Tim Tebow’s Christian Ad During NFL Game Sparks Controversy
Tim Tebow, the devout Christian quarterback of the Denver Broncos, has received tons of media attention and drawn the spotlight to the Bible passage John 3:16. The broadcast of the game Saturday against the New England Patriots included something unusual: a television commercial about that Bible verse. The commercial was well shot, artistically constructed, yet others say it had very poor taste.
The ad, which features a series of children reciting John 3:16 in sequence, promotes Christianity and asks for donations to the organization at the end. It seems un-American to push a religious and political message during a professional sporting event.
Andrew Riggio commented “The NFL should probably avoid appearing to promote a particular religion in preference to others. The professional football league is not a religious advocacy group.”
“It was shady for Focus On The Family to end with a call for donations. The group is essentially asking sports fans watching the game to reimburse the think tank for the cost of the ad. Using children to promote one spiritual group over another is unseemly.”
It is legal to purchase ad space and display advertisements like the Focus On The Family commercial.
He further added, “The NFL should reject such ads and give the viewers what they tuned in to see: All football, all the time.”