Pam Tebow, mother of Heisman Trophy winning Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, is getting a lot of attention over a story she has been telling anti-choice, anti-abortion groups.
The way the story goes is that when she was in the Philippines working as a missionary with her husband Bob Tebow, she became pregnant. This posed a problem because she says she was taking some rather hard-core medicine to treat amoebic dysentery. She says that her Filipino doctor warned her that because of the medicine she was taking, there was a substantial risk that the baby would have some serious birth defects.
Her Filipino doctor supposedly recommended that she get an abortion.
Pam Tebow goes on to tell the story that she and her husband could not do that. Instead of getting an abortion, they chose to continue the pregnancy. They prayed that they would have a healthy baby and God rewarded them with not only a healthy baby, but a future Heisman Trophy winner.
During the Super Bowl, CBS will be airing a 30-second anti-abortion commercial featuring Pam and Tim Tebow. The $2.5 million ad is being paid for by the anti-choice, anti-gay group Focus on the Family.
What if the story isn’t true?
Having lived in the Philippines from 1985 to 1988, I happen to know that abortions are extremely illegal in the Philippines. Tim Tebow was born in Manila in 1987. I can’t imagine a Filipino doctor ever telling a white, Christian evangelical missionary that she ought to abort her baby.
I find this story very hard to believe.
Ryan
/ January 31, 2010Typical religious bullshit.
siriunsun
/ February 1, 2010Who aired her story? Was a fact-check done on it? Obviously, facts are available that have not been included in the story. (imagine that!)
Ryan
/ February 1, 2010As someone who lives in South Florida and has watched numerous Gator games over the course of Tebow’s collegiate career, this isn’t the first time I’ve heard this mentioned. I always assumed it was some drummed up story to support their religious agenda, I just didn’t have anything to support that theory until now.
Rick
/ February 2, 2010I don’t doubt that she was on medication that increased the risk of birth defects. I just don’t think that a Filipino doctor told her that she should have an abortion. Not that the idea didn’t pop into her head. She could have gotten on a plane and flown to Hawaii and had the pregnancy terminated. I’m sure she thought of that and simply chose not to.
Furthermore, why didn’t she report the doctor that recommended she abort her baby to the Philippine authorities?
Steve
/ February 2, 2010I think the only reason we would even question the story of Pam Tebow is because we are all virulently anti-life.
Ryan
/ February 2, 2010@Steve: Don’t be so fucking naive. Close your Bible and go breathe some fresh air.
Rick
/ February 3, 2010@Ryan: Yes, that’s the problem with Steve. He’s clearly just too religious.
Steve
/ February 3, 2010@Rick: No, that one was my fault, Rick. Ryan obviously scanned my comment for a snark or a sarc mark and, finding none, took me to be in earnest. I’ll just have to start adding “j/k” to the end of my sarcastic remarks. It’ll guarantee I’ll never write anything funny again, but at least I’ll never be misunderstood.
Ryan
/ February 4, 2010Mistake noted :(
siriunsun
/ February 5, 2010Even if a doc did recommend abortion, most doctors like to err on the side of caution. Unlike the media.
Rick
/ February 5, 2010@siriunsun: For what it’s worth, I’m sure her doctor told her that the medication she was taking carry the risk of birth defects, I just don’t believe a doctor in the Philippines would have talked to her about an abortion.
Furthermore, if her doctor had truly encouraged her to have an abortion, why didn’t she report this doctor to the Philippine authorities?