A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
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So now one can no longer express one's religious belief, huh?By now we have all heard of the latest Southern TV star's fall from the public's grace as a result of his honesty. He made the mistake of honestly expressing his opinion -- reference homosexuality -- to the press, and now he is being publicly pilloried.
"Phil Robertson, patriarch of the “Duck Dynasty” clan, is being slammed for controversial comments he made about homosexuality in an interview in the January issue of GQ.
When the reporter asked Robertson what he found sinful, he said “Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men." SOURCE: http://nypost.com/2013/12/18/duck-dynasty-member-slammed-for-comments-on-homosexuality/
As a southerner myself, I have no problem understanding where Mr. Robertson is coming from. That is to say, we both hail from the same culture -- southern culture, which is a way of life centered around the Holy Scriptures. Yeah, it's a "southern thing." (It's not solely a southern thing, but it sometimes seems such.)
And yes, we in the south are less tolerant of homosexuality than most any other region of the US.
"A report from November 2012 suggested that there had been a new, and rapid shift in support of equal marriage in the US, except in some southern states, such as Texas and several other nearby southern states which had remained opposed to the idea of same-sex marriage.
In terms of regions opposed to equal marriage, the south leads in that respect. South Atlantic and South Central states showed a majority of voters as opposed to equal marriage, where in the latter, which includes Texas, 56% of voters opposed it, versus 35% for." SOURCE: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/12/09/new-york-times-study-names-mississippi-as-state-least-tolerant-of-gay-people/
Generally speaking the more conservative religious denominations of the South teach the following: "Love the sinner. Hate the sin."
As a subscriber to the Christian faith, I believe homosexuality is a sin forbidden by God. In the scriptures we are told that God, himself, said to His people Israel, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination" (Leviticus 18:22). "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them" (Leviticus 20:13). In these passages homosexuality is condemned as a sexual perversion. It is considered a “Prime Sin.” As a Christian I cannot change how God views homosexuality and I cannot turn my back on it and say that, well, times have changed, and God must change, too. THAT is, in my opinion, blasphemy.
Now, before some of you point out the obvious, that this scripture is from the OLD Testament; I give you Saint Paul’s view of Homosexuality from the NEW Testament. (Paul is the Apostle credited with bringing the Christian faith to the Gentiles of the world.) Paul wrote a letter to the people of the Christian church in Corinth. In that letter Paul said the following: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10- nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” SOURCE: 1 Corinthians, Chapter 6.
It could not be any clearer. Homosexuality is condemned in the scriptures just as murder, adultery, premarital sex, kidnaping, lying, and idolatry are condemned.
For a bible-believing-southerner, those words are written in stone -- especially for those of us who share the same generation, a generation now approaching, or exceeding, our allotted three score and ten years of life.
Seems to me that Mr. Robertson is being persecuted for practicing his constitutional rights of free expression of religion -- and -- free speech. However, here in post-constitution America, it has become the norm to deny practitioners of the Christian faith the same rights guaranteed all Americans.
I was not surprised, in the least, at the suddenness and the ferocity of the attack upon Mr. Robertson. In fact, I was expecting it.
We Americans have allowed political correctness to infect our land to the point that we are awash in vileness.
In an article dated April 8th, 2011, ABC News reported: "An estimated 9 million Americans -- or nearly 4 percent of the total population -- say they identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, according to a new report released this week from the Williams Institute, a think-tank devoted to LGBT research at UCLA." SOURCE: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/williams-institute-report-reveals-million-gay-bisexual-transgender/story?id=13320565
Four percent of the US population. Only four percent -- and yet they wield so much power.
The "arbiter of all things" will eventually settle this matter as He always does. Judging from His earlier pronouncements about the issue, I have no doubt what His ruling will be.
As I consider my country today, I often think that the people of ancient Sodom and Gomorah would be embarrassed by the hedonist behavior of our nation.
And we wonder WHY our nation is in such terrible straits??
J. D. Longstreet
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