by Pastor Patrick Cho

As I was searching through the news today, I came across an interesting article about Indianapolis head coach, Tony Dungy. He is apparently, but not surprisingly, taking a lot of heat for accepting an invitation to speak at a banquet for the Indiana Family Institute, which is supported by Focus on the Family. The group is one of the strongest opponents of same-sex marriages in the state and a firm supporter of the state marriage amendment.

Regardless of how I might feel about the Indianapolis Colts, I cannot help but hold Coach Dungy in high regard and great admiration. Nowadays, one hears much of alleged Christian athletes, but apart from a spattering of WWJD bracelets and an occasional prayer after a touchdown, not too many of these celebrities are seen making bold stands for clear biblical values. Coach Dungy obviously knew he would face much animosity because of his association with the IFI, but still courageously stood up for what he viewed as the “Lord’s side” on the marriage issue.

Too many Christians today shy away from taking the same kinds of stands. Certainly as the culture we live in becomes more and more tolerant of lifestyles and practices that are blatantly against Scripture, it will become proportionately more difficult to have biblical convictions without facing harsh attacks from those around us. We are living in an age where those who speak up about certain biblical convictions are labeled as promoting hate speech. Christ’s words are becoming more evident with each day, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18).