Nothing wrong with anti-abortion ad during Super Bowl, says Tebow
My AJC colleague Orlando Ledbetter has posted this from Mobile, Ala.:
Florida quarterback Tim Tebow doesn’t understand the controversy surrounding a Super Bowl ad scheduled to air on CBS on Feb. 7.
The ad was purchased by Focus on the Family, a conservative group that stresses marriage and parenthood.
The ad’s theme will be “Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life,” according to the Associated Press. Tebow’s mother, Pam Tebow, shares the story of her difficult 1987 pregnancy. Instead of getting an abortion she decided to give birth to Tebow.
“I don’t think it’s anything that’s negative or anything like that,” Tebow said Wednesday after the South team’s practice at the Senior Bowl.
Some contend that the Super Bowl should not be used for political agendas.
“It’s a good time and place,” Tebow said. “There are a lot of people watching. It’s a great opportunity to share a very happy and special story about my mom fighting for me. There are a lot of great things in that.”
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120 comments Add your comment
Byron Mathison Kerr
January 28th, 2010
10:59 pm
To susan, January 28th, 2010, 10:26 pm:
I understand what you are writing. I think the problem here is that this ad is a product of the Focus on the Family generic right-wing religious political organization that ultimately seeks to make abortion illegal again. Not surprisingly, it also promotes anti-gay rhetoric.
I do not think a lot of people are perceiving it as simply a celebration of Tebow’s mother’s decision to continue her pregnancy and end up having a talented and handsome young man for a son. I mean, who would possibly not want Tim Tebow in this world?!
But it is seen as an attempt to promote the organization’s ultimate agenda to further erode the rights of women to have that choice. And people who advocate for that choice have been put on the defense for quite some time now.
It is never a controversy to have a child. It only becomes a controversy when a woman chooses to have an abortion.
Philly Tide Fan
January 28th, 2010
11:01 pm
a1agator…..I believe you are 100% right
Cristobal Francisco
January 28th, 2010
11:06 pm
Philly Tide Fan,
War sucks… I think the USA should only get involved in war when it or a close ally is directly attacked.
Philly Tide Fan
January 28th, 2010
11:11 pm
But innocent people are always killed in conflicts…..if you were not hypocritical…then you would be 100% against war….since life is soooooo precious
Cristobal Francisco
January 28th, 2010
11:13 pm
Philly,
Sorry but when Hitler took over Europe then something had to be done. When Japan attacked the USA, something had to be done. Sorry that you must have been responsible at some point for the murder of a unborn child.
Cristobal Francisco
January 28th, 2010
11:23 pm
Byron Mathison Kerr,
To say abortion is a controversy is an understatement… It is simply the murder of the most completely innocent human being…
Byron Mathison Kerr
January 28th, 2010
11:34 pm
To Cristobal Francisco, January 28th, 2010, 11:23 pm:
Well, that is the disagreement that creates the controversy.
Matchtuff
January 29th, 2010
12:20 am
Hey the ad is fine. The only thing that was a problem was fact that they wouldn’t accept these type of ads before(for or against). I say let people choose. I wonder would all those people who are for this ad be fine with the same exact ad with the same exact circumstances but instead of Tebow it was the guy would robbed your house last month!
mistermak
January 29th, 2010
12:36 am
Believe in Life- you worship GOD!! Believe you have a choice- you play GOD! What if your mom played GOD? By the way your president sponsored a bill to allow a bothced abortion baby to lay on the table a die.
Also the woman who was the president of planned parent hood resigned right after she witnessed a partial term abortion. What do you think about that? Celebrate Life because it is a gift and one day GOD will taketh it away!!
susan
January 29th, 2010
1:29 am
@ byron…i once knew a gut that said he would rather his girlf friend have an abortion than to know that there was a child of his out there that he didnt know…that is a VERY selfish attitutde. there are somethings in this life that are beyond YOU. And I think that most abortions are about what the public thinks….if you have an abortion nobody needs to know that you are pregnant…to have a child and give the child up for adoption makes your “mistake” obvious..to have an abortion enables you to hide it…of course it takes two to tango but men do not have to deal with that decision, but I think they should have a say in it
Ryan
January 29th, 2010
4:05 am
The absurd part is that in addition to the fact that they’re airing a Super Bowl advertisement about abortion, the host of the ad is a football player that hasn’t even made the NFL yet and most likely will not be a starting quarterback next year. Tebow, wait until it’s your day to come out and tell me my politics on Super Bowl Sunday. Wait until you’ve accomplished something in pro football. By coming out and doing this pre-draft, you show NFL fans how truly pompous and absurdly gratuitous your concept of yourself is, especially since pro scouts are seriously doubting that you will even be drafted as a quarterback. And the jump pass will never cut it in the NFL!
Clear Thinking People
January 29th, 2010
6:13 am
As one can see from the comments on this page, most are clear thinking people who have not based their lifestyle in total selfishness. Pro-life takes work, sacrifice, love and care…a baby that needs life. The comments coming from the pro-choice crowd are those who are engulfed in the total opposite…i,e. homesexuality is 100% selfish and produces a destructive population that is only concerned about personal pleasure albiet, sickness, OR, concerned about population control…too many people means less for me…Warren Buffet/Bill Gates have probably already donated the money for the homo-sexual add or a planned parenthood ad….they are the single largest financial contributors to planned parenthood abortion services…we can attribute about 25 million abortions just to their giving through the years. For every 1 child that is born through various pro-life services, 3 children are aborted.
Bill
January 29th, 2010
10:18 am
Is this not the USA? Where we have Freedom of Speech and express? Have we lost those rights? Now every time someone says something “we don’t agree with” are just mention the names, Bush, Obama, or Tebow and its “”POLITICAL AGENDAS”! Please tell me whats not Political? Everything is…Every ad at Super Bowl is politicial for someone. I fought for this great Country but I have become ashame because our on citizens want to take rights away from us that we fought for.. Freedom of Speech is #1 for our Freedom to continue. Its time America wakes up again before we have another attack and war. God Bless the USA.If you don’t believe in God, Bless you too because I do. ( Oh! God’s another political agenda, right?)
DannyX
January 29th, 2010
10:49 am
You always know when a “clear thinking” person starts talking for all the “clear thinking” people…
A speech by the morality police that doesn’t include divorce? Divorce has done far more harm to the US than gay relationships. A staggering 50% of all marriages fail leaving massive amounts of pain behind. Yet according to “clear thinking people” gay people are destroying civilization.
Divorce destroys families and friendships. It causes financial distress. Children are left in between bitter conflicts. Fathers are often not supporting their left behind children. Fathers are often not there for their children. People are forced to take sides and choose between friends they love.
I guess God’s another political agenda.
Barbara
January 29th, 2010
11:49 am
I am disgusted with this and with the gay ad. Neither belongs in sports.
DannyX
January 29th, 2010
12:27 pm
YOU GO BILL!!
Bill, do you know where we can send our letters to CBS demanding the free market gay ad be allowed to air at half-time. Its people like you that demand respect for things like free speech that make this country great!
Maybe I’ll see you on mandate.com soon Bill, my screen name is “IluvTomBrady”
Iluv supply and demand too. God Bless America!
James
January 31st, 2010
3:19 pm
We Americans have a right to think and say what we please. I only question why CBS decided against an add that was pro-gay marriage. I personally support both Tebow and gay marriage…I also support anyones right to run an add for an opinion opposite my own…What a radical thought in today’s America
puleseteresa
January 31st, 2010
11:15 pm
It’s highly likely that the Tim Tebow anti-abortion ad will contain some lies, or in the very least, lies of omission. There are some very important facts to keep in mind about the story Tim Tebow and his mother Pam will be telling:
Tebow’s mother claims that while she was being a missionary in the Philippines she contracted amebic dysentery and her doctors advised her that the antibiotics had lilely caused fetal damage and she should abort.
However, three problems: (1) Abortion was, and is, completely illegal in the Philippines. They are so barbaric that they don’t even care if the mother will die. (2) If the account is true, the doctors could have been sued for malpractice; there are approved dosages of antibiotics for pregnant women. (3) Pam Tebow is very much at fault; contracting this disease requires that you consume food that has been inadequately cooked or, in the case of raw veggies and fruits, not properly washed with safe water. These are things that she, as a pregnant woman, should have been aware of and taken care of. Otherwise, she’s as much at fault as a pregnant woman who drinks alcohol heavily during her prgnancy.
So the story they are likely to tell is false. She did not even have the choice of abortion, so she deserves no accolades for her “choice” because she had none. Had she actually chosen, then we could say “Good for you. You got lucky and your son turned out healthy.” But we could only say this IF she actually had the choice (which she didn’t). The point is: Choice is the key. If a woman chooses to risk her life so that her baby might live, then that’s her choice. If she chooses to say her life is more important than that of her fetus she has that choice also. However if choice is abandoned then all women will ne FORCED to accept every pregnancy – whether she’s a 15-year old who’s been raped by her abusive father, or a random woman who’s raped by a serial rapist stranger, or a woman who’s life, and the life of her child, is likely to end if she does not get an abortion. It’s immoral, unethical and inhumane. Most women to not choose to have an abortion. It’s a difficult, painful choice. But it must remain that – A CHOICE!
Casey
February 1st, 2010
8:27 pm
Can we please have one day without partisan rancor? 90% of the millionaires in the NFL are republican, but they wisely keep their mouths shut so as to not alienate the half of their audience that isn’t.
Josephine
May 15th, 2010
12:40 am
Its a women’s body and a women’s choice. Keep your judgement and hands off our bodis.