Phil, Get Your Ducks In A Row

 

Phil was asked, “What, in your mind, is sinful?” 

 

He responded:

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,” he says. Then he paraphrases Corinthians: “Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.

Now I agree with Phil’s views to a great degree. I applaud his adherence to Biblical principles. However, I really wish he would attended Base Camp. Why? Because with a little apologetics training, he would learn how to communicate the truth about Christian sexual ethics intelligently and lovingly. He could sit under experts like Matthew Lee Anderson, Lilian Werner, and Sean Maney and learn how to share the truth with gentleness and respect. While I appreciate Phil’s boldness I don’t think he articulated his Christian views very well at all. I can’t help but wonder if this situation could have turned out differently if he was more thoughtful with his response to that loaded question.

That being said, I think it’s important to point out that our LGBT brothers and sisters (and apparently A&E) have some logs to take out of their own eyes. The name calling and character assassination of Phil Robertson is getting out of hand. Phil has differing views but hat does not necessarily make him an intolerant bigot. It’s important to define a few terms.

1. BIGOT: A person who strongly and unfairly dislikes other people, ideas, etc.
2. BIGOTRY: Bigoted attitudes; intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself.
3. TOLERANCE: The ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.

Bigotry is a double edged sword and tolerance is a two way street.