Duck Dynasty to end

This comes via USA today:

The Video:

The Story:

Duck Dynasty is approaching its last (duck) call.

The Robertson family, the stars of the A&E docu-series, said the show will end in April during a short video announcement after Wednesday’s season premiere.

In a statement accompanying the video, the cable network said: “After five years, 130 episodes and one of the biggest hits in the history of cable, the Robertson family and A&E jointly decided that Duck Dynasty, the series, will come to an end after this season.”

The statement says Duck (Wednesday, 9 ET/PT) will end after the current season. New episodes will run through Jan. 18, resuming March 1 with seven more episodes, including the finale on April 12. Although that will be the end of the series, A&E says a series of holiday specials will follow.

After its premiere in 2012, Duck, which follows a Louisiana family that hit it big in the duck-call business, became a TV and cultural phenomenon. By 2013, episodes were drawing more than 10 million viewers. However, ratings for recent episodes are just a fraction of the earlier numbers, with original episodes from August averaging under 1.5 million viewers.

It’s a sad thing, one the programs on TV that actually promoted Christian values, is being taken off the air. It is just as well, they were on for 5 years and their luster had ran out. The first and second seasons were great. After that, they started getting silly and started repeating themselves a bit.

Still, it is a shame to see them go. Sad smile

Correcting Joseph Farah

First off, let me say that I do support the Roberson Family and I hope they really do find another network that is friendly to their Christian beliefs. However, once again, I feel the need to correct those who are telling mistruths about the First Amendment.

Joseph Farah at WorldNetDaily writes a fairly decent article about what happened with Phil Robertson. However, he kind of goes off a bit in the piece too:

This is a dangerous precedent. In fact, I’d say Old Phil would have a pretty legitimate shot at a First Amendment lawsuit because his own religious liberties have been violated by the actions of A&E. I mean, it’s not exactly possible the network didn’t know his beliefs until this week.

As I have written before, the only thing that the First Amendment is supposed to protect American citizens from is repression of freedom of speech from the United States Government; and that is it; not from private businesses such as A&E.

The idea that we can reinterpret the U.S. Constitution to suit our own personal agendas, is a progressive idea. Now, I am not calling Joseph Farah a progressive, far from it. I am just simply stating facts about the original intent of the Constitution. Now what Phil Roberson could do is sue A&E for breach of contract; but even then, he would have a tough time with it. Because unless A&E guaranteed the Robertsons in writing that they would be free to express their personal opinions without worry of censorship; Robertson would have a tough time getting any sort of judgement against A&E.

Again, as I wrote before; I am not on the side of those who want to squelch Christian’s the right to express their opinions; However, I do think that everyone that cries, “First Amendment!” ought to try actually reading the first amendment and see what it really says, before yowling on about it.

In case you have forgotten, this is what the first amendment says:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Notice it says, “Congress?” Congress is a part of the United States Government; A&E network is not. Let’s not confuse the two.

Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson suspended by A & E for telling the truth

As I am sure you must have heard. Phil Robertson from the hit TV show “Duck Dynasty” has been put in the penalty box for merely daring to speak the truth about homosexuality.

So, what did he say?

This right here:

“We’re Bible-thumpers who just happened to end up on television,” he tells me. “You put in your article that the Robertson family really believes strongly that if the human race loved each other and they loved God, we would just be better off. We ought to just be repentant, turn to God, and let’s get on with it, and everything will turn around.”

What does repentance entail? Well, in Robertson’s worldview, America was a country founded upon Christian values (Thou shalt not kill, etc.), and he believes that the gradual removal of Christian symbolism from public spaces has diluted those founding principles. (He and Si take turns going on about why the Ten Commandments ought to be displayed outside courthouses.) He sees the popularity of Duck Dynasty as a small corrective to all that we have lost.

“Everything is blurred on what’s right and what’s wrong,” he says. “Sin becomes fine.”

What, in your mind, is sinful?

“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.”

“It seems like, to me, a vagina – as a man – would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me.”

Of course the intolerant queers were having none of this:

 “Phil and his family claim to be Christian, but Phil’s lies about an entire community fly in the face of what true Christians believe. He clearly knows nothing about gay people or the majority of Louisianans — and Americans — who support legal recognition for loving and committed gay and lesbian couples. Phil’s decision to push vile and extreme stereotypes is a stain on A&E and his sponsors who now need to re-examine their ties to someone with such public disdain for LGBT people and families.”

Phil Robertson said of his suspension and about the backlash:

“I myself am a product of the 60s; I centered my life around sex, drugs and rock and roll until I hit rock bottom and accepted Jesus as my Savior. My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the bible teaches, and part of that teaching is that women and men are meant to be together.

“However, I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. We are all created by the Almighty and like Him, I love all of humanity. We would all be better off if we loved God and loved each other.”

Now, I had this to say about all of this on twitter:

https://twitter.com/Americanist313/status/413505055531094016

and….

https://twitter.com/Americanist313/status/413505644214235137

…and that is just what I would do too. If I were the Robinson family, I would kindly inform A & E that if Phil was no longer welcome on the show; neither was the rest of us and I would tell A & E to get their silly production equipment off of my property and proceed to get a contract with some other network; preferably one that was not so hostile to Christians!  If they tried to sue me; I would get a lawyer and fight them in court.

It is not like Phil Roberson cannot afford a lawyer! The man is a multi-millionaire.

Now do I really agree with what Phil Robertson said. Yes, I do . Totally. I would be nothing but a two-bit hypocrite if I didn’t! May the Lord Jesus Christ truly bless Phil Robertson and his family for daring to stand for the biblical truth about homosexuality.

Here’s what the word of God says:

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 KJV)

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.  (1 Corinthians 6:9-20 KJV)

Same group of verses in the Amplified Bible:

9 Do you not know that the unrighteous and the wrongdoers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived (misled): neither the impure and immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who participate in homosexuality,

10 Nor cheats (swindlers and thieves), nor greedy graspers, nor drunkards, nor foulmouthed revilersand slanderers, nor extortioners and robbers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God.

11 And such some of you were [once]. But you were washed clean (purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin), and you were consecrated (set apart, hallowed), and you were justified [pronounced righteous, by trusting] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God.

12 Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power.

13 Food [is intended] for the stomach and the stomach for food, but God will finally end [the functions of] both and bring them to nothing. The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but [is intended] for the Lord, and the Lord [is intended] for the body [[a]to save, sanctify, and raise it again].

14 And God both raised the Lord to life and will also raise us up by His power.

15 Do you not see and know that your bodies are members (bodily parts) of Christ (the Messiah)? Am I therefore to take the parts of Christ and make [them] parts of a prostitute? Never! Never!

16 Or do you not know and realize that when a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? The two, it is written, shall become one flesh.

17 But the person who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.

18 Shun immorality and all sexual looseness [flee from impurity in thought, word, or deed]. Any other sin which a man commits is one outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

19 Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own,

20 You were bought with a price [purchased with a [b]preciousness and paid for, [c]made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.

As to why Phil Robertson is being treated this way, Jesus said the following:

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.  – (John 15:18-19 KJV)

Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. – (1 Peter 2:7-8 KJV)

This is why the world hates people like Phil Robertson and like me; and like every other Christian, who actually believes the Word of God — because we are followers of Christ and of his Word. The Word of God is offensive to those who are not of the body of Christ.

Phil Robertson spoke the truth according to the Word of God. He also dared to speak his mind about the subject. For this, he was punished. We, as Christians, are not of this World. Phil Robertson just learned that the hard way.

Related:

Others: Hot Air, The PJ Tatler,The Gateway Pundit, Vox Popoli, The Gateway Pundit, The Jawa Report, Weasel Zippers, Business Insider and Mediaite, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit,