Don't Blame Him, He Is Just The Messenger.

I initially wasn’t going to chime in on Phil Robertson’s comments from GQ addressing the ideas of sin and homosexually. However, I was asked to write a piece by a couple of individuals and have decided to write something in concordance with those requests. First off let’s examine the “controversial” comments of Phil Robertson on the subject of sin: 

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…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.

He was paraphrasing 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, which in the New Revised Standard Version, states, “Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.” While he said other things contrasting the male and female reproductive anatomy, I am mainly concerned about the quote concerning 1 Corinthians. In 2010, Robertson similarly spoke about homosexuality paraphrasing Romans 1:26-31: 

Women with women, men with men, they committed indecent acts with one another, and they received in themselves the due penalty for their perversions. They’re full of murder, envy, strife, hatred. They are insolent, arrogant, God-haters. They are heartless, they are faithless, they are senseless, they are ruthless. They invent ways of doing evil.

As one can imagine, one of the stars of the second biggest cable show commenting on such a polarizing issue has drawn a lot of attention and criticism. Josh Barro of Business Insider says of Robertson’s remarks, “His views on gays are hateful, inasmuch as they are full of hate.”  Wilson Cruz of GLAAD called Roberton’s comments, “vile and extreme,” and Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post labeled the statements as “outrageous and uninformed.” What these and many other “uninformed” critics fail to realize is that the remarks do not come from Phil Robertson. No, those statements originated from a different source, the Word of God. 

What does the Word say about Its own origins?

Because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. -2 Peter 1:21

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. 

- 2 Timothy 3:16-17

We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers. -1 Thessalonians 2:13

So, according to these verses, the author of the Bible is none other than God Almighty which brings up a disturbing notion from those who are criticizing Robertson. The passages in Romans and 1 Corinthians which he alluded to are very clear on the harsh relationship between homosexuality and sin. Thus, by calling the Duck Dynasty patriarch hateful because of his remarks, these people are calling the Word hateful, God hateful, and Christian belief hateful. Are we to believe that because the Bible is not a fan of homosexuality that it is in essence hate speech? This is a very dangerous precedent to think that believing in the Word and the Will of God is an accessory to hate and bigotry. 

Robertson has found himself in a situation I have found myself in countless times when quoting the Word and its views on different issues. People become angry following my quotations to which I say, “Don’t blame me, I am just the messenger! God wrote it.” God wrote Romans 1:26-31 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and He is very clear about His condemnation of homosexuality; therefore, do not blame Phil Robertson for those quotes, he is just the messenger.