By David at The Mockingbird BlogNot even Tim Tebow can make it 'cool' to do the right thing; just ask Carlos Dunlap
By Ray Melick -- The Birmingham News
December 03, 2009, 3:33PMTim Tebow's teammates admire him, but apparently not enough to really want to be like him. (Associated Press) Last Sunday night, preparing to do "The Zone'' on ABC 33/40 with Mike Raita and guest co-host Charles Barkley, Raita asked the question, "Has Tim Tebow made it cool to do the right thing?"
Barkley quickly answered, "No. First of all, there's a lot of guys doing the right thing. But it's a lot easier to follow the bad guy.''
I have thought about Raita's question this week as we get closer to Tebow's final SEC game. Everyone seems to agree he's been a positive influence, a role model, everything that we say we admire in a person. But then Tuesday the news broke that one of Tebow's teammates, defensive end Carlos Dunlap, was arrested and charged with a DUI at 3:30 in the morning, a time when most players were expected to be safely tucked in bed.
Dunlap, a junior who could be a first-round NFL draft choice this spring, has been suspended for the game.
Certainly no one has been in a position to be positively influenced by Tebow more than the Florida players. And yet Dunlap is just one of many off-field problems the Gators have had over the last few years.
Which only goes to prove that, as much as we'd like to believe otherwise, not even the Heisman Trophy winning, two-time national championship winning quarterback can make it "cool to do the right thing.' Not when it's so much easier to do our "own" thing.
But I do admire him for trying. (Original article is
here)
In the Christian subculture, you hear a lot about "mature" Christians "modeling" behavior in their communities (and I've never heard Tim Tebow say this, to his credit). As much as one can say about how obnoxious the claim is, there is a more important thing at work here.
The important thing is not orthodox in a Christian sense because it assumes everyone is walking around with free will. Objective reason is the dominant force of their being. They see one of these models of behavior and think, "Of course. Since I am objectively reasonable and have free will, I will choose to pattern myself after this person."
Free will here is usually accompanied by a strange, detached "cause-and-effect" thinking or "karma" (to dive into pop spirituality). If goodness is sown, goodness will be reaped. The right thing always results in the desired effect. There is a lot to be said here regarding what sin actually is, but I'll save that for my next post (hint: Modern Victorian ethics are always more popular than blood Atonement).
The writer of the article, Ray Melik, has actually come upon an important insight. Tim Tebow is as fine a fellow as they come (even though I hope my Crimson Tide pounds the Gators this Saturday). He is supremely accomplished and does the right thing (at least publicly/so far) from the view of societal behavioral norms.
The interesting thing is that even one of his stature cannot "make it cool to do the right thing", as Melik notes. Interesting. Example is not changing behavior. In fact, if one is to read sports message boards, there is a significant Tebow-fatigue or Tebow-backlash. Example or "modeling" actually provokes what it does not intend. I wonder why
I wonder if the posts and discussion on our beloved Mockingbird can shed light.
Comments (8)
From a psychological studies perspective, modeling is one of the most effective learning tools.
Of course, lots of things go into whether or not people are going to emulate someone. For all those who don't emulate Tebow, I am 100% sure there are many who have been positively affected by him. It's just that the negatives tend to get into the media.
We all have a sin nature. It's also true that God uses others to show his love and righteousness to us. Tim Tebow appears to be an excellent example of that, and I have no doubt that he's positively affected his own players and the kids who watch him play and see him as a role model.
Modeling behavior doesn't change the human heart and the desires of the heart, though it may begin to show us how we are falling short in our own lives, and open the way for the Spirit of God to convict us of our sin. We are all born with a sin nature opposed to God, opposed to doing good. Our minds are hostile to God. Our wills are bound to our sin nature. You don't have to tell a child to disobey...The only way we'll can desire to live godly lives is through the operation of God's Spirit in those who have believed in Jesus Christ. God alone can give us new nature so we might increasingly hate our sin and turn from it, and love Him and begin to love holiness and want to do good. That's the Gospel of Jesus Christ: the power of God to transform us from within; He will work in those who believe in Him both to desire and to do of His good pleasure.
I think it's different when you have groups of people modeling for a culture than when you have individuals modeling. Not that the latter is entirely ineffective, but the truth is that hospitals, public education and the peace corps were all undertaken by the churches as a sort of mission before the broader society saw the utility in doing such things and took over those functions. The church modeled institutionalized compassion.
I agree with the other commenters that there are probably still many who have been positively impacted, but the media doesn't like to report positive things, typically.
I also agree that a group of people is probably, generally, more effective than an individual. I was led to Christ by a group of people - and their behaviour, not necessarily what they said. Although, their tones and things they did say were part of it. Mainly though, it was their actions.
Your Crimson Tide did pound them as you surely are aware of.
"Free will here is usually accompanied by a strange, detached "cause-and-effect" thinking or "karma" (to dive into pop spirituality)."
You certainly don't understand the concept of cause and effect or karma. The concept is even eluded to in the Bible..."As you sow so shall you reap." The concept of karma is not pop spirituality unless you consider a concept that has been around for well over 3,000 years to be "pop". Strange and detached defines the complete opposite behavior of someone who understands the concept/reality of causality. In fact understanding that what one does has consequences is quite sobering. The understanding of cause and effect leads a person to taking full responsibility for their life, as opposed to the strange and detached belief some people have that "whatever happens, this life doesn't matter because when I die I'm going to heaven".
You'd probably do well to educate yourself about things you don't understand. I'm sure you mean well but misinforming people is never a good thing. You know the expression...the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Pop spirituality?"
Karma is much more complicated than the bullcrap western culture make it out to be.