On women and faith, ex-NFL great Tony Dungy publicly questions Kamala Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris's comments on faith and women drew questions from an NFL Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl champion who is also well known for his outspoken religious convictions.

Harris, in a social media post Thursday afternoon, wrote, “One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree: The government, and certainly Donald Trump, should not be telling a woman what to do with her body.”

Just over 90 minutes after her post, Tony Dungy, among many, responded.

“Dear VP Harris:” his social media post began. “I hear you make this statement all the time. Exactly what ‘faith’ are you talking about when you say you don’t have to abandon it to support abortion? Are you talking about the Christian faith that says all babies are made in the image of God (Gen 1:26), that God places them in the womb (Jer 1:5) and that we should not take any life unjustly (Luke 18:20)? Are you talking about that faith or some nebulous, general ‘faith’ that says we’re good enough, and smart enough to make our own decisions? What ‘faith’ are you talking about?”

Dungy’s quotes are from the Bible in Genesis, Jeremiah, and Luke. A 2023 Gallup poll said 3 in 4 Americans identify with a specific religious faith, including 68% with a Christian religion, 33% Protestant and 22% Catholic.

Harris and Dungy are Baptists.

By Saturday morning, Harris’ comment had attracted more than 46,000 likes, 10,000 reposts and 17,000 comments. Dungy’s reply attracted more than 104,000 likes, 21,000 reposts and 9,200 comments.

Dungy, 68, is a retired NFL coach. Undrafted out of Minnesota, he played three seasons for Pittsburgh and San Francisco and coached in the league for 22 seasons. With Mike Ditka and Tom Flores, he is one of only three Pro Football Hall of Famers who won Super Bowls as a player and head coach.

The father of 11 and New York Times No. 1 best-selling author is even more widely known, however, for being passionate about his Christian faith. He's also seen regularly on Sunday nights as a studio analyst of NFL games.

Abortion has consistently polled as one of the consensus top three issues for Americans leading up to the Nov. 5 election between Harris, the 59-year-old Democratic nominee for president, and Republican former President Donald Trump.

Harris, her party, and her role as No. 2 in the Biden administration have been criticized for not squaring up on women's issues related to Title IX rules changes. The changes allow men into women’s spaces, such as athletics competitions, prisons, and public bathrooms.

As it relates to health care, critics note that during the COVID-19 era the Biden administration gave general discharges to the majority of troops – women and men – kicked out of the armed forces for refusing vaccination.