Conservatives Hail, Defend White House Invitation to Dungy
Social conservatives are responding to protests over the White House's invitation of former NFL coach Tony Dungy to join its Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
Earlier this week, a spokesman for Dungy confirmed media reports of the recent invitation but said the former Indianapolis Colts head coach had not yet made a decision about whether or not he will accept.
Since then, groups including Americans United for Separation of Church and State have castigated the White House move, claiming that Dungy "has well-known ties with intolerant Religious Right groups."
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"I am surprised and disappointed that Dungy has been asked to serve on the council," commented the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United's executive director, who noted Dungy's opposition to same-sex marriage.
"His view that civil-marriage law should reflect religious doctrine is not in keeping with the Constitution," he added.
In response to Lynn's comments, and others like them, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released a statement hailing Dungy as a man of character who has used his celebrity platform to promote adoption, prison ministry, family values, outreach to the poor, and simple Christian decency.
"Opponents of traditional marriage are seeking to disqualify Coach Dungy simply for believing that marriage is the union of one man and one woman which is a view shared by more than 80 percent of American Evangelicals," Perkins noted.
"Their desire to exclude Tony Dungy from the Faith Council, based upon his religious convictions, provides further evidence of an effort to silence the Church. However, the Faith Council can only be truly reflective of the faith community by including such Christian leaders as Tony Dungy," he added.
Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, meanwhile, said he found it surprising that some would disqualify Dungy because of his religious beliefs on marriage especially considering Dungy's long track record of being involved in projects that improve communities.
Aside from winning six NFL division titles and appearing in three conference championship games, Dungy was involved with a number of charitable organizations and urged players and coaches to get involved in community work, too.
Some of the charitable organizations that Dungy has been involved with in recent years include Mentors for Life, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Clubs, the Prison Crusade Ministry, and All Pro Dad.
He has also worked with Basket of Hope, the Black Coaches Association National Convention, Indiana Black Expo, the United Way of Central Indiana, and the American Diabetes Association.
"Sounds like the perfect person to be part of an advisory panel on faith-based and neighborhood partnerships," Sekulow noted Thursday.
"Would [Lynn] have a different opinion if Dungy supported same-sex marriage?" he asked.
When the revamped White House Office for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships was unveiled in February, President Obama said it would work with nonprofit organizations "both secular and faith-based" and would help them determine how to make a bigger impact in their cities, learn their obligations under the law and cut through government red tape.
Obama said the top priority of the office will be "making community groups an integral part of our economic recovery and poverty a burden fewer have to bear when recovery is complete."
In total, there will be 25 members on the council responsible for advising the new White House office on how to direct government funds to religious and neighborhood groups engaged in social service work.
Members of the council, each appointed to a one-year term, so far include prominent figures such as Dr. Frank S. Page, president emeritus of the Southern Baptist Convention; the Rev. Jim Wallis, president and executive director of Sojourners; Pastor Joel C. Hunter, senior pastor of Northland, a Church Distributed; and Richard Stearns, president of World Vision.
Only 15 of the council's 25 members have so far been confirmed.
