The Social Media universe has exploded with reaction to
comments made by Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson in a recent issue of GQ when
asked about his view of homosexuality.
The melee that has ensued over his thoughts and the decision of the
A&E Network to suspend him from the show, reflects a relatively new trend
in the public discourse of our society.
While many will identify the problem as ‘political correctness,’ I
believe that it goes much deeper than this.
For the last 40 years or so, our culture has been moving in a
direction that publicly welcomes and embraces ‘toleration’ of all views,
lifestyles, and choices. That is, all
views, lifestyles, and choices except one; a view that embraces self-evident
truths, a lifestyle that submits to and is guided by these lasting principles,
and choices that are governed, not by the wanton hungers of the moment, but by
a recognition of things that are eternal is not to be tolerated.
Our founding fathers included in the seminal documents of
our fledgling nation the concept that some ‘truths’ are fundamental to a free
and civilized society. However, in the
centuries since those documents were penned, we have gradually drifted from an
understanding of natural law and foundational truth, from a grasp of the
necessary interplay between rights and responsibilities, to a hedonistic belief
that all truth is relative and that it is cruelty, or worse yet, bigotry to
hold men to any standard of form or practice that might in some way inhibit
their basest desires.
Some would characterize this trend as an attack on
Christianity, and elevate Phil Robertson on the pedestal of martyrdom. I would suggest that you read the GQ article first. Yes, he quotes Scripture, but he also simply
states that he doesn’t understand why anyone would choose the homosexual
lifestyle, and is fairly graphic in his reasoning. The issue is not Christianity, or even
homosexuality, the issue is “Does a public figure have the right to express an
opinion that places the burden of truth upon other people?”
Obviously, to the Christian, this is a pivotal and
motivating factor in the practice of our faith.
We believe that there is a God and that He has revealed Himself through
His Word and that one day all mankind will stand before Him in judgment. The Bible makes it clear that all have sinned
and that every one of us has fallen short of His standard of
righteousness. All sinners will be
judged and I find it interesting that the Bible uses the same word to describe
gossip that it uses to describe sodomy, it is an” abomination to God.” The good news is that God has provided a way
that we can find forgiveness for our sins and be reconciled to Him through the
death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Logic tells us that once we have found this
path to forgiveness and deliverance from hell that it is cruel and unloving not
to share that message with everyone that we meet. This, however, has the strong potential to
offend those who do not wish to acknowledge any choice that they make as
sinful.
Furthermore, apart from Judeo-Christian principles of
morality, this tendency against any moral restraint is destructive to civilized
society. If toleration of any practice
is the goal, then what happens when the pedophile begins asserting his right to
pursue happiness and sexual fulfillment with your children? Our founding fathers understood that base
human desires have to be controlled in some way if there is going to be any
kind of social order. The liberty that
they sought was the ability to live freely within a framework of commonly
accepted social norms that govern the activities of men.
I spent several years coaching basketball and now I serve as
a basketball official. One fact that
governs the game at every level is that you can’t play the game without
rules. When the rules are disregarded
the game degenerates into chaos. Over
the past 50 years or so, our culture has systematically dismantled the rules of
conduct that were put in place so that all men could live in a free, peaceful,
and prosperous society.
I pray that our nation will find its way through this moral
morass to a renewed vision of freedom that doesn’t denigrate mankind as
subservient to his basest desires.
Maybe it will take a few more Christians taking a stand for
the truth of Scripture in the public arena.
Or better yet, a lot more Christians living out the eternal principles
of their faith in a loving, caring, passionate way.
