Duck Dilemma
The duck people have gone and done it now. The patriarch of reality television's Duck Dynasty has actually shared his Christian perspective on the subject of homosexuality with a reporter for trendy GQ magazine. Of course the reaction to his unfiltered view of homosexuality as a sin and the comment that he didn't get why gays preferred men to women was, to say the least, a cardinal offense to that group and those who saw this as an attack on their lifestyle and human rights. Cue the media who never pass up a chance to blow up any conflict between Gays and religious groups and you have a non-story becoming a major headline overnight.
This episode presents us with several lessons that all Christians who, for whatever reason, find themselves in the limelight for their 15 minutes of fame:
1. The World Will Never Accept You
They may applaud your talent or laugh at your jokes for awhile but in the end they will reject you because sooner or later you will have to choose to conform to what the world wants you to be or what Christ wants you to be. You can finesse the hard truths of Christ for a time to maintain your position with non believers but eventually your belief and their disbelief will not be able to coexist.
14Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,
"I will dwell in them and walk among them;
And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
- 2 Corinthians 6:14-16
2. The Gospel Is God's Power To Convert Souls Not Reality TV
Over 14 million people watch Duck Dynasty each week and the entire family are household names but the net result of this success is money, lots of money, not new disciples of Christ. A&E has made a huge profit off the show and the Robertson family has become rich. Of course there's nothing wrong with Christian people being rich (many faithful people in the Bible were rich..IE. Abraham, Lydia, etc.) but it was not their wealth or fame that influenced others to believe. The Robertson family has done a good job of exposing many viewers to Christian habits and virtues and should be commended for that but people watch them for their idiosyncrasies not their faith.
Conversion requires the actual word of God to be preached and patiently explained.
3. Free Speech Is Every American's Right Except If You're A Christian
Hollywood can produce the vilest of content without comment. Gay rights activists can march nearly naked in parades and are applauded. Atheists can put up giant billboards in Times Square insulting religious believers and there is no outcry. But Christians are mocked and vilified if they simply express what the Bible plainly says about men having sex with other men. It's not a surprise that A&E suspended Phil Robertson for his comments. Their parent company is Disney, the most pro Gay corporation in America.
Notice that aside from church members, a few AM talk radio hosts, and people on Twitter, no one of political or social importance has defended this Christian man's right to express his own personal opinion, and this given because of a direct question posed by a reporter?!
The party's over Duck people. The world has discovered to their dismay that aside from the goofy beards and down home quirks, you really do believe and they'll have none of that. You see, your faith highlights their lack of faith and the consequence of that disbelief is spiritual death. No amount of backwoods charm can hide that central truth. You had a good run. Thanks for giving us the chance of seeing one of our own on a hit TV show. You were a light in a dark place for a little while but you know how it is...they don't come to the light because they love the darkness.