Tim Tebow Cancels Speech At First Baptist Dallas But May Appear At Later Date

Tim Tebow has cancelled his planned speech at the controversial First Baptist Church in Dallas.

The New York Jets quarterback made headlines last week when it was revealed that he would appear at the church this coming spring. The senior pastor of First Baptist Dallas, Robert Jeffress, is known for his anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim and anti-gay views.

"While I was looking forward to sharing a message of hope and Christ's unconditional love with the faithful members of the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas in April," Tebow wrote in a series of tweets, per CBS Sports. "Due to new information that has been brought to my attention, I have decided to cancel my upcoming appearance. I will continue to use the platform God has blessed me with to bring Faith, Hope and Love to all those needing a brighter day. Thank you for all of your love and support. God Bless!"

But while Tebow has canceled his appearance for now, it's possible that he will still speak at First Baptist in the future. According to Right Wing Watch, Jeffress told Tim Wildmon, another anti-gay activist, that the quarterback said he may come to the church at a later date but wanted to avoid controversy at this time.

"We are saddened that Mr. Tebow felt pressure to back out of his long-planned commitment from numerous New York and national sports and news media who grossly misrepresented past comments made by our pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress, specifically related to issues of homosexuality and AIDS, as well as Judaism," a representative for the church told TMZ.

Indeed, Tebow's decision to speak at First Baptist was questioned by many, particularly because of Jeffress' views. As Think Progress noted, the pastor one claimed that 70 percent of the gay population had AIDS and argued that this should be a reason to keep them out of the military.

According to the Huffington Post, Jeffress also previously attacked Islam and Mormonism as religions "from the pit of hell" and claimed that Jews could not be saved. Meanwhile, the Christian Post reported in November that Jeffress believed a Barack Obama victory in the presidential election would lead to the coming of the Antichrist.

As a result, Tebow faced widespread criticism for agreeing to speak at First Baptist. A fellow Florida alum named Phillip Perry started a petition on Change.org urging the quarterback to cancel his speaking engagement. Several national columnists also called out Tebow, with Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports calling the move the quarterback's "greatest sin."

"I'm ashamed to like Tim Tebow now," Doyel wrote. "More specifically, I don't like Tim Tebow now. I can't. Liking him means liking someone who wouldn't just agree with, but would support, Robert Jeffress. And I despise Robert Jeffress."

Tebow's football future is up in the air as well. ESPN New York reported that the Jets will try to trade the quarterback during this week's NFL scouting combine. If they cannot find a partner, they will likely release him in the coming weeks.