Silent Night, Phil Robertson, Cracker Barrel, and Times Square

As we celebrate the 1^st Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and anxiously await His 2^nd Coming it should come as no surprise that He is under attack. The students at the Ralph J. Osgood Intermediate School in Kings Park, Long Island, New York last week were giving their holiday concert. The choir director had the students sing “Silent Night” but with a few changes. Gone were the words “Holy infant”, “Round yon virgin”, and “Christ the Savior” and in their place were simply repeated the words “sleep in heavenly peace”. It should be no surprise that the world finds offensive any reference to Christ. In a world as dark as which ours has become we need not be surprised when anything that would bring light in the midst of the darkness is removed as men love the darkness more than they do the light. 

Phil Robertson, patriarch to the “Duck Dynasty” Roberston family was yanked from the show this week by A&E after he was interviewed in GQ magazine and was asked about what he deemed to be sinful. He listed things such as homosexuality which have caused him to be blasted publicly by many news network commentators and Hollywood actors. In fact Cracker Barrel has selectively pulled some of their duck dynasty items, presumably the ones baring Phil Robertson’s likeness. So let me understand this, it’s perfectly fine to have tv programs such as The Kardashians, Jersey Shore, 16 and Pregnant, Teen mom, Toddlers and tiaras, shows with no moral compass and seemingly no purpose, but then we have a show about family that loves one another, loves their God, their guns, and others, a show about doing the right thing and standing for what you believe in and we need to pull it or at the least suspend the patriarch of the family featured for answering a question in a country that is rooted in the principle of “free speech”? Could it be the speech is only free as long as doesn’t offend anyone with the exclusion of course of Christians? The silencing of Phil Robertson by A&E goes beyond his somewhat coarse and ill-advised remarks over the anatomy, and sex in a secular magazine, even though his remarks were true to the Bible. If this were the issue, then why isn't Miley Cyrus, Alec Baldwin, Lady Gaga, Madonna, women on ‘The View’, and every other secular humanist and equally offensive words addressed accordingly? Mr. Robertson is not perfect. This is not the issue. The issue is whether or not it is right to have a moral view on sex outside of conjugal marriage, which in this interview Phil’s answer was reflective of 1 Corinthians 6. There are many scriptures through the Word that address this sin and many other hedonistic sins of man. Through them all, Christ calls for repentance. Any biblical worldview is not tolerated in a culture that is screaming tolerance. Today we are seeing that a born again Christian is losing their right of freedom of speech. This event is just another proof of the Truth of God's Word. .... “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," (2 Timothy 3:12 ESV)

At the same time is this in New York Times Square the American Atheist Association has put up billboards with pictures of Santa and Jesus. Under Santa’s profile it says "keep the merry" and under Jesus’ it says "dump the myth." While I find the billboards repugnant and could not disagree any more with them, I understand that is their right, guaranteed by our constitution, as we are supposedly given the right of “free speech”. I fear that the culture we live in will continue to give free speech to all but those who hold a Christian worldview.