Left: a Duck Dynasty family before the keen idea of a television show.
I woke up Thursday morning and logged onto Facebook to discover, much to my chagrin, that even before I had a chance to investigate the dialogue in the GQ interview with Duck Dynasty's, Phil Robertson, that if I didn't "agree" with what he said then I am un-American, un-patriotic, un-Christian, and holy of all mother un-holy's, a LIBERAL! Needless to say I dove right in and read the entirety of the interview. And low and behold, it turns out that I do in fact take issue with some of his statements. Wouldn't ya know it? I found his seque from the sin of homosexuality to that of bestiality defaming and unnecessary. And by the way, his family's $400 million empire was built on a product who's purpose is to trick ducks into thinking the (human) caller wants to have sex with it. His comments regarding his upbringing in rural Louisiana during the civil rights movement made me cringe a bit. The fact that he saw no evidence of the mistreatment of African Americans at the time could have been tempered with a simple acknowledgment of what MANY of them endured, even though it was out of his line of sight. His remarks seemed to almost discount what history has deemed an irrefutable and shameful time in our nation's not-so distant past, what with the church burnings, lynchings, societal and judicial inequality, and rule by fear tactics. I also sorely dislike his verbiage in matters of his heterosexual preference for all that vaginas have to offer males vs. anus'. But, no matter. Phil can prattle on about anything he wishes to. His right to speak freely is still in tact and hasn't been challenged in any way. For those needing a perfunctory citizenship lesson, our rights are a legal matter, not a social one. How his employer chose to handle future dealings with him is none of my concern.
I'm more concerned by people's fascination, often resembling worship, of these multi-millionaires. Simply because they espouse similar values to the ones held by rural, Southern America doesn't mean that they're heroes or deserving of blind support. The idea that Christians corner the market on morality is asinine. The notion that an anti-gay stance that includes the promotion of inequality under the laws of this country is somehow noble or "non-judgmental" is preposterous. There's no way to sensibly reconcile a position that someone else isn't worthy of the same legal rights and treatment as you are because of their sexuality, AND simultaneously refrain from judgment. "I'm not judging you, I just believe that you shouldn't be the way you are, get married, share benefits, receive hospital privileges or be able to adopt children." No sale. It's a judgment call. Own up to it.
And finally, I have a problem with people who claim to be Christians supporting millionaires. The Biblical view of money seems lost on many believers these days. I challenge anyone to find a single passage in which Jesus so much as mentions same-sex attraction. BUT he has quite a bit to say about money. "It is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven." "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."
"Sell your possessions and give alms." "...But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." "...You cannot serve God and wealth." "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on." There are MANY many more. But I quoted only six, which is two shy of the number of times both the OT and NT combined, mention homosexuality.
It isn't unreasonable to create a life of financial prosperity. We all strive for fiscal health, as it lends us more energy for other pleasures. The Robertsons have created an empire. Their net worth is in the neighborhood of $400 million. Half of that is comprised of Duck Dynasty merchandise sold in retails stores like Walmart. I've researched their charitable giving, and from everything I've read, they're not exactly known for it. They often speak and entertain at fundraisers. They show up and ask other people for their money to help support organizations. They are also quite often, well compensated for their appearances, put up in nice hotels and given gifts and promote their own merchandise, books, and their show. And you buy it. You feed the machine. You rally round the millionaires, under the guise of Christian values. And THIS is what offends my senses. I care nothing about the Robertsons. I wish them no ill, but they mean nothing to me. And I cannot for the life of me figure out why millions of people think they're worth throwing down a gauntlet over. A gauntlet that in the end will only mean MORE money for A&E when they bring Phil back, MORE money for the Robertsons, and LESS money for the people who buy into what was likely only a money making ploy to begin with. It's all nonsense. Shameful nonsense perpetuated by people who question a major network without ever questioning themselves or their own judgment.
I suppose this post is harsh... but I can't think of another way to view the ridiculousness I've witnessed the last couple of days. If someone would look up what Jesus said about gays, I'd really appreciate it though.
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