Family Research Council Defends Duck Dynasty In Statement
Family Research Council issued a statement late Thursday evening:
A Beard's Eye View of Intolerance
A&E wanted a reality show. Trouble is, they weren't ready for the realities that came with it. Anyone who's watched "Duck Dynasty" (and there are close to 90 million of you) knows the Robertson family stands unapologetically for Christ. And if they didn't know, they found out in May, when patriarch Phil Robertson told the network, "God and guns are part of our everyday lives [and] to remove either of them from the show is unacceptable."
For four years, "Duck Dynasty" has been a lifeline to Americans tired of television's steady diet of liberal propaganda. In an industry trying to out-sleaze the competition, the Robertsons had a different formula for success: speaking and living the truth. It's a decision too many Americans have been afraid to make in our culture of political correctness. That all changed with this show, when the Robertsons gave viewers the courage to make the right choice.
Today, that courage has never been more essential, as a group of extremists set out to destroy "Duck Dynasty" -- and with it, the family's powerful platform for faith. This morning, the internet was bursting with stories on Phil's marriage comments -- which, for all the hysteria, could have been boiled down to this: Christian Believes What the Bible Says. Apparently, it's headline news these days to actually embrace the teachings of your religion. In the GQ interview that kicked off the controversy, the family patriarch was blunt about his support for natural marriage and used the book of Corinthians to explain it: "Don't be deceived," he said. "Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers -- they won't inherit the kingdom of God. Don't deceive yourself. It's not right."
Of course, the millions of people tuning in to "Duck Dynasty" would find Phil's comments completely consistent with the values they expect from the Robertsons. The reason the Robertsons and others have come under attack for speaking openly about biblical truth is because too many Christians have been intimidated into silence by the cultural elite and vocal homosexual activists. And the evidence suggests the Left wants to keep it that way. Anxious to keep the liberal bullies at bay, A&E's knee-jerk reaction was to drop Phil from the show."His personal views in no way reflect those of A&E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely."
In case Americans missed it in the firing of Craig James, the suspension of Dr. Angela McCaskill, and the persecution of wedding vendors across the country, these are the totalitarian tactics of the Left. Phil spoke directly from Scripture and said -- not only what most people believe -- but what's obvious from nature and common sense. But these activists are so afraid of the truth that they'll do anything to silence it -- including becoming an enemy of the very freedom they claim to champion. "I remember when TV networks believed in the First Amendment," Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R) said. "It is a messed up situation when Miley Cyrus gets a laugh, and Phil Robertson gets suspended."