First off - the facts;
Phil was interviewed by GQ magazine and prompted to discuss his thoughts on same-sex marriage/relationships.
Phil used the opportunity to relate to sinful lifestyles and basically said homosexuality is a slippery slope down the path to more sin - he didn't even necessarily say "being gay is a sin" or "men being attracted to other men is disgusting," he just said it leads to worse things, comparable to sexual misconduct and blurred perception of others.
Phil then quoted Corinthians, saying that thieves, drunks, homosexuals, etc. would not inherit the kingdom of God. Straight-up scripture.
A reminder to all of those upset about this;
Phil was ASKED what his thoughts were. If you ask your husband if what you're wearing is unflattering, knowing that he has strong feelings about how you dress, do you have the right to be insulted when he states the facts and tells you it has a stain on it or is too tight? NO. You asked for an answer. If you are asking for the purpose of being cady or starting an argument, you are a manipulative child. Grow up. If you don't like or weren't prepared for the answer, you shouldn't have asked. However, if you DISAGREE on the simple grounds of the dress you're wearing is your favorite, and you think it looks great, cool! Good for you! Disagree appropriately and go about your day with confidence.
Similarly, if you knew anything about the Robertson family at all, you already knew that Phil and all of his family are God-fearing christians that don't pass up many opportunities to share their faith. If you are not prepared to handle the blatant, honest answer when you ask the question of what he believes in regards to any moral issue, don't ask. However, if you support gay rights or you are a proud gay person that's confident in your lifestyle, cool, good for you, move on and go live your life in confidence.
The issue I have with this type of uproar and controversy isn't that someone got fired or suspended from their line of work (in this case, being on a public podium) because let's be real, it happens ALL the time. Especially when you have thousands of people watching/looking in your direction and the people who write your paychecks don't necessarily abide by any type of belief system. It's going to happen, and by the way, I can tell you with confidence that I'm sure the Robertson family anticipated and counted on some kind of explosive controversy at SOME point. They are christians in the public eye. Again, it happens. My problem isn't that Phil agrees with the bible (duh). I don't really have a problem with the negative feedback they are receiving from the LGBT community, because that's all to be expected. My real problem goes a little deeper. My real problem is that the LGBT community, it would seem, is so uncomfortable in their position in society that they feel the need to aggressively, loudly attack anyone who dares to call the lifestyle into question. My question for them would be, if you are so "proud" of being gay and so secure in your identity, why do you even care what some old fart from Louisiana has to say about your life choices? No matter what lifestyle you choose, whether it be something in regards to your sexual preferences, what you do for a living, how many kids you have, what church you go to, whether you homeschool or mainstream school your kids, whether you breastfeed or not, whether you're pro-choice or pro-life, there will ALWAYS be someone, somewhere that disagrees with you. I'm sure there's someone somewhere who disagrees with the way I wore my hair today. If he went home and tweeted about some lady is saw in the mall with a sock bun, and the fact that he thinks sock buns look stupid, do you think I would lose any sleep over it? No, and I'd probably keep doing my hair however I chose. Similarly, I say this again, if you are so confident and proud about your homosexual lifestyle, why are you up in arms about Phil Robertson's opinion?
I say all of this to say that I legitimately understand that there are some people who do feel a natural inclination to homosexuality. I do not believe God judges us based upon our urges or our thoughts - the sin is in the actions that follow. I believe He loves us all the same. He is not any MORE saddened by a homosexual lifestyle than He is a person who drinks too much, a person who shoplifts, a person who binge eats, etc. I believe they hurt Him all the same, because every single one of them is an attempt to fill a void or heal a wound that only He can fix. Likewise, if you are filling that void in your soul with heterosexual sexual misconduct, you are just as wrong. That is all I will say, because again, this isn't really about my beliefs. I know where I stand and would welcome healthy disagreements, because like Phil, I know what the bible says and I know what our Father's heart is on the issue.
So now that we've established that I acknowledge homosexuality as a real thing, let's move on. What frustrates me lately is the "fad" of homosexuality. It is the latest controversial moral issue on the table, and everyone, despite sexual preference, is jumping at the opportunity to support marital 'equality.' I realize that from within that bubble, it must seem like simple community support and genuine concern, which I'm sure it is for some people. For the most part, however, I feel like it's very quickly become "the thing to do" to support "gay rights." So, people who don't even have any insight to what it is like to be homosexual or bisexual are throwing stickers on their car and 'inspiring' quotes/song lyrics on their social media pages so they can seem like they are in tune with society and with the changing times. Again, I apologize if this sounds harsh and cynical, but the majority of them are only striving to do what's trendy. And the "gay rights" debate of the last few years is what's trendy right now. So, naturally, when a public figure states a contrary belief, everyone reacts as if they've been personally offended, when in fact, it has nothing to do with them. This is what is frustrating about this entire issue.
Phil did exactly what scripture instructs by being prepared to give an account of his beliefs when prompted. That's all there is to it. Jesus also instructed us to anticipate controversy and hatred when we spoke His truths, the Robertson family was not at all surprised by this. They were a loving, successful family before Phil's interview and they will continue to be.
"In your hearts, revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you the reason for your belief. Be sure to do it with gentleness and respect."
1 Peter 3:15
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