After reading some more at the request of a commenter, it appears that Tim Tebow has not sought a trademark on the Tebow pose itself, but merely on the phrase "Tebowing."
So, just to clarify, I still stand by the following words:
Tebow's legal action is annoying for three reasons. First, because Matthew 6
commands Christians not to pray to be seen by others. And even if you
weren't originally praying in your signature style to be seen in a
pharisaical manner, the fact that the masses have named your prayer
posture after you should make it fairly clear that it's time to take it
out of the public eye and into the privacy of your room.
I also stand by these words:
Second, when
the world mocks you for your faith, the Bible tells us to rejoice that we've been counted worthy, not to threaten legal action against anyone who imitates the way you display your faith without authorized written consent.
If altered to say:
Second, when
the world mocks you for your faith, the Bible tells us to rejoice that we've been counted worthy, not to threaten legal action against anyone who attaches your name to the mocking imitation of the way you display your faith.
However, in light of this clarification, I retract and apologize for my claim that Tim Tebow's attempt to trademark genuflection is a great example of the ignorance and arrogance often found in Ahistorical Christianity. Seeing that this was not what happened, the Tebow example simply doesn't fit and I was wrong to make it based off of the rather misleading article I linked in the original post.
I do not, however, retract my statements concerning this widespread problem of ignorance and arrogance in Evangelicalism and Ahistorical Christianity. Certainly a better example could have been used, but the problem is very real, as the examples of dispensationalism, pentecostalism, and anabaptism certainly illustrate.
So, again, to Mr. Tebow, I apologize.
It takes a big man to admit their error, so kudos to you there!
ReplyDeleteSecondly, while we're to rejoice to've been counted worthy, the Scripture you cite doesn't say anything about a believer refraining from doing something about the mistreatment they may be suffering. God instituted all authority for a reason, and a believer is well within God's Will to avail themselves of society's legal protections.
Tim,
ReplyDeleteThanks. As to your second point, I don't disagree with it in principle. I just don't think that Tebow is doing something that's necessary in trying to get control of the term. I'd probably feel differently if tebowing.com were a porn site or something of that nature. But since it's not, I just find it rather cheesy, like when the LCMS makes all sorts of stipulations for how congregations can use their logo.