Duckman's Anti-Gay Rant and Consequences

There is this reality show on Arts and Entertainment channel called Duck Dynasty that supposedly exalts the lifestyle and beliefs of a family living and working somewhere in rural Louisiana.  Looking like ZZ Top wannabes, the male members of the family all sport large beards, their trademark I guess.  Apparently, along the course of the show, a Christian worldview has been identified with them, prompting evangelical churches across the country to embrace this series as one of their own.  But now, one of those men, a dude named Phil Robertson, has touched off another of those "Chick-Fil-A" variety social media firestorms by making derogatory comments about gays.  Here we go again, with the calls from the "pro-duck" side to boycott A&E after they made the decision to suspend Robertson for a few months from the series.  I say to those who want to boycott this channel to please stop and reconsider...all it will accomplish in the end will be to give second thoughts to anyone in television thinking of starting any more series spotlighting a family practicing their religion...while reinforcing the oft-held belief to the world that Christians are narrow minded bigots, hampering those of the faith who are trying to spread the love of Jesus and his gospel message.  Besides, I've heard that the next season of Duck Dynasty has already been filmed, complete with Mr. Phil Robertson prominently featured in the episodes.  And the next taping comes later, after a few more months.  So how exactly did they propose to enforce that suspension, anyway?

I think a lot of Americans who tend to look down on homosexuality for whatever reasons of their own look at how the gay rights movement has succeeded here in the passing of anti-discrimination laws, benefits for same-sex partners, and the ushering in of same-sex marriage into our society...and see this as a threat of some kind.  But they fail to take into account that, for much of the rest of the world, in countries like Russia, Ethiopia, and Uganda, for example, the trend is in the direction of persecution of gays.  And some Islamic nations, whose legalism Christians often loudly point out against them,  are very legalistically opposed to gays, offering prison and even death as punishments for those convicted of the "crime" of having a different sexual orientation. 

To me, the very essence of being civilized as opposed to being barbarian is to have educated and incorporated within oneself the realization that the people in our society have a diversity of appearances, backgrounds, beliefs, and characteristics.  Everyone differs from each other in some way, usually many ways.  We can choose to either find common ground with them where we can or to emphasize the differences.  I'm sure Phil Robertson has some common ground with me and many aspects to his life and character to appreciate, but when he goes off on a rant against people he sees himself as being superior to, I don't exactly feel very magnanimous to respecting HIS point of view.  After all, isn't arrogant pride a sin in the eyes of the Lord, too?

This isn't at all about whether you or I approve of homosexuality or oppose it.  Rather it is about demonstrating a civil respect for others who are different from us and recognizing that there is more to a person than those aspects which displease us...