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Matt Taibbi writes politics and sports for Rolling Stone, but Hunter S. Thompson he is not. The late Mr. Thompson, a Coloradan, was never so shallow as to quickly dismiss people for their religious beliefs. Taibbi seems to dislike Colorado, especially Colorado Springs, and Christians. He has a history of espousing anti-Christian bigotry.
The upcoming “16 Mad Men” issue of Rolling Stone features Taibbi’s article about Bronco’s rookie quarterback Tim Tebow. It’s refreshingly complimentary of Tebow’s athletic talents, based on a preview sample in Westword.
Follow-the-leader pack writers have decided Tebow’s awkward passing wind-up is a problem in the NFL. A brighter perspective would apply the awkward-runner test. Given a choice of two base runners who run at equal speed, choose the one with an awkward style over the one with a perfect style. If the awkward runner is properly coached into an efficient style, the speed will increase. The other runner, with flawless technique, has less room to improve. Tebow passes well, so imagine what he’ll do with improved habits.
Taibbi probably gets all that, because he predicts success for Tebow. Good for Taibbi, in that regard. Taibbi’s problem with Tebow is personal, not professional, having nothing to do with football. He shares blatant disrespect for Tebow’s character. What’s wrong with the character of an athlete known more for morality than drunken college date rape parties? Why, he’s a Christian, of course, and Taibbi writes with an obvious assumption that readers of yesteryear’s rock magazine are put off by stuff like that. Just in case they’re not, Taibbi casts Colorado Christians as haters.
“Tim Tebow’s hyper-Christian aw-shucks persona is not easy to like, and the fact that it so perfectly fits in with the huge masses of gay-hating Focus on the Family types in Colorado (remember Ted Haggard!) makes the whole Broncos picture doubly unappealing.”
Unappealing to anti-Christian bigots. Those concerned with touchdowns and playoff berths don’t care much about the religious preferences of players on the field. Let’s analyze Taibbi’s clumsy Colorado insult:
• Tebow opposes abortion, which was the subtle message of his tasteful Super Bowl ad. This does not make him a hater of gays. If he fits in with haters, Taibbi should present us the evidence.
• Focus on the Family opposes gay marriage. Calling it a hate group is extreme, but Taibbi gets a pass on that one.
• Haggard has never been a “gay-hating” type. Before his gay-prostitute scandal, Haggard insisted on including the predominantly gay Pikes Peak Metropolitan Community Church in the choir of an ecumenical Easter service. He welcomed gays to the service with open arms. Haggard has long fought to give same-sex couples domestic partnership rights. Footage of gay-bashing sermons does not exist.
• This pro-religion, conservative editorial column — serving the home of the so-called masses of gay haters — defends the rights of same sex couples to wed more than almost any daily newspaper in the country. It advocates plus-one benefits for government employees and opposed California’s gay marriage ban. It opposes “don’t ask, don’t tell.” The limited-government values that define this newspaper and much of Colorado are as gay-friendly as public policy gets. Few of our readers, in this home to “masses” of haters, seem to object.
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While Taibbi writes with a tired, unsupported assumption about Colorado, knowledgeable political analysts have written for years about the “Fab Four” — Colorado’s pro-gay multimillionaire activists who shape Colorado’s political scene. Coloradans elect openly-gay politicians, such as U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, and almost nobody makes issue of their personal lives. Sure, Christians are abundant in Colorado but haters are in relatively short supply.
Taibbi’s most famous indulgence of anti-Christian bigotry was a 2005 column for the New York Press titled “The 52 Funniest Things About the Upcoming Death of the Pope.”
Taibbi thought it was cute; most found it hateful. Taibbi was soundly denounced by then-U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Abe Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League. U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-New York, told constituents to throw Taibbi’s article away. Taibbi’s editor resigned in shame.
Coloradans should ignore this special issue of a once-cool magazine that calls them haters. Dismiss the article, but don’t excuse the inexcusable anti-Christian bigotry of the person who wrote it.
- Wayne Laugesen , editorial page editor, for the editorial board. Friend him on Facebook
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