disclaimer - these are my opinions based on what I have read and experienced. I in no way reflect any opinion but my own and in doing so, because it is my blog, I do so with the intention of showing that all people, regardless of sex, age, culture etc all have the right to be here.
...... its good to see that A&E, despite the ratings they get for the top rated reality show on TV, has decided to ban Phil Robertson from continuing on the show 'Duck Dynasty'. Phil has views that are not in keeping with the support this station has for the LGBT community.
Are we really all that surprised that a man like Phil, living on the outskirts of modern society, quoting from a bible written 2 millenium ago and about 300 years AFTER Christ walked the earth? The sad reality is that this man chooses to turn his back on a progressive society while partaking in the benefits this new society has to offer him. He's caught between two worlds but the old world is just too comfortable and well entrenched in this man of the 60's.
I like that the Robertsons are a close knit family. I like their quirky family traditions. I like that they show gratitude for their lives and the days events at a table shared by most family members. I even like their redneck solutions to some challenging problems. They have taught me quite a bit. Phil is truly the patriarch of the family, the one the family looks to for guidance and help. Which is why this latest revelation is so disturbing on so many levels to those looking in from the outside. I like that Phil takes a stand and tries to show his spoiled grandchildren traditions without the use of their technology. I like that he is an intelligent man. I like that he has shown what a true redneck is and has garnered respect from the millions who watch him religiously. He has a following of somewhere close to 11 million viewers. I think that he far surpasses the TV evangelists of the 90's in viewership.
I don't like that Phil has expressed his personal opinions while quoting the bible to back up his claims. I don't like that Phil does not see the impact his personal opinions, as a well known TV personality, will have on the society he chooses to live on the outskirts of. I do not respect the lack of insight he has for the people he speaks of but has never met. Phil, you may not like it but yes, it is up to God and only God to judge others and you as a preacher should remember the cardinal rule of not judging others, at least not publicly.
I had my reservations about watching a redneck show but I chose to take a risk and discovered some truly wonderful moments and people I grew to really like. I am not alone in my pre-conceived thoughts, it is how we are, we all make snap judgements on people and things we know little or nothing about based on some general opinion..... which is why Phil's opinions are so important.... he has expressed them openly and without reservation or fore thought as to the impact of his words. Words hurt as we have seen historically with leaders showing their ignorance and hatred of specific groups of people and realizing them in the form of discrimination and in extreme cases, genocide. We are warned of false prophets and idols and yet, when they appear, their charisma and charm has a dulling effect on our sense of right and wrong. Regardless of whether we like Phil or not, his opinions challenge my beliefs of what a loving God is.
My loving God loves my LGBT friends and Phil. Phil's opinions have once again made me review and reflect on my own beliefs in a modern age where things move too fast to sit quietly with an ice tea on a wooden step. He has reminded me that not everyone feels the same way I do about religion. It has sparked controversy and recently I had a 'back and forth' opinion swap with a Phil fan... it ended well with each of us understanding the right to have our own opinions and to still respect each other by wishing each other a Merry Christmas from the heart. We both knew that words could anger and cause bad feelings between two strangers.....we were having none of that after realizing that our words were misinterpreted by the one reading them. Maybe all this controversy will teach Phil that words, whether meant a certain way or not, can cause more trouble than its worth....
Perhaps this is just what Phil needed to teach him that humanity has progressed past the 60's. Perhaps we will learn to slow down and take the time to spend it with family a little more often and without the technology at the table. Perhaps, when all is said and done....we will all be more tolerant of each other with respect and love.
...Just my 2 cents worth....
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