(RNS) The pastor to “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson rushed to his defense Thursday (Dec. 19) after the reality TV star came under heavy criticism for his graphic comments about homosexuality and the Bible.
Robertson, who leads a clan that revels in Southern Christian stereotypes, was suspended by the A&E Network after an interview with GQ magazine was published. Robertson, 67, was asked: “What, in your mind, is sinful?”
“Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there,” Robertson said. “Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men.”
“Duck Dynasty” follows members of the extended Robertson clan, the family that runs the Duck Commander hunting supply company in Louisiana. The GQ interviewer says Robertson is free to say whatever he wants out in the wild, “maybe a little too free.”
“It seems like, to me, a vagina — as a man — would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer,” Robertson said in the interview. “I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.”
The church that the Robertsons attend and where Phil Robertson is an elder, White’s Ferry Road Church of Christ in West Monroe, La., has received hundreds of phone calls from fans across the country, said Mike Kellett, the senior pastor.
“It seems to me people are tolerant of views except Christianity,” Kellett said. “I don’t have anything to say about the wording in it. I would express things differently, but that’s Phil.”
The Robertsons are part of Churches of Christ, a conservative group of 13,000 U.S. congregations that says that “God remains consistent in His condemnation of homosexuality as He does for all other sins.”
Members of Churches of Christ generally believe that God reserves sex for a marriage between one man and one woman.
A&E is free to do what it wants with the show, Kellett said.
“It’s a free country,” Kellett said. “We’re not a protest kind of people. We don’t go out in front of people’s office with signs.”
Southern Baptist leaders Russell Moore and Al Mohler, as well as advocacy groups such as Alliance Defending Freedom and the Family Research Council, also came to Robertson’s defense, saying he should not be suspended for voicing his views.
“Free speech is endangered species; those ‘intolerants’ hatin’ & taking on Duck Dynasty patriarch for voicing personal opinion take on us all,” tweeted former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Robertson skipped Barbara Walters’ “Most Fascinating” interview on Wednesday, with his wife saying he was out hunting.
Some Christians said the Robertson situation showed the need for caution in both tone and substance when speaking about sexuality.
“Just because someone quotes 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and is opposed to same-sex marriage doesn’t mean that they’re speaking up for a theologically informed, humane, pastorally sensitive view of what it means to be gay,” Wesley Hill, who describes himself as a celibate gay Christian, wrote for the journal First Things.
Brandon Ambrosino, an openly gay Christian who writes about religion and sexuality, noted that Robertson and Pope Francis probably share the same views on homosexuality, but there’s a noticeable difference in tone.
“Pope Francis has positions on sexuality but when he does bring them out, he does it in the most accepting way possible,” Ambrosino said, referring to the pope’s famous remark about “Who am I to judge?” on the issue of homosexuality.
However, Ambrosino said, Robertson should not have been suspended.
“Whether or not I think his understanding of desire is primitive and brute, there are lot of people in America who hold his opinion,” Ambrosino said. “Dismissing an idea is not engaging a debate; that is not even entering into one.”
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.