Revising a young adult fantasy novel does not lend itself well to the debate on current hot topics. Nevertheless. I’ve elected to throw my two cents into the whirlwind of opinions regarding the man who shocked America.
Who am I talking about?
Phil Robertson, of course.
In case you haven’t heard (but you probably have), click here . . . or here . . . or here.
Apparently, our unshockable American society is still capable of being stunned cold. Even in our MTV-riddled, Internet-browsing, all-tolerant 21st century. All it takes is a multimillionaire speaking his mind about a controversial subject. And not following the script.
I’ve read the article that got Robertson in trouble. (It’s rather long, but you can find it here.) For responses, I’ve seen furious rants, spirited applause, pleas for justice, and all sorts of trite phrases about love and hell.
I picture the Robertson clan and wonder if this jaunt into the frying pan will affect their Christmas.
And then I wonder what we’re all so shocked about.
Sure, the exact quote was somewhat . . . intense . . . but Robertson didn’t really say anything that earth-shattering. He just presented an opinion. Something we like to do on facebook millions of times a day. And when he quoted Scripture (he paraphrased 1 Corinthians 6:9,10) . . . he spoke the truth.
Has truth become so rare in America that it shocks us when we hear it? Is the GBLT crowd offended by Robertson because they’ve never heard a Christian without a picket sign say homosexuality is a sin? Is the media slack-jawed because so few of the people they interview will dare this topic head-on? . . . Are my homosexual friends appalled because I’ve never shared what I believe? Have we blended so well into our society of tolerance? Have we really grown so quiet?
In the end, the infallible truth of God’s Word - and do we believe that? - will still be two things. Infallible and true. Regardless of cultural pulls or popular opinions or even governing laws. But as Robertson has decisively proven, society grows more and more shocked at God's standards the more bashful Christ-followers become with truth.
