very unChristian colors, and their flock finally woke up and turned on them.

Expect more in the future, as people who try to live by Christ’s message realize the American Family Association is actually a hate group.