Bill Maher under fire for Tim Tebow tweet

Bill Maher speaks at the Summer TCA Tour held on July 28, 2011, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

/ Getty

(CBS) Bill Maher's recent tweet about Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has sparked quite a bit of controversy.

Pictures: Tim Tebow
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Tebow, known for his strong religious faith, often gets down on one knee to pray during the games - a move that was recently mocked by "Saturday Night Live."

So, after the Broncos lost in a landslide 40-14 game against the Buffalo Bills last Saturday, Maher poked fun at Tebow, tweeting, "Wow, Jesus just f***ed #TimTebow bad! And on Xmas Eve! Somewhere in hell Satan is tebowing, saying to Hitler "Hey, Buffalo's killing them."

Maher's comment has been gaining a lot of traction online. People are coming out against the comedian on Twitter, some even calling for a boycott of his HBO show.

Fox News personality Eric Bolling is among the people speaking up. "Bill Maher is disgusting vile trash," he wrote. "I can't even repeat what he just tweeted about Tebow..on Christmas Eve. #straighttohellBill."

For his part, Tebow hasn't responded. He has kept things light and all in good faith on Twitter.

"Tough game today but what's most important is being able to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas everyone GB," he tweeted after the Christmas Eve game.

The new season of "Real Time with Bill Maher" premieres Jan. 13 on HBO.

Tell us: Do you think Maher's tweet was funny or offensive?

[silverstar48]

I guess Bill doesn't know that Tebow prays for the safety of his team NOT to win a game. Why does anybody care if he prays before the games anyway?

[spartyb]

bill maher is one of the few talking heads that has brains and balls enough to say what he believes, or more to the point, doesn't believe. watch religulous and then his comment won't seem so ridiculous.

[beag12]

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

-Matthew 6:5-6

[bikeboat]

Also, altho I like Bill Maher, he didn't need to insult or provoke quite as much as he did to still be funny. That's the sort of thing you might say to your close friends but not to the world.

[RunsWithWolves]

Maher says allot that needs to be said. I thank him for the intelligence and balls to say it. If he isn't offending you in some way shape or form, then he isn't doing his job. Maher is great at pointing out life's bull****. And there is plenty of it around these days with the way Washington (especially Republicans) are fleecing the public and violating the public trust.

[woodypol]

If Bill knew the effect his words have on millions of people, I bet he'd be singing a different tune. Faith, worship, and trust in God isn't something to be ashamed of, but people like Bill spend their time attempting to debunk the Bible and create doubt amongst believers. Christians understand stories like Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, and David and Goliath are hard to comprehend and make sense of, but the value of the story isn't based on actual events, it's the message we learn from the story. Billions of people have overcome incredibly traumatic experiences because of their faith in God. It takes strength and courage to not fall victim to nonbelievers propaganda, and when the faithful slip, they're scrutinized by those who don't understand. Trust and love for God isn't something people do because they're ignorant and naive, they do it because they appreciate and respect this amazing world we've been given. Mr. Maher's opinions aren't new and unique; his words have been said for thousands of years, and these opinions are significantly unsuccessful because of one simple reality; most people believe in our creator. God isn't just something we believe in because we read about him in a book; he makes himself evident in subtle ways, but the outcome is profound. Each individuals discovery is unique and unexplained, and Bill will never understand until he has an experience of his own. I hope Bill opens his heart and mind when God sends him a message, because Mr. Maher has an opportunity to transform his erroneous words to heroic actions by condemning his past beliefs and becoming a beacon of hope for those struggling with faith in God. I would completely amend my views of Bill if he appeared on television with a transformed humble stance in support of God and his teachings. His new outlook would be shocking and epic in the fight to help people who need God the most. His change of heart would be totally unexpected and people would listen to him more than Tebow. It would require great courage and selflessness for Bill to take action with this, which is exactly what God wants from us all. Open your heart Bill and I promise you'll feel a sense of pride you never imagined existed. Ignorance is a word used for those capable, but unwilling to learn because they're afraid. If you believe yourself to be smarter than the average person, prove it besides hiding behind your comfort zone. Learn why we believe what we believe before passing judgment, and I have all the faith in the world that you'll become an inspiration to others rather than cheap entertainment. Having faith doesn't require you to believe in the literality of the stories said in the Bible; it helps you to understand why these words are written. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that you'll go to Hell for not believing in the Ark, but the Bible does explain the sense of joy you'll feel when you help others to believe, and that's something that can be proven...don't let anything but fear stop you from finding out the truth. Even though I was brought up Catholic, I had to find my own path to God. Before I knew the truth, I had memorized rebuttals to convince others to question their faith. If God was so loving, why does he allow innocent children to die from cancer, why do the poor suffer so much when they have such deep faith, and why does God sit back and do nothing for those who beg for his help? The answer I got is that God made our world perfect by making it an imperfect place. This is our world to learn from, and it would be pointless if he were pulling all the strings like marionettes. God gave us freewill, which has given our world purpose and that's why we call it faith. Freewill comes with a price and no one pays more than God. He gave up control of his amazing creation and allows his greatest love to be venerable. The only genius I've ever known is God and I'm amazed at how perfect he is by creating imperfection. When we die and go to Heaven, how can we possibly understand the taste of sweet if we've never tasted the bitter, and how could God have taught us that without giving us the freedom to find out? God gave us freewill, but that doesn't mean he's not involved. We see him all the time, we just have to look, and if you sincerely believe you're an unbiased mind willing to learn what you don't understand Bill, I encourage you to find out for yourself rather than concoct witty remarks backed with little understanding. You'll never learn to ride a bike unless you get on one Bill, and a lot of people will be proud to see you get the courage to take off the training wheels and give it a shot.

[RunsWithWolves]

One can rationalize anything at anytime. That is why it is faith....it can't be proven...........it's all just your opinion. Your opinion doesn't make it true.

[bikeboat]

Agree with Runswithwolves BUT there are many good life lessons in the Bible and, for some, who can't seem to rely on any sort of moral compass otherwise, or make decent long term decisions otherwise, than the Bible provides good reference. But its the extremists, the ones who try like mad to convert you to their way, whatever it may be, that are dangerous.

[freethinkingcanuck]

Way to go Bill! Saying what many think every time that Christian nutjob kneels down on the field. I think all that prostetalising garbage needs to stop. As if a deity would care about or influence the outcome of a game. Maher is making a point in a harsh way, but it needed to be made.

[gitarfan]

Maher was way out of line. He's just a loud mouth jerk.

[ticobird]

I am 100% sure Maher was polishing this zinger just waiting for the Denver Bronkos next loss. After all, he can't help it if he is a bit of a jerk.

[h2osteve1]

As with so many of our liberal media, they think they have carte blanche to say whatever they want. But God forbide anyone say anything that is not PC about any minority or illegal alien and prepare to be pursecuted!