First read Rick Tealander's Chicago Sun-Times opinion piece Sports, religion strange bedfellows then read Six O'Clock Vintage's response RE: Sports, religion strange bedfellows
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Actually I didn't find Dungy's comments dangerous or threatening, merely ridiculous and besides-the-point, cheapening the effort of the players/coaches:
I Hope God (if there is one or many) Has Better Things Than to Ensure Football Victories
and i think you are willfully ignoring the key to Telander's comments, what if an American football coach proclaimed that Vishnu, Allah, etc... gave them the victory... watching Dungy post-game was depressing... and now hearing about his connections to the fascist branch of Christianity, it is just sad that such a caring man would allow his glorious moment be co-opted to promote hate and discrimination.
4 comments:
I answered you comment here.
(I answered at your site and reposted it here)
From Tealander's article:
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"Dungy is set to be the honored speaker at the Indiana Family Institute's ''Friends of the Family'' banquet March 20 in Carmel, Ind. There are large Internet posters of him in his Colts coaching garb advertising the event. Tickets cost $75 and will help fund IFI, which is a nonprofit conservative Christian group that recently filed a brief to the 7th Court of Appeals asking that prayer be allowed to start each day on the floor of the Indiana legislature.
IFI is affiliated with Focus on Family, a conservative Christian organization that is gay-repressive and is holding a conference about homosexuality this weekend in Phoenix that will be protested by gay- advocacy groups.
''We will be presenting the truth about homosexuality,'' Focus on Family spokeswoman Melissa Fryrear said in a statement, adding that her group will show gays ''it is possible to walk away from homosexuality.''
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You are not familiar with Focus on the Family the fascist, homophobic, conservative Christian movement?
People for the American Way: Focus on the Family
Brian McKinley on Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family's Lobbying Arm
Anti-Racist Action Network on Focus on the Family
Chris Hedges: The Christian Right and the Rise of American Fascism
Chris Hedges: Soldiers of Christ
they are pimping dungy in his colors for their event--posters, come see the conquering christian hero (exagerration, of course, but completely missing the mark--no)
you may not have been disturbed if the winning coach had spouted the same sentiments about another deity, but i'm sure it would have caused a storm across america nonetheless--its easy to ignore when it is the dominant belief-system, but the implications are much more clearer when it is enacted by a minority... you seriously believe that if Dungy had substituted Allah for the Christian God, that a whole nation of Christians would not have freaked, stating that this is not the place for this... now where can we find a Hindu or Muslim football coach...
(response to Tim's next comment which is at his site)
I have no problem with Christianity as a concept, I do have a problem though with the radical right Christian movement attempting to wrest control of my country and turn it into a theocratic state.
I never said Tony was foaming at the mouth (your words), I did say he was being pimped by fascist segments of the Christian right. In this he is no different than many honest, admirable Christians who are manipulated by these foundations:
Chris Hedges on “American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America
I would appreciate you addressing my points and quit trying to put words in my mouth... of course, I really don't care whether you believe me on this (truly, it doesn' matter, but I do believe in dialogue), its just my opinion and yours is yours.
I regularly read and promote progressive Christian writings, like those in Sojourners and The Christian Century ... but go ahead dismiss me as a hater of Christianity, I understand that this is easier than paying attention to the dangerous aspects of our dominant religion.
Peace
didn't know if you saw my response...
Thanks for your comments!
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