Whatever Happened to Free Speech? Can Tim Tebow Ad Play? Jan 27
I am watching with interest the reaction to Tim Tebow’s telling his story on CBS in a Super Bowl ad. USA TODAY reports that some advocacy groups want CBS to pull the ads because of issues it will raise about abortion and who is associated with it (Focus on the Family). I am wondering what is happening to free speech in our country.
I am watching with interest the reaction to Tim Tebow’s telling his story on CBS in a Super Bowl ad. USA TODAY reports that some advocacy groups want CBS to pull the ads because of issues it will raise about abortion and who is associated with it (Focus on the Family). I am wondering what is happening to free speech in our country. People can speak in all kinds of ways of demeaning human life and we laugh at it (as comedy). They can publish things that are demeaning to people in word or picture and can engage in all kinds of speech that indicates a lack of respect for people, but when someone asks if we should seek to preserve life, this is speech to be banned. One hopes that CBS will hang in there and not react to efforts to silence a compelling story that raises important issues for reflection (told in what is for some an apparently very threatening 30 seconds!). One also hopes we as a society can learn how to have meaningful discussion and dialogue on such topics and not simply react by seeking to silence the conversation.
7 Comments
Magnus Nordlund
M and L-source?
Dr Bock! Do you know if any scholar has reconstructed the M and L-source (as with for an example Q; Kloppenborg and so forth) and made it into a book or something..
It would would greatly help if one had just the M source or the L source in a book instead of going back and forth with a synopsis…
Magnus Nordlund
bock
M and L dlb
Magnus:
You can get lists, but this material is not seen as a singular source like Q often is.
dlb
Brett Williamss
Ads and Moral debate
Dr. Bock,
One individual I spoke with about this ad raised the concern of the “proper place” to carry on a debate about moral issues. Is TV ad space the place to debate or discuss moral issues? Would you be comfortable if a pro-abortion organization decided to run an ad next to Tebow’s ad giving their side of the argument? And would you be comfortable if Focus on the Family responded yet again, and so a moral ping pong match/debate begins. And this would then carry over to all kinds of other debates, perhaps the existence of God, is Islam a better religion than all others, Is Jihad acceptable, etc. To him, the issue was whether or not TV ad space was the appropriate forum to carry on a debate. What are your thoughts?
Brett
bock
Ads dlb
TV is public space. Why not? Granted there are better places where more depth can be provided. But once we start to control airwaves to limit public discussion on issues of common interest (and controversy) we curtail the advantage of what free speech brings to society. It might not be the best place, but should it be a prohibited place?
Brett Williamss
TV Ad space
Dr. Bock,
You wrote: “It might not be the best place, but should it be a prohibited place?”
I agree with much of what you’ve said, but Focus on the Family chose this battle ground, didn’t they? They’ve somewhat forced the “opponents” to respond in kind, and then Focus will have to respond to the opponent’s response, and then the moral ping pong match/debate is on (but only to those with deep pockets). I really don’t think TV ad space should be prohibited, but I think Focus made a poor decision in bringing the moral discussion of abortion into the atmosphere of Budweiser beer ads. The debate really needs to take place in a much more serious forum than Superbowl Sunday.
And due to the expense of running such an ad at such a time (Superbowl Sunday), the abortion debate will eventually be left to those with the most financial backing, since most organizations can not afford to voice their positions at 1 million dollars a clip. We need to encourage the debates to take place in a more publicly accessible place, where everybody with conviction can attend and be heard. The current debates held at college/university/seminary locations seems best to me for now.
I kind of thought this guy who opposed the decision to run the Tebow ad was rather over-reacting, but as I’m thinking the issue through myself, I think I can see his concern.
Where would you like to see the abortion debate to take place? [I realize that this ad is not really engaging in a “debate,” but it is an attempt to inform people of their position and presumably is ready to take on those who challenge their position.]
Brett
darrell
Could it be God putting Tim Tebow and Focus Family on the spot
I cant say that i know God so well and no i dont claim to speak on his behalf let me make that clear first and foremost but there is a scripture that comes to mind when i believe that peter was speaking about jesus and he was forbidden not to someone spoke up for the council and told them that they out to just give him lashes and the gentlemen told them that if he was just talking that it would come to naught but also warned them that they could be fighting against God . May be God is using Tim Tebow and Focus on the family to get people’s attention I cant say for certain but maybe we should heed those words i believe i fought god myself but i believe America also has maybe God may want to speak and if he should happen to use tim tebow to speak then maybe we should just listen i mean it is quiet clear that america has turned on God that can been seen through television our values and only god himself knows in what other ways but hey i feel like i am sinner myself you know but i will let it be
Joseph Preston
Why Not?
Since we are bombarded with the views of the pro-abortion side in the public square, often without them paying millions of dollars to get there views aired, why not hear something from the pro-life side if someone is willing to make it happen? The more serious debating needs to happen in the right forums, but the public spaces are not void of this discussion. I’m glad Focus on the Family was able to produce something that was considered appropriate for SuperBowl television. It is only an atmosphere of beer ads because no one has taken the initiative to affect the atmosphere. If the Tebow/Focus on the Family ad were to get cut now, I think it would be further evidence that free speech is diminishing in the name of tolerance and that having enough money doesn’t matter if you don’t agree with those who have control of the airwaves.
Joseph