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Former NFL coach and outspoken Christian, Tony Dungy, had some strong words against Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent post supporting abortion. Harris took aim at former president Donald Trump’s stance on abortion, which she attacked him on during their first (and possibly only) debate. “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,” she wrote. She has stated that Trump will sign a federal abortion ban if elected, something that Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, has denied, although Trump himself has been less clear since getting push back from evangelicals on his growing liberality towards abortion.

During their debate, Trump challenged Harris on her own views of abortion, accusing her of supporting abortion up to nine months and even after, citing a previous conversation that leaked former Virginia governor Ralph Northam  apparently supporting withholding life saving care from a baby that survives an abortion. Harris did not address the claim that she supported abortion through nine months, but she did refuse to support the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.

Dungy responded to Harris’s statement, writing, “Dear VP Harris: 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?” He cited Genesis 1:26, which states all people are made in the image of God. He also stated “that God places [babies] in the womb (Jer 1:5) and that we should not take any life unjustly (Luke 18:20)…” He then went on to further question Harris’s statement. “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 received a supportive comment from former NFL coach Lou Holtz. “I could not agree with you more,” he wrote. “These are the questions we must ask our leaders! They need to be held accountable. Thank you for being bold in your faith and doing what’s right even if it isn’t popular.” Dungy has been a strong pro-life advocate throughout his career, with he and his wife fostering over 100 children and adopting eight.

Abortion has become a contentious political topic for Christians, with many pushing for a strong pro-life message from the Trump campaign and lamenting his apparent waffling on the issue since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Others have pushed for a more gradual approach to removing abortion, with some pushing to leave abortion laws to the states. Allie Beth Stuckey, who has adamantly spoken against Trump’s softening on abortion, retweeted Dungy’s comment. She has also pushed back against Harris’s outrage on the death of Amber Thurman, a Georgia resident who liberals are claiming died due to a lack of access to abortion care. Georgia has a heartbeat bill, prohibiting abortions after a detectable heartbeat except in cases of danger to the life of the mother.

Thurman, who was pregnant with twins, chose to order an abortion pill from North Carolina and took her first pill at a clinic there. She took a second at home as was instructed to go to an emergency room if she experienced any adverse effects. However, Thurman contracted an infection after all the remains of her twins were not expelled. She went to an emergency room in Georgia, which for some reason did not perform a D&C right away, which would have been permissible under Georgia law. Instead it continued to administer antibiotics. By the time the hospital finally decided to perform the D&C, Thurman was so ill that she passed away during the procedure. Stuckey has stated the situation shows the dangers of the abortion pill, not heartbeat laws. “No pro-lifer sentenced any woman to death,” wrote Stuckey. “The abortion pills Amber Thurman took to kill her twins did that. I feel very much for her little boy. If it weren’t for abortion, his mom and his siblings would still be alive.”

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