'I quoted the Bible': Phil Robertson of ‘Duck Dynasty’ has no regrets for making anti-gay remarks
Phil Robertson of 'Duck Dynasty' fame opened up on how the star was 'canceled' before the term went mainstream in an interview. The 'Duck Commander' founder addressed the backlash he received for his infamous 2013 interview with GQ, because of which he was canceled from 'Duck Dynasty' before he was reinstated. The reality star claimed he doesn't regret the remarks he made against homosexuals in the past and added that his latest book argues how Christianity is the perfect antidote to cancel culture.
Speaking about the backlash Robertson received in 2013, the 75-year-old says he has “no regrets at all” for what he said. "I quoted a Bible verse that dealt with homosexual behavior," he insisted. "I didn’t dream it off the top of my head. It didn’t go any further than that." Robertson also said that he’s turning the other cheek to his cancellation critics because the "Bible teaches us to love thy neighbor even with their mistakes."
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In his infamous 2013 interview, speaking on what he deemed sinful, Robertson said, "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." The star went on to paraphrase 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."
The remarks of the star sparked an outcry from GLAAD and other LGBTQ organizations and resulted in Robertson getting indefinitely suspended from his show 'Duck Dynasty'. However, he was subsequently reinstated following an uproar from his defenders, who accused A&E of censorship. Robertson recalling the incident told Fox News, "After nine days they reinstated me, but we had all kinds of sponsors that just took off. They had made a mockery of what I said. All I did was quote a Bible verse, he proclaimed. And as a result, they tried to cancel me. But it didn’t cancel me at all."
Robertson further speaking about his reality TV crucifixion said, "The Apostle Paul told Timothy that whoever lives a godly life in Christ will be persecuted." "We take persecution as a badge of honor. It doesn’t bother us at all. Instead, we focus on telling others about Jesus and keep moving," he said in an interview with Fox News.
The father of five said that he ultimately thinks that cancel culture has gone too far. He argued, "The people that fuel cancel culture just want to find your mistakes and elevate them. That’s what people do. They find a mistake you made when you were 18 years old or something you said on the internet long ago." He continued, "You have no excuse to pass judgment on someone else. You’re condemning yourself by passing judgment on others. Do you think you’ll escape God’s judgment? In a culture of accusations, shame and condemnation, I’m just trying to speak out about the word of God … Just forgive each other and move on for crying out loud."
The 'Duck Dynasty' series ended in 2017 after 11 seasons. Currently, Robertson is most famous for founding Duck Commander, his family's multimillion-dollar duck hunting accessory enterprise that inspired 'Duck Dynasty'.