Soapbox Thursday!

You guessed it!  The famous Duck Dynasty controversy!  I just had to chime in after watching the "Today Show" and their opinion on this!  So, if you haven't heard, Phil Robertson has been suspended from the show Duck Dynasty (his show) indefinitely!  During an interview with GQ magazine Phil commented on homosexuality and how it was a sin.  Now, maybe the way he phrased it was a bit crude, but that is a Christian redneck and his firm belief!  Basically, he stated that homosexuality is a perverse sin.  Here is the link to the article and the words used by Phil and  A& E's response.  Now I am not going to get into the homosexuality debate, but I have to say, the way his freedom of speech is being attacked is down right sad! 

I just love how the whole backing of his suspension is his lack of "tolerance".  Ironically, the definition of tolerance is : the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with. Now, I don't think Phil isn't tolerant of homosexuality.  He stands firm in HIS belief that it is a sin, but he also stated that he has no disrespect and would never treat a homosexual person with disrespect.  Now, lets look at who isn't being tolerant!  A&E is in no way being tolerant!  That is Phil Robertson's right and opinion that they do not agree with, and by taking him off the network for his personal opinion they are not being tolerant of his Christian beliefs.  You see, this is how it always works for Christians, they simply state their view on a controversial topic and WOW all of the sudden people are shocked at the "lack of tolerance" and the person is verbally persecuted for standing firm on their belief.  BUT...if someone ridicules a Christian for believing that something is a sin...or a homosexual person criticizes a Christian calling them hateful...it is ok!  I'd definitely say something is wrong with this picture!  It seems that everything BUT Christianity is tolerated in today's society.  We are going to take a good man off of TV because he stands for what he believes in, but we can let Miley Cyrus walk around basically nude for our children to look up to, A&E can put Bonnie and Clyde on a platform to watch and make it look "cool" to rob and kill, we can pretty much make fun of Christians on any TV show and it is totally acceptable and "tolerant".  (Rolling my eyes)

This isn't just modern day problem...it started in the Bible...Christian's have always been and will continue to be persecuted for their beliefs.  Am I talking of physical harm? NO, but religious freedom of speech is being stripped away! The Bible has many verses speaking of this problem.

2 Timothy 3:12 - Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution

John 15:18 - If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you.

1 Peter 3:16 - Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

1 Peter 3:17 - For [it is] better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

Luke 6:22 - Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you [from their company], and shall reproach [you], and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

1 Peter 3:14 - But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy [are ye]: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

The list could go on and on, but I will stop there because that is enough to see what Christ was talking about!  It is such a shame that the world is so shocked that a Christian would stand for their belief.  But should we really have expected them to be OK with calling sin what it is?  NO, that is why people despise Christianity and persecute Christians.  Jesus said it would happen years ago, and guess what it is still happening!  In my opinion, it is just another piece of solid evidence that the Bible is true!  So to the Robertson family I commend you for standing on truth!  The media may use it as a platform for LGBT support, they may use it to talk about how Christians are not tolerant, but they just caused the Christian community to be even more supportive of the family!