Well I'll jump right in. .. My first few thoughts regarding the Duck Dynasty mayhem were something to the effect of... "what is the big deal? - the gospel [or let's just say Christianity in general] is and will always be offensive! [In all actuality, I believe if you are a Christian and haven't offended someone yet - you are probably closeted and ineffective or just not building relationships that challenge you.]
One of my favorite passages from the Bible was about the martyr Stephen. I was always drawn to the graciousness this man displayed even while being stoned to death. This, I know, is an extreme example, but bare with me. He was dragged into court to account for things he had said that he believed about Jesus, and he chose to use this opportunity to share the gospel when given the chance to speak. The people were so offended that they began gnashing their teeth and screaming until they eventually stoned him. I mean- really? Talk about an adverse reaction. ...but instead of claiming his "rights" to state his beliefs, which he clearly held strong convictions for, he chose to pray for them as he was dying.
Umm...Wow... talk about having a strong reaction. . .
Now I'm not stating that Phil Robertson should be seen as a sacrifice and take the fall, but I am stating that persecution should not be foreign to us. Didn't Paul say to "Count it all joy when [you] suffer various trials"? (paraphrased) This, coming from a man who was in prison for the majority of time that he was writing parts of the Bible!
At the end of the day, instead of arguing about what he should or should not have the right to say - we should be excited that he has had this much influence and pray that the seeds planted will grow.
How many of us have restrictions at our places of employment that keep us from sharing our beliefs, etc? Are you willing to lose your job as well in support of Phil? Probably not. And why are we fighting so hard for this man?
I definitely commend those who stand for God in face of adversity, however I do not think this situation is nearly as serious as we are making it out to be. A challenge to us Christians would be to stop electing these Christian celebrities to be our voice - hoping they can (alone) fulfill the great commission ... Yes - I agree that they have a platform and I always enjoy seeing people use it for good, but at the end of the day - they are people who mess up, too!
Am I saying that I believe Phil messed up? ... Not necessarily... I believe he was asked questions by the interviewer (which is what interviewers do) and he was probably unaware of how his raw, honest answers would be edited against him. I don't feel as though he said those things to be malicious or hurtful. It sounded like a conversation and his thought process about the literal act of gay sex. Which he seemed to not understand. I heard no hate.... no slander. He quoted a Scripture which is our Holy book so why shouldn't he believe it. [I also believe that most of us aren't ever as politically correct as we expect from others (especially those on TV) so I'm sure if the roles were reversed and someone was interviewing the people who take offense to what he said - there would be some unsavory discoveries there as well!]
Do I feel bad for him? - Yes... a bit (although I can't help but believe that the same God who gave him and his family this wonderful platform would also be able to vindicate him in his time of need). I find it hard to believe he would just lead himself on a destructive rant about gays. However, I agree that A&E has the right to dismiss him. If I were an employer and wanted to suspend an employee for questionable behaviors that would ruin my brand. . .I would hope I could exercise that right as long as it was fair across the board. Whether you agree or not - this is the decision they made.
Nonetheless, here is my issue...when we as Christians decided to defend him publicly at the ridicule of the gay community.
- I believe this is widely inappropriate and way out of context. First off, we are attempting to piggyback off of his use of Scriptures which in context was shared in a private interview where it would make sense to share in detail. So out of context (like on media sites) our two cents on the topic are not needed. I don't believe any more gay people need to be made aware of Christianity's thoughts on their lifestyle. . . I think they get it. We are doing more hurt when we sprinkle it into conversations in defense of someone most of us have never met! We are avoiding building meaningful relationships with the LGBT community and becoming rather redundant on the issue! I have nothing more to say about that (although I actually do have more to say. ..another day)....
But I digress. . . because my thoughts on the actual issue are moot because we can argue to our deaths on this sillyan-made mayhem - but while we are arguing. . .there will be plenty of people in need of love, understanding, and grace that we are all missing as we continue to fuel this hate battle between Christianity and the LGBT community. I'm looking forward to a day where we (Christians) will begin fighting against the the real issue (hint: it's not flesh & blood)!
Merry Christmas!
*drops mic*
If you have a comment. ..I'm open to healthy discussion. No foolishness. :)
