A&EThose who aren't outraged by Phil Robertson's recent anti-gay remarks, are outraged at those who are outraged. Make sense?
To put it simply, supporters of the Duck Dynasty patriarch have put together a petition urging A&E to lift Robertson's suspension from the hit reality show. Oh, and they want the network to say sorry, too.
The petition, drafted by National Organization for Marriage president Brian Brown, begins by addressing the reader (aka "marriage supporter") that, "The gay lobby bullies are at it again. This time they've attacked one of the most popular Christians in America—Phil Robertson, patriarch of Duck Dynasty's Robertson family."
Brown continues, "They are calling him 'vile' and say he is pushing 'extreme stereotypes' and 'lies.' The grossly misnamed Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and their Hollywood ally GLAAD have demanded that Phil be punished and, incredibly, Wednesday night A&E succumbed to the gay bullies and suspended Phil Robertson!"
After sharing Robertson's comments in GQ that sparked the controversy, Brown wrote, "Well guess what—homosexuality IS a sin in the bible, and virtually every other sacred text out there. Engaging in homosexual sex IS considered by God to be sinful according to the teachings of most religions. And sin is NOT logical. Sin is deceitful, harmful and degrading to the human soul.
"What Phil Robertson has done is express the traditional Christian view of homosexuality—decry the sin but love the sinner. It's what every major Christian leader including Jesus Christ himself has taught us.
"But Christianity, and every other major religion, be damned in the eyes of the HRC, GLAAD and their allies. They will brook no objection, tolerate no dissent and accept no disagreement when it comes to their orthodoxy. In their twisted worldview, anyone who dares to speak the truth about homosexuality must be punished and effectively banished from civil society. They are brutal bullies, plain and simple."
But to set the record straight, the NOM president added, "None of us hate homosexuals. We have gays and lesbians as members of our own families and communities, and we love them as God has told us we should love all people. We're all created in the image and likeness of God. But loving our brothers and sisters does not mean we must love sinful behavior.
"It's truly outrageous and shocking that the A&E Networks succumbed to this bullying, and legitimized it, by suspending Phil Robertson from his own show. This simply cannot be allowed to stand. It's imperative that we push back—strongly and immediately—with a show of support for Phil Robertson."
Meanwhile, the Parents Television Council shared on their website, "No matter your feeling on Mr. Robertson's comments and A&E subsequent decision to suspend him, there is no doubt that millions of fans of the show are upset with A&E's decision in this case.
"Now imagine if those consumers had the ability to make a free market-based economic decision to no longer subscribe to A&E today. In a free market, consumers can 'vote with their wallets' rather than have to resort to postings on social media to make their feelings known. Conversely, in a free market, those who agree with A&E's decision could actively seek out more of their programming and pay for it."
The Robertson family patriarch has been suspended from their hit reality show in light of anti-gay remarks he made in an interview with GQ, released yesterday, in which he grouped homosexuality in with bestiality as deviant behavior.
"We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson's comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series Duck Dynasty," A&E parent A+E Networks said in a statement obtained by E! News.
"His personal views in no way reflect those of A+E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely."