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

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Tim Tebow has now committed the ultimate, unforgivable sin: standing up to the radical religious right, acknowledging they are not ambassadors of an all-loving God.

READ: Tim Tebow Cancels Speech At Anti-Gay, Anti-Islam, Anti-Mormon, Anti-Catholic Church

Last night, Tebow reportedly called anti-gay, anti-Islam, anti-Obama, anti-choice, anti-Catholic Pastor Robert Jeffress to politely decline his invitation to speak at the First Baptist Church of Dallas in April.

This morning, Tebow, a hands-down all-star favorite of the religious right, made the announcement via Twitter, saying he had been “looking forward to sharing a message of hope and Christ’s unconditional love with the faithful members of the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas,” but, citing “new information that has been brought to my attention,” Tebow announced, “I have decided to cancel my upcoming appearance.”

The word is “cancel,” not postpone.

Enter the attention-seeking Pastor Robert Jeffress — who easily could have ignored the media brouhaha and tried to re-schedule. Or, move on with his life.

“Mr Tebow called Dr. Jeffress Wednesday evening saying that for personal and professional reasons he needed to avoid controversy at this time,” the First Baptist Church of Dallas said via a statement, “but would like to come to First Baptist Dallas to speak at a future date.”

We are saddened that Mr. Tebow felt pressure to back out of his long-planned commitment to First Baptist Dallas from numerous New York and national sports and news media who grossly misrepresented past comments made by our pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress, specifically related to issues of homosexuality and AIDS, as well as Judaism. As a Christian pastor, Dr. Jeffress takes a biblical approach to moral and social issues, closely following his duty to preach ‘the whole counsel of God,’ and not just address issues that are politically correct. First Baptist is a church built on the truth of Scripture, even though at times that approach can be perceived as controversial or counter to the prevailing winds of culture.

Apparently, Tebow’s been thinking for a while.

“The day before the cancelation, Jeffress expressed confidence that Tebow would appear as scheduled to radio host Janet Mefferd,” the Huffington Post reports:

“I believe as long as he listens to the Holy Spirit and to God’s voice and maybe not that of his handlers, you know, I think he will stand firm,” Jeffress told Mefferd, via Right Wing Watch. “And we’re counting him to do that.”

Cue radical religious right wing bullhorn Bryan Fischer.

Calling the cancellation “a weak-kneed and even cowardly decision,” Fischer, spokesperson and issues director for the certified anti-gay hate group American Family Association, wrote:

Inquiring minds want to know: exactly what “new information” is he talking about? In what matters does he disagree with Dr. Jeffress? Does he disagree with Dr. Jeffress when Dr. Jeffress says the message of the gospel is in fact “a message of hope and Christ’s unconditional love?” Does he disagree with Dr. Jeffress when he says that the Bible is the infallible word of God?

Does he disagree with Dr. Jeffress when he says that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven? Does he disagree with him when he says that even Jews and Muslims must believe in Jesus to go to heaven? Does he disagree with him when he says that unorthodox religions which use the name of Jesus are cults? Does he disagree with him when he says that homosexuality is a sin? Does he disagree with him when he says that Islam is a false religion?

If Tebow does not in fact disagree with Jeffress on any of these points, then his decision looks like nothing more than craven capitulation to the nattering nabobs of negativism and intolerance.

Tebow has established his street cred with the evangelical community by being unapologetic and unwavering in his faith. If his NFL career washes out, this street cred with the Christian community is all he has left. He is squandering that enormous reservoir of goodwill and admiration as we speak, by taking a knee rather than stepping up in the pocket.

Success in his future ministry endeavors hinges on maintaining the intensely high esteem which he had, until this morning, enjoyed among people of faith. He’s putting all that at risk. And for what reason? Have the yammering voices of secularism gotten to him? Did his agent beg him to run from Dr. Jeffress instead of standing with him? Did some sponsor threaten him?

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.

What else could that be?

Is that a threat?

Is Fischer saying if Tim Tebow doesn’t speak at Jeffress’ church, he will go to hell?

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News

Platner Scorched Over ‘Taking Time’ Video After New Accusation

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Maine Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner is under fire after releasing a video declaring that new allegations against him are false, yet he is “taking time to reflect” on a path forward.

Politico on Monday afternoon reported that a woman who dated Platner, Jenny Racicot, “says he forced her to have sex with him nearly five years ago despite her repeated objections, an allegation Platner denies.”

“Racicot said she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner,” Politico reported, “for more than two years before he entered her rural Maine home uninvited one night in late 2021, deeply intoxicated, and forced himself on her while she repeatedly told him to stop. She said she cut off contact with him after telling him the encounter was not consensual.”

In a video posted to social media eleven minutes after the Politico story dropped, Platner says, “I wanted to directly address the troubling, serious, and false allegations against me. Any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false.”

He said he and his supporters “were united in a love of Maine, a belief that our politics must change, in a focus on defeating Susan Collins.”

“So, regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful the political reality will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins.”

“Those were the goals when we launched this campaign. And they remain my goals today.”

“Throughout it all, you never turned your back on me. And I will not turn my back on you now. Every one of you deserves to see that vision come to fruition and see Susan Collins defeated. And we will use every tool at our disposal to do so.”

The Bulwark’s Tim Miller, a political commentator who served as the communications director for the Jeb Bush 2016 presidential campaign, blasted Platner.

“I’m sorry but ‘we are taking time to reflect on the best path forward’ is not an option on the table,” Miller wrote. “Either it’s false and you campaign with vigor or it’s true and you get out / apologize to everyone you let down.”

Journalist Ryan Grim, commenting on Platner’s video, noted that Platner “strongly suggests he is considering dropping out. Already Troy Jackson and Chellie Pingree, both gubernatorial candidates, are being kicked around in Maine circles as potential replacements.”

Several others, including Puck News’ Peter Hamby, predicted Platner will be dropping out.

Platner had postponed several campaign events before the Politico story was published.

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Trump Sparks Fury Online After Posting Unblurred Video of Muslim Kindergartners in Hijabs

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President Donald Trump is facing backlash after posting a video of children — including showing their unblurred faces — graduating from kindergarten, with some of the girls purportedly wearing hijabs.

“President Trump posted a captionless video of graduating kindergarteners on Truth Social on Monday, goading his supporters into verbally attacking little children simply for being Muslim,” The New Republic reported. “The clip is from Gateway STEM Academy, a majority-Black K-8 public charter school in St. Paul, Minnesota. It shows about 21 children in caps and gowns on stage singing a song together. Most of the girls are wearing hijabs.”

The original post of the video which Trump reposted reads: “Public school in St. Paul, Minnesota. Every girl is in a hijab … in kindergarten.”

Trump did not add any comments. TNR called the post “Islamophobic, weird, and creepy,” while noting that the comments section of Trump’s post was filled with calls “by racist, xenophobic MAGA supporters” to “deport the children and ban hijabs.”

TNR also noted that it “should come as no surprise that Trump isn’t above attacking children who just learned how to read, but this post is still particularly discomforting—and will certainly contribute to the already potent level of anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S. and in Minnesota.”

Critics blasted Trump.

“There is something deeply unsettling about the president of the United States—the most powerful person in the world—going after kindergarten schoolchildren in Minnesota because they wore hijabs, as Trump has done this morning on his website,” The Bulwark’s Sam Stein wrote.

One social media commentator wrote, “Trump posted an unblurred video of more than a dozen Muslim kindergartners to Truth Social, exposing the children’s faces while targeting them for their religion.”

Another added, “Trump is a bigot. The president took to Truth Social to attack kindergarteners in hijabs. These are little kids. The president isn’t just a bigot, he’s also a coward.”

The original video was posted to the X social media platform in June.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) at the time commented, “If you are in a public school in America, you should be speaking english.”

 

Image via Reuters 

 

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One Legal Maneuver Threatens to Undo Everything E. Jean Carroll Won

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President Donald Trump’s apparent efforts to delay releasing the $5.8 million civil judgment to E. Jean Carroll are being met with a warning by the journalist’s legal team, who suggest there could be a legal maneuver for Trump to employ to forgo paying the judgment in either of the two cases he lost.

According to The Guardian, on July 4, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered Trump to release the $5.8 million judgment, which is in escrow, to Carroll by this coming Tuesday — or explain why he would not do so.

Carroll’s attorneys think Trump may be trying to buy time to mount another legal strategy, telling the judge that Trump’s request for an extension “appears to be little more than yet another play for time.”

“The case is separate from Trump’s appeal of a Manhattan civil jury’s 2024 award of $83.3m to Carroll for defamation,” The Guardian explains. “But her lawyers have suggested a legal scenario in which the president might seek to conjoin the cases and further delay payment of both.”

Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan (no relation to the judge) wrote, “We can only assume that defendant is seeking … to buy time so he can try to concoct some new basis to put off paying plaintiff presumably in connection with his forthcoming petition and motion for a rehearing.”

Trump’s former attorney, Justin Smith, in one of his final acts, wrote to the Supreme Court suggesting that his client would be appealing the $83.3 million civil judgment.

Smith argued that the Supreme Court “may wish to consider the petitions together,” given they involve the same parties.

The larger judgment case involves possible questions of presidential immunity, and that has Carroll’s attorneys concerned.

“A conjoined case, Carroll’s lawyers fear, could result in both judgments being wiped out,” The Guardian reports.

The president has also made clear he is no fan of Judge Kaplan, after the jurist made several rulings that “angered” Trump.

“What else can you expect from a Trump Hating, Clinton appointed judge, who went out of his way to make sure that the result was as negative as it could possible be,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in 2023, “speaking to, and in control of, a jury from an anti-Trump area which is probably the worst place in the US for me to get a fair ‘trial’.”

 

Image via Reuters

 

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