1. I care nothing about Duck Dynasty. I've never watched it. As always, I'm always very concerned when Christians find other Christians to idolize, and the attention that has been paid to this family in recent months has been insufferable. We raise them up only to watch them fall.
2. It's A&E's network. They weighed the financial fallout of Robertson's comments and decided to go with the gay lobby rather than the Christian lobby. They took a bad day for business and tried to make the best of it. They're probably wrong from a business perspective.
3. If the network were really serious about how much they hated these comments, they'd cancel the show. They'd pull from the shelves the greeting cards, video games, posters, t-shirts, and everything else that they sell to make money off that family. But again, it's all about the bottom line.
4. If the Robertson family really wanted to stand for their beliefs, they would walk away from the show in protest of this decision. It doesn't appear that they are going to do so. I'd bet that the huge contract they signed last year probably has something to do with this decision.
5. But can we please, please stop with the 'leads' about this story being that Phil Robertson is 'homophobic' or 'anti-gay'? 'Homophobic' implies fear and loathing. There's none of that in this story. He's a man who knows about sin and speaks against it. We live in a world that tells us that all kinds of things are wrong...but no longer can we call something sin.
6. I go back and forth on whether this is 'persecution'. On the one hand, he's not being killed for his beliefs and nobody is throwing him in jail. He's certainly made his money on this show and this won't send him to the poorhouse. But on the other hand, he basically loses his job because of his statement. To lose a livelihood because of belief, no matter how fake that livelihood may be, certainly does border on persecution.
7. Why is it that on TV today weirdness is encouraged but some things can never be mentioned? All manner of lifestyle is promoted on the various networks of crap that are out there, but when a statement of belief outside the ordinary goes against the trends of today, that's forbidden? If you're going to promote weirdness, let it be where it may.
8. In a supposedly free country, stupid statements deserve mocking, not firing. Not sure we live in a free country, though. Not sure we ever did.
9. The right deserves part of the blame for what is happening. Read enough history of this country and you find that many behaviors and beliefs were suppressed, even persecuted from those of a 'conservative' bent when they ruled the country. Now this lack of tolerance is coming back to bite them. Freedom means freedom even for those with whom you disagree.
10. I have found it interesting that many people who cannot tolerate somebody disagreeing with them about gun rights or Obamacare or some other issue not cannot stand it that somebody cannot tolerate their views on homosexuality. Basically the problem is this: we live in such narrowcasted world today that we don't think we have to hear something we don't want. Even in diversity, we have become a nation of isolated belief structures.
11. Did you actually read the GQ article? There's a lot more in here than homosexuality that is interesting, troubling, and should raise eyebrows. But it's also a really poorly written article as well, with lots of frivolous bad language by the writer. The writer needed a better editor.
12. Amen to Phil's words about sin and his dangers...it's much more than about homosexuality, though this is part of it. We need to also pay more attention to other sins as well. Sins like heterosexual immorality and adultery are now far too overlooked, as is adultery. Sin is still sin, and the church does itself a disservice when it only focuses on one particular sin at the expense of others, especially a sin it does not think it has itself.
13. This too shall pass. The celebrity grinder will quickly move on to somebody else, and Christians will find something else to be outraged about.
