Tony Dungy is well-known for his accomplishments as a football coach, and he is also known for being an outspoken Christian. In 2007, his Indianapolis Colts’ win over the Chicago Bears marked the first time an African American had coached a Super Bowl-winning team. That year, ESPN quoted his words during an awards ceremony, “I’m proud to be the first African-American coach to win this. But again, more than anything, [Chicago Bears coach] Lovie Smith and I are not only African-American but also Christian coaches, showing you can do it the Lord’s way. We’re more proud of that.”
This week, Dungy spoke out on Twitter, stating his belief that pastors and others who claim to follow the Bible cannot support abortion.
READ: Adoptive parents Tony and Lauren Dungy encourage adoption in new book
According to Christian Headlines, Dungy commented on a tweet by Georgia radio host Tim Bryant, who had interviewed Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Raphael Warnock, a senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Bryant’s August 20 tweet did not reference Warnock by name, but read, “I spoke with a Dem candidate for U.S. Senate (and minister) today. Abortion is ‘healthcare’ and ‘reproductive justice and God is cool with it.”
Dungy tweeted in response, “When you say ‘a minister’ does that mean they represent a church? I’d like to know what book the candidate uses as their foundation for truth and their guiding principles? It couldn’t be the Bible.”
I spoke with a Dem candidate for US Senate (and minister) today.
Abortion is “healthcare” and “reproductive justice” and God is cool with it.
And a question about the murder of Secoria Turner yielded an answer about opioids.
— Tim Bryant (@TimBryantRadio) August 20, 2020
When you say “a minister” does that mean they represent a church? I’d like to know what book the candidate uses as their foundation for truth and their guiding principles? It couldn’t be the Bible. https://t.co/UF3f7D5pFj
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) August 21, 2020
Dungy then responded to a Twitter user who asked where abortion was mentioned in the Bible.
“Read Psalm 139. … If you believe the Bible is the word of [God] you can’t read this and conclude that God doesn’t view a baby in the womb as a life,” Dungy replied.
Another commenter said, “Psalm 139 shouldn’t decide a woman’s reproductive health, it’s fiction,” to which Dungy replied, “If you don’t believe the Bible there’s nothing I can say to convince you. But why do you then think it’s wrong to kill someone who has been born? Who decided that’s wrong? Why is it wrong?”
If you don’t believe the Bible there’s nothing I can say to convince you. But why do you then think it’s wrong to kill someone who has been born? Who decided that’s wrong? Why is it wrong ?
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) August 21, 2020
To another Twitter user who claimed, there’s “NO place in government” for religion, Dungy tweeted, “You better be glad there is some religion and sense of right and wrong in government. If governing was left purely up to people we would be pretty messed up.”
Another Twitter user claimed that seven of the Supreme Court justices who legalized abortion in the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision were “Republican judges,” and Dungy responded, “Right and wrong has nothing to do with political party. Right and wrong is based on following what God says, not our own ideas or wishes.”
Right and wrong has nothing to do with political party. Right and wrong is based on following what God says, not our own ideas or wishes.
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) August 21, 2020
In 2017, Dungy took heat for supporting NFL football player Benjamin Watson, who called abortion “the ultimate form of racism.” Dungy tweeted “I applaud my brother for speaking the truth on a controversial issue. Thank you.”
In 2019, Live Action News featured a story about Tony Dungy and his wife Lauren’s new book encouraging adoption. Seven of the Dungys’ 10 children are adopted.
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