2/6/10

A Video Boo: Tim Tebow's mother's fabrication about her abortion choice

New Yorker has a dynamite rebuttal story, The Tebow Defense, posted by Amy Davidson.

They also embed this effective video response to the Tebow ad.



We did our own a two minute search and concluded that Pam Tebow made up her story.

Tim Tebow's mother claims in a national TV Superbowl ad that she was told to have an abortion in the Philipines in 1987 and decided not to do it. That claim is just patently false since abortion was illegal in the Philippines at that time and still is today.

Mrs. Tebow made no choice or decision based on religion. Her only legal option in that country at the time was to have the child, who is the athlete Tim Tebow.

Wikipedia reports:
The basic status of Abortion in the Philippines is that it is illegal, or banned by rule of law.

The act is criminalized by the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, which was enacted in 1930 and remains in effect today. Articles 256, 258 and 259 of the Code mandate imprisonment for the woman who undergoes the abortion, as well as for any person who assists in the procedure, even if they be the woman's parents, a physician or midwife. Article 258 further imposes a higher prison term on the woman or her parents if the abortion is undertaken "in order to conceal [the woman's] dishonor".

There is no law in the Philippines that expressly authorizes abortions in order to save the woman's life; and the general provisions which do penalize abortion make no qualifications if the woman's life is endangered. It may be argued that an abortion to save the mother's life could be classified as a justifying circumstance (duress as opposed to self-defense) that would bar criminal prosecution under the Revised Penal Code. However, this has yet to be adjudicated by the Philippine Supreme Court.

Proposals to liberalize Philippine abortion laws have been opposed by the Catholic Church, and its opposition has considerable influence in the predominantly Catholic country. However, the constitutionality of abortion restrictions has yet to be challenged before the Philippine Supreme Court.

The present Constitution of the Philippines, enacted in 1987, pronounces as among the policies of the State that "[The State] shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception." (sec. 12, Art. II)
Analysis: Running this ad is a big mistake for the religious right. They crudely violated a cultural convention about keeping all religion out of our sports. They've been eroding that boundary for years and finally thought they have the money and can do what they please. Well, they cannot. The backlash to this breach will be mighty, long-lasting and decisive.

So boo to Pam Tebow for her misleading story and to her friends for trampling on our cultural norms. And yay to the American public, to freedom and to pluralism.

Recap: For the top 5 Tebow eye black biblical verses, see the Christian Science Monitor.

We believe wearing your verses in your eye black during a sporting contest gives a black eye to your respect for your own religion and attacks the values of religious pluralism in the USA.

Postgame: The actual ad was so silly, inconclusive and ambiguous that there will be no backlash, no further controversy over this matter.

The Other Controversial Super Bowl Ad

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