Duck Dynasty and the Church of Christ

Much of America has become enthralled with the TV series Duck Dynasty.  I haven't seen an episode yet, but I do go to Wal-Mart from time to time, and it's impossible to be there without seeing one of the cast on a T-shirt, poster or advertisement, spouting off some sort of home-spun countryfied witticism.  Many of my Facebook friends appear to greatly enjoy the show.

But like I said, I've never seen it, so I don't intend to criticize or judge the show or its cast in any way.  I'm sure the show is fine entertainment and the cast are good people.  I've hobnobbed with reality TV folk before, and most of them are decent people, if not just a little narcissistic and perhaps insane.  (I'm looking at you, Johnny Fairplay.)  So I give the Duck Dynasty folks every benefit of a doubt.

I'm also constantly reminded of the show because it keeps showing up in Church of Christ-related literature.  The Christian Chronicle almost never releases an issue without featuring one of the Robertsons in an article.  Just recently, I was given an issue of Freed-Hardeman University's Seasons magazine featuring this guy:

His beard just killed three ducks all by itself.

Apparently he was a guest speaker at dear ol' FHU, despite the fact that the university's student handbook says this:

• Men’s hair should not extend past the bottom of the collar on the back of a standard dress shirt.

There are fines and punishments for students who violate these dress codes and cause themselves to look like the people that Freed-Hardeman invites to speak.  I'll leave you to ponder that double standard for just a moment.

Thought about it just a little too long...

Ever since Duck Dynasty became popular, the cast have been making regular appearances at Church of Christ events.  They've been invited to speak in chapel at Harding University. They've been invited to Churches of Christ everywhere.

And it makes no sense, because any other time some man came in looking like that, Church of Christ members would never stand for it.

Trust me.  I know what I'm talking about here.

All other things being equal, most Churches of Christ would never think about inviting anyone that looks like Phil Robertson to stand in their pulpits and preach.  Certainly, none of their esteemed universities would ever let someone so unkempt give a keynote address on campus.  If he showed up at their church meetings and decided, for whatever reason, to keep coming, the members would have the elders take him aside, discuss 1 Corinthians 11, and tell him he better go get his hair cut or he would not so much as be allowed to count the offering, much less lead a prayer.  (They wouldn't, however, instruct those elders' wives to take off their jewelry or unbraid their hair--or heaven knows, to stop cutting their hair short!)  If he ever asked to preach, they wouldn't even think of it.  You'd more likely see a goat riding a unicycle up to the pulpit than see some not-famous, long-haired, bearded, bandanna-adorned, flannel-clad hillbilly like this being invited to hold a gospel meeting.

But put some fame on a person, and people can't wait to bring him down front and lap up every word he says from the podium.

And that's the thing.  Churches of Christ are just so anxious to follow fame that they throw all their own rules aside and try to show these famous TV stars the front seat.  

WE LOVE YOUR TV SHOW!  WILL YOU COME VALIDATE OUR RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT?

Like I said, I have nothing against the Robertson family.  I know nothing about them.  And to be fair, some Churches of Christ don't discriminate against us long-haired men.  My dad's congregation doesn't, and apparently neither does the one where the Robertsons attend.  It's just the inconsistency across the spectrum of the Church of Christ as a whole that is maddening.

And now, hilariously enough, there's starting to be a backlash against Duck Dynasty within the Church of Christ.

The following comes from Cindy Colley's blog.  If you aren't familiar with her work and writings, then consider yourself blessed. 

The show doesn’t reflect so honorably on the church. While I am thankful that I did not hear expletives, I did hear the word “crap” almost immediately when I began to watch. Then it wasn’t long before I heard “dang” and a southern drawn out version of golly and “Let’s get the heck outta here.”  Perhaps I’m too sensitive. Perhaps I am a prude. But I still hope that my  children and grandchildren find crude words as well as euphemisms like those to be distasteful and unbecoming (Col. 4:6). Second, I watched a clip of Phil Robertson preaching in which he clearly stated “I don’t care if you have a glass of wine or a beer. The Lord don’t either.”  I believe him to be mistaken about that. I believe God’s people in our society have no business drinking recreationally, at all.  I’m worried, though, that when we make a hero of this man, as we have done in many of our Christian schools and other venues, we endorse this message that drinking is okay. Then there’s episode of Duck Dynasty in which the Robertson family decided to branch into the winery business. They drank wine in that episode and they hosted a wine-tasting event. This is disheartening to me; not because I think those who watch such a scenario are necessarily sinning in watching, but because I hear Christians all around me celebrating the fact that this family is such a great example of faith in Hollywood. I just do not think such an episode represents our faith so pristinely. In fact, if my family were so publicly involved in the filming of an attempt at owning and running a winery, I believe my elders would come talk to us about the reproach we had brought on  the body. I’m glad that they would. (I believe the episode about the homecoming dance is a similarly poor representation of Christianity, as well. This episode contains a number of examples of immodest dress and includes a father apologizing to his daughter for his opposition to the immodesty.) Perhaps the most disturbing thing I have seen about the influence of the Dynasty had to do with the venue at which I saw Phil Robertson preaching. It was a “Bible Church” in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. It was in the year 2010. I was glad that he got the chance to tell the people there what to do to be saved. It made me happy that he got the chance to say those things in that venue. I believe we should always say the truth about salvation wherever we are given the chance; perhaps especially in a church like this one which was obviously not a faithful body of believers in any sense of the word.  But, after Mr. Robertson finished speaking, people with spiritual needs were invited to come and talk with the “pastor” there or with some of the leaders of that church about the Lord and about salvation. The “pastor” even promised that he would buy lunch for anyone who wanted to talk about the Lord. Phil Robertson stated his message and then put those who heard it in the hands of unsaved people to finish their teaching and encourage them to be part of a church that is failing to practice New Testament Christianity. This is the part of my morning that troubles me most. The New Testament is just so replete with warnings about false teachers.

Well, isn't that special?

Oh, no!  They drink an occasionally glass of wine?  (Psalm 104:15, Matthew 11:19, Genesis 27:28, Luke 7:4, Matthew 9:17, etc.)  String them up.

They say "heck, golly and darn"??  (Never mind that Cindy repeated the words in her blog.)  Well, shucks!  Oops.

You mean Phil went to one of them there evil denominations and didn't use his invitation to browbeat them and slam his Bible up and down on their heads?  Disfellowship this man, right now!  How dare he be kind to them and treat them as fellow believers who have honestly searched the word!

And Cindy's acolytes were very quick to pat her on the back and tell her what a good soldier for Christ she is:

We just turn the TV OFF.  Don't have to watch it. We watch sermons online with video or just audio in an evening.

I agree with Cindy Colley. I could not say it better. I have only seen the program two or three times. It is degrading to the Lord church. Try watching GBN! (Gospel Broadcasting Network, a Church of Christ run TV network)

Sigh.

Well, at least it's good to see the Pharisees are still alive and well, I guess...

You know what?  I think I may now actually be motivated to watch an episode...