Most Christian commentators have supported Phil Robertson after he was "suspended." I'm going to comment on an exception:
Perhaps it’s really about LGBT rights at the cable and satellite television channel, half owned by Disney-ABC. But then there’s also the almighty dollar. Conceding to the LGBT agenda is increasingly what’s most profitable, what saves most face, and what brings least financial repercussion.
No doubt that's the impression which the homosexual lobby would like to foster. That A&E will lose out financially if it alienates the LGBT community. But the LGBT community is minuscule compared to the straight community. The network has far more to lose by alienating fans of Duck Dynasty.
Now, maybe the TV executives don't see it that way. They wouldn't be the first corporate executives who are too insulated and isolated from the customer to know their own business. They move in the same social echelon as GLAAD. But the homosexual lobby is only powerful if we empower it. We have strength in numbers. The homosexual lobby is powerful because policymakers defer to it. They cede it power which it doesn't naturally have.
Dear Christian, this is not something worth getting exercised about. As much as it may seem like “reality television,” it doesn’t take much of an eye to see how much this show is scripted and how much this is not the reality worth fighting for.
Mathis is confused. This is not about supporting Duck Dynasty. It's not even about supporting Phil Robertson in general. Mathis confuses the principle with the occasion.
This is not our time to cry fowl about Christian civil liberties.
To the contrary, it's an opportune time to do so.
There will be real battles to fight — real courts and real judges and real presidents, governors, and legislatures that will continue riding the societal wave of the LGBT agenda. As the seemingly unstoppable train barrels down the tracks at us, we will continue to face excruciatingly tough decisions about when and how to hold our ground and when and if to dive out of the way and live to fight another day.
It's because the show is so popular that this presents an opportunity to stop the train or push it back. We can ride that wave of popularity.
Let’s lay down the weapons on this one. There will be other ducks to shoot. Pass on the decoy. There are so many good avenues for expending our righteous energy. It’s time to change the channel.
Mathis lacks tactical judgment. In the culture wars, timing counts. Seizing the moment. Taken advantage of a windfall.
You need to play the hand you're dealt. One can imagine more noble vehicles. Loftier opportunities in the abstract. But in the real world you work with what you have. You can't just assume a better opportunity will present itself for your convenience further down the line. This is a brief window of opportunity. Don't let it pass.
And let's not forget that we serve a God who uses foolish things to advance the kingdom (1 Cor 1-3).
Some conservatives are doing the same thing as usual: Spending more time fighting each other about tactics and minor squabbles than seizing the moment. While it's not as bad as it is usually, it gets really annoying to be debating about whether Phil Robertson's rights were "really violated" or not when that is tangential to the real issue. You never see the liberals doing that. They always stay on the talking points, and it works like a charm.
ReplyDeleteThe real issue that all Christians, social conservatives, and more conservative libertarians should be on board with is that a man was fired for expressing a traditional religious opinion. That sets a dangerous precedent for everybody, whether they be orthodox, heretical, or just plain unpopular. We need to seize to moment to show the real agenda of the homosexual lobby: Total affirmation of their lifestyle by everybody at all times. There is no doubt that the lobby would silence pastors in the pulpit if they could, and they might be able to one day if we don't take this opportunity to win a battle. We need to stick to the talking points and not get distracted about legal technicalities.