Bad Theology = Bad Witness

No one will ever accuse me of being a stickler for details. And when it comes to Christian theology, I am more live and let live, think and let think than I probably should be. However, while I am not the most detailed systematic theologian on the planet, there are certain things that I can recognize right away as bad theology. This is one of them. Tim Tebow's pastor, Wayne Hanson, thinks that the Broncos are winning football games because of Tim Tebow's faith. I cannot count the ways that this is wrong. But, of course, I will try. First, God does not give a flying fig (and that is the nicest way I can express it) if the Denver Broncos win football games. To think otherwise is to to fetishize the personal relationship with God that is available to people through Jesus Christ - one of the ugliest, most self-centered aspects of Christianity. Second, by Hanson's reasoning, Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback of my beloved (and defending Super Champion) Green bay Packers, who are 13-0 right now, must be some kind of prophet. For that matter, is every Super Bowl Champion quarterback and World Series MVP favored by God? Finally, the thought process behind this kind of theology is that God glorifies those who glorify Him. The problem, of course, is that Hanson is assuming that winning football games is actual glory according to God. I don't know what about the origins of Christianity (Jesus being born in a feeding trough for animals to insignificant parents in a nowhere town in an occupied nation, and then ending his earthly life by dying on a cross) would make anyone think that winning football games is to be glorified. Jesus said, "the first shall be last and the last shall be first." So, if anyone is being "glorified" on the football field, my guess is that it is the hapless Indianapolis Colts. When you actually consider the ramifications of Hanson's words words, they seem even more asinine. In the interest of time, I will stop talking theology at this point. However, Hanson's comments are also wrong on the level of football logic. The implication of his words is that Tim Tebow is solely responsible to Denver's success. While I am not a Tebow apologist by any stretch, I acknowledge that the effort he puts into football is monumental. However, most of the games that Denver has won recently have been largely the result of a great defensive effort, and in the case of the Chicago Bears game Sunday (and as a Packers fan, it was with great relish that I watched the Bears collapse), a horrible effort on the part of the opponent. Enough said said about Hanson. However, what is important to recognize is that when Christian's say things as stupid as this, it is not only bad theology, it is also a very bad witness to the truth of Jesus Christ. It reinforces the narrow-minded image that so many people have today and it drives people farther away from the church. Wayne Hanson is a Christian minister. I assume (and hope) that he received some theological training before taking this position. Perhaps he and the church would be better served if he spent some time in theological reflection before making statements that are so clearly contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ.