Phil Robertson, star of the mega-hit reality show Duck Dynasty, has been suspended indefinitely for remarks made in an interview labeled “anti-gay” by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists.
“A&E has shown its cowardly bigotry toward Christians,” says Paul Rondeau, executive director of American Life League, the oldest Catholic pro-life group in the nation. “GLAAD spokesperson Wilson Cruz said, ‘Phil and his family claim to be Christian, but Phil’s lies about an entire community fly in the face of what true Christians believe.’
“Instead of defending the religious expression of the Robertson family, A&E sides with GLAAD as the authority on what ‘true’ Christians believe.”
Robertson was indefinitely suspended from A&E’s Duck Dynasty after he told GQ magazine that he doesn’t understand how two men could enjoy making love to one another. Using anatomically correct language, the Duck Dynasty dad said that in his opinion, a woman has more to offer a man sexually than another man.
“America was a country founded upon Christian values,” Robertson told GQ, and “the gradual removal of Christian symbolism from public spaces has diluted those founding principles.”
Using the removal of Ten Commandment monuments outside of courthouses as an example, Robertson said, “Everything is blurred on what’s right and what’s wrong. Sin becomes fine.”
When the reporter asked what is sinful, Robertson listed homosexuality and promiscuity and quoted from 1 Corinthians. After the gay rights group GLAAD spoke out against Robertson’s comments, A&E put him on hiatus.
“This latest A&E action against Robertson is simply a symptom of a much larger negative attitude the media has toward Christianity, the true meaning of Christmas, and so much more,” Rondeau says.
“The A&E vision of Christmas is limited to aluminum trees and secular profits,” he continues. “Apparently, network executives were so busy counting the money they have made from the show, they didn’t notice that a Duck Dynasty Christmas would include not only celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ but also fidelity to His teachings.
“A&E management owes Phil Robertson and all Christians an apology.”
In a statement released Thursday, the Robertson family stood behind its patriarch.
“While some of Phil’s unfiltered comments to the reporter were coarse, his beliefs are grounded in the teachings of the Bible. We have had a successful working relationship with A&E, but as a family we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch at the helm. We are in discussions with A&E to see what that means for the future of Duck Dynasty.”
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