If you watched the Bronco-Patriots game yesterday, you probably saw the commercial that began with a child reciting a bibical verse John 3:16, then another child.  It turned out to be a commercial for the Colorado Springs-based Christian ministry Focus on the Family, who knew that there were going to be people tuning into the game who otherwise not be: and his name was Tim Tebow.

As the Denver Post wrote:

Tebow, though not mentioned in Saturday night's Focus commercial, is the cultural phenomenon that inspired it, Focus spokesman Gary Schneeberger said.

Apparently, last week, Tebow beat the Steelers by throwing 316 yards and averaging 31.6 yards per throw (an NFL record).

Tebow, known during his college football career for wearing eye black with John 3:16 inscribed in it, isn't allowed under NFL rules to carry any under-eye messages. The fascination with the numbers reappearing as Tebow stats made the Bible verse a top Internet-search subject this past week.

So Focus decided that yesterday's game would be a good time to run a commercial. 

"God does have a sense of humor," [Focus president and chief executive Jim] Daly said, "but I think sports are something we're more interested in than God is. It just hit us when there were something like 100 million Google searches on it: 'Why not make it easy for people? Why make people get off the couch during the game to look for it?' "

I could say that maybe should get off the couch, but I was watching the game, too.  And I have to admit [Focus spokesman Gary] Schneeberger does have a good point when he says:

"We will hear about shoving religion down people's throats...But if it's OK to shove Doritos down people's throats, and cars and everything else, we have the right to advertise too."

If we are willing to endure (no one is forcing us to watch the game after all) a multi-national corporations persuading us to buy something, why should we get bent out of shape when a Christian organization does the same thing.  Just one more organization following the American dream of making a few more dollars.  Although Focus isn't going to say it was a fund raising effort for the organization experiencing budget cuts and staff layoffs.

"We also have to introduce people to the author of the family," Daly said. "It's a message that transcends politics. That's a great place for people of faith to be."

Now this I would argue with.  This is politics pure and simple.  Focus on the Family is all about influencing American policy and the way we govern ourselves.  Which is their right.  It is what makes America great - the market place of ideas.

 While CBS has had a policy to avoid political commercials during games (a result of the protest about Tebow's pro-life commercial during a college Championship game he was playing in - and won), they felt since the message didn't overtly push an issue, then it wasn't political. 

According to Focus, they are

Focus on the Family is a global Christian ministry dedicated to helping families thrive. We provide help and resources for couples to build healthy marriages that reflect God’s design, and for parents to raise their children according to morals and values grounded in biblical principles.

We’re here to come alongside families with relevance and grace at each stage of their journey. We support families as they seek to teach their children about God and His beautiful design for the family, protect themselves from the harmful influences of culture and equip themselves to make a greater difference in the lives of those around them.

Which doesn't sound too political (beyond the political is personal, the personal is political).  But given what they say is their "Passion" a different picture emerges [emphasis theirs]:

Our passion for what we do is driven by our core beliefs:

We believe that all people are of infinite value, regardless of age, development, appearance or ability.

We believe that marriage is the foundation of family life, and that God’s design for marriage is a relationship where both husband and wife are committed to loving and caring for one another for a lifetime.

We believe children are a gift from God, and thrive best in a home where both mother and father are committed to raising them with love, intention, and care.

We believe sex is given by God as an expression of love to be shared and enjoyed exclusively between a husband and wife.

We believe that Christians have a responsibility to promote truth and social policy that improves the strength and health of the family, as God designed.

And we believe that parents should aspire to model for their children how to humbly follow the teachings and spirit of Jesus at home and in the community.

It says right there - promoting social policy.  Can't get more political than that.  And as I said, that is their right.

And I don't have a problem with CBS airing the commercial.  In fact, I would defend both Focus and CBS to do what they did.  Even though I disagree with the social policy that Focus' wants to promote.  This is America.

I am pro-choice.  And I believe a man and man or a woman and a woman should be able to get married in this country.  I am not a Christian, and have accepted Jesus as my savior, nor do I intend to. 

But I have to respect the right of those who would disagree with me, who would try and "save me" in spite of the fact I am not being asked to be saved.  Just as I hope that they will respect me when I ask them to consider allowing gay marriage.  Just listen.  Respect.

The social wars in this country that was taken up a notch in the 80's with Ronald Reagan (and they would say in response to the fire over the bow shot during the 50's and 60's) are still ablaze. We don't seem to be finding much common ground.  There is a greater polarization.

The Denver Post article also mentions at the end, that

Other conservative Christian leaders, including Focus founder and former leader James Dobson​, met this weekend in Texas to announce support for Rick Santorum in the Republican presidential primary.

There is little chance Santorum is going to get the nomination.  If anything, this is good news for Obama and his supporters as such a decision will only suppress enthusiasm and support from the far right rank and file for Mitt Romney.  The Republicans have used this rank and file to be the boots on the ground, to knock on doors, to get out the vote.  In places like Ohio and Pennsylvania, where the winner of the general election may be a few percentage points, any suppressed enthusiasm could dictate the final outcome.

But this Texas meeting does show that there are those on the far right who still have their eyes on their prize. 

Focus' 990 form shows that end of September, 2010, they received $97,088,339 in contributions and grants and their total revenue was $109,133,930. They may be experiencing budget cuts, but that is a lot of money.  That is a lot of support from out their in the nation (I don't know how much of it came from foreign contributors, but I doubt it would be a large percentage).  This is just Focus on the Family.  There are a whole lot of other organizations out there with a similar "passion." 

If we both sides (and it isn't as simple as dividing it into two sides) continue to approach this as a war, with the prize for the victor being the American culture, then we are not going to make any progress in this country.  We will be like the soldiers in WWI, each of us crouched in our trenches, hopelessly stuck in a stalemate.

Both of us need to wave the white flag, together.  Surrender to each other, and start negotiating.  Which means listening to each other.  Respecting one another.  And, yes, finding common ground in the short-term.   The long-term, well, that is another matter.

Tebow has become, maybe unwittingly, maybe not, a focus for this battle that had receded below the surface too some degree.  The Broncos may have lost yesterday and Tebow did not look like someone who had God had on his side.  But the swirl of excitement and emotions (positive and negative) around him only indicates the cultural war is back.  Ronald Reagan and Abbie Hoffman both may be smiling.