Ducks on Christmas Eve

What, you might ask, do ducks have to do with Christmas?  Well, the cast of A&E network's very popular reality show, "Duck Dynasty", have been all over the news and social media since the Roberson family's patriarch, Phil Robertson, was suspended for stating his biblical beliefs in an interview with GQ.  I have watched and listened, ad nauseam, to the pundits and prognosticators from a plethora of venues.

I am a Christian, and I understand that Phil Robertson was just re-stating what he has read in the bible.  Like the apostle Paul he sometimes states things in very plain language that might offend those who are more given to euphemistic substitutions.  My friend David, who is also from Louisiana, and who has been featured here on several occasions, sent me his take on the situation.  I responded, and I am going to present our banter on the subject in today's post.  I hope you enjoy it.  Most Christians cannot separate the celebrations of Christmas and Easter because they are pivotal in understanding Jesus Christ and his ultimate purpose in coming to this Earth.  So, I think the discussion of Ducks on Christmas Eve is appropriate.

" Phil Robertson, star of A&E hit reality show Duck Dynasty, has been suspended from the show because of “anti-gay” remarks he made in an interview with GQ Magazine.

Explaining Robertson’s suspension, A&E indicated that “A&E Networks…have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community.”

But, as far as I read the interview with Robertson, he wasn’t responding to a question about homosexuality. He was responding to a question about sin.

When asked what he considered sinful, he mentioned homosexuality, bestiality, and promiscuity. Then he quoted from Corinthians that “…the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers. …Won’t inherit the Kingdom of God.”

We must ask why A&E was bothered that Robertson condemned homosexuality, but not everything else? Is it okay that he thinks bestiality, greed, promiscuity, drunkenness, slander, and swindling is wrong?

Is A&E’s problem that there are still Americans who believe there is something called sin? Or is their problem that Robertson includes homosexuality among those behaviors that are considered sinful?

Really, we should understand A&E’s dismissal of Robertson for what it is – the latest episode of left wing tyranny in America, aimed to undermine the legitimacy of religion and Christianity and to render the speech and religious freedom protections of the first amendment meaningless.

Here’s how my Webster’s dictionary defines sin: “The breaking of religious law or a moral principle, especially through a willful act.”

Christians don’t decide what sin is. The Bible does. Christians accept the Bible.

An individual speaking on behalf of homosexual activist organization GLAAD said he was “shocked” that Robertson “compared homosexuality to bestiality.”

But Robertson did not “compare” them. He simply noted behaviors that the Bible says are sinful.

It happens that the prohibition on bestiality appears in the Book of Leviticus in the verse directly following the verse prohibiting homosexual behavior.

Understanding Robertson is not hard. He is a Christian man who accepts the prohibitions which the Bible calls sin.

Understanding this gay spokesperson is a bigger challenge. He wants us to reject one Biblical prohibition – homosexuality – while accepting the Biblical prohibition on bestiality. Why?

If homosexuality is okay, why isn’t bestiality? Surely there are some who like it and would like their behavior legitimized. Why not?

So, again, we should be clear that the real attack is on Christians who take the Bible seriously. The real agenda is the de-legitimization of religion and casting our sense of right and wrong into the business of politics.

It’s pretty astonishing what is viewed as normal and acceptable today as part of the alleged openness of our society.

President Clinton, a very popular former president, who commands hundreds of thousands of dollars for speaking appearances, educated a whole generation of young Americans about oral sex, when it became public knowledge what he was doing with a young intern in the Oval Office of the President of the United States.

Just recently, our current president became the first sitting American president to address the annual meeting in Washington, D.C. of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider and concluded his remarks saying “God bless you.”

Movies and television are awash with gratuitous violence, promiscuity, and nudity. And homosexuality is now regularly depicted as normal and as acceptable as Apple Pie.

Everything is open and acceptable in America today – except, apparently, being a believing Christian.

There was a time when religious freedom meant tolerance and living your life how you want.

Today religious freedom means open legitimization of whatever the Bible condemns and condemnation of any public statement of Christian conviction.

Maybe A&E is sending Phil Robertson out to pasture at Christmas time to deliver a message to the tens of millions of America’s believing Christians that it’s time to wake up, as our freedom disappears over the horizon."  David

My Response:

Disclaimer: I have watched Duck Dynasty twice.  The first time was because everyone said it was funny and didn’t have the kind of humor I find objectionable.  The second time was to insure myself that I hadn’t missed something.  Both times my “Hokey” meter went off early on in the broadcast and stayed on until I turned it off.  I had no objections to what was happening, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.  I’m good with that.  I have an interior mechanism that is peculiar to me and I am satisfied that I don’t have to do what everyone else is doing.  I hate Face Book, but I find it a convenient way to communicate quickly with people I would otherwise not communicate with.  I think Phil Robertson has an audience that appreciates his honesty, and his boldness, in proclaiming before millions of viewers that he has been redeemed and is a Christian.  Even though I am not a loyal viewer, I very much appreciate this and think he has a special mission.

The Apostle Paul sent a letter to the Christian Church in Rome.  He did not plant the church, nor had he ever been there in person.  The church had been leaderless for about ten years when he wrote the letter.  The Emperor, Claudius, exiled the leaders of the Jewish Synagogue and the Christian Church (which he considered to be the same) for fighting with each other. The life style of the general population, and especially the elites (to include those in government) mirrored some of what we see today in our own country.  Paul addresses this early in his letter.  These excerpts from the letter are from the Living Bible (a transliteration in modern English).

Romans Chapter One.  Paul explains how God views sin; (Not Phil Robertson, God) verses 16,17 Paul gives us the theme of his letter and in it he says he is not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In verses 18 and 19 he says; “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, evil men who push away the truth from them.  For the truth about God is known to them instinctively; God has put this knowledge in their hearts.”  Men know what the truth of God is, but they have pushed it away so, in verse 24, Paul tells them what God has allowed to happen; 24 “So God let them go ahead into every sort of sex sin, and do whatever they wanted to – yes, vile and sinful things with each other’s bodies."  Paul, (Not Phil Robertson) lists sex sin first.  It was very noticeable in Rome in Paul’s day.  The ultimate result of their rebellion to the truth is found in verses 28 through the end of Chapter 1.  Verse 28; ""So it was that when they gave God up and would not even acknowledge him, God gave them up to doing everything their evil minds could think of.” 

The World, those who have refused to accept Jesus Christ as Savior, are still in rebellion to God’s implanted knowledge of what is right and wrong, and therefore subject to his righteous judgment.  The reactions of the executives at the A&E Network are very predictable and should not surprise anyone.  Phil Robertson has admitted that he is only a “sinner” saved by God’s grace.  The apostle Paul points this up the Chapter 3, verse 12; “Every one has turned away; all have gone wrong.  No one anywhere has kept on doing what is right: not one."

Paul then gives God’s solution to our dilemma in Chapter 3 verses 23 and 24.  23 – 24 “Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins.”

We know through reading the scriptures that because we are no longer “of this World” (although physically still in this world) we will not be liked when we shed some light on what is going on here by presenting God’s word.  When the light shines on the things that are going on in darkness, people will try to extinguish the light so their deeds, that they intuitively know are evil, won’t be seen.  As to how we should respond to this rebellion, I think this is answered by Paul in Chapter 12 of Romans verses 14 – 18; “If some one mistreats you because you are a Christian, don’t curse him; pray that God will bless him.  When others are happy, be happy with them.  If they are sad, share their sorrow.  Work happily together.  Don’t try to act big.  Don’t try to get into the good graces of important people, but enjoy the company of ordinary folks.  And, don’t think you know it all!  Never pay back evil for evil.  Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honest clear through.  Don’t quarrel with anyone.  Be at peace with everyone, just as much as possible.”

I think our response here is important.  We have a great opportunity to send the right message, and I hope we do so.   Pappy

Have a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year , Pappy