Monthly Archives: February 2022

By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor | Tuesday, February 15, 2022Phil Robertson | HARPER COLLINS

Phil Robertson knows firsthand what it means to be a victim of cancel culture.

In 2013, the Duck Dynasty patriarch was suspended from the popular A&E show over his candid comments about homosexuality and religion in a GQ profile. He was swiftly condemned as a bigot by LGBT activist groups, including The Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD.

Five or six years ago, a guy came up and asked me, did I believe homosexual behavior was a sin, the 75-year-old duck hunter told The Christian Post. I quoted 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: Don't be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the thieves, the greedy drunks, they won't inherit the Kingdom of God,' Robertson said, citing [Paul's letter] to the church at Corinth. But you've been washed, you've been cleansed by the blood of Jesus, he added.

I just simply quoted him a verse, a Bible verse, where God stated what it is, he added. So it took him two weeks to figure out all I did was quote a Bible verse. He asked me a question and I just quoted [the Bible]. And when I quoted it, he took it and ran with it, because he thought I was just blowing smoke just off the top of my head.

Though backlash from the secular media was swift, the father, grandfather and great-grandfather pointed out that as a result of his boldness, a lot of good came forth.

We converted way more after that, he said. See what I'm saying? God works in mysterious ways.

Today, Robertson bears no ill will toward those who wanted to see him canceled: They rail against me in a lot of ways, but I forgive them, I love them all, he stressed. Yet, that incident sparked in him a fierce desire to push back against cancel culture, a phenomenon he believes is both antithetical to the Gospel and threatens to destroy free speech.

The two greatest commandments in the Bible, according to Jesus, was to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor, he contended. What's happened is the so-called cancel culture are digging up the past of individuals, finding out where they made a mistake, finding out where they sin, and they pile on, they try to get them fired, and they do get them fired. They attack people. The problem with that type of thinking is that all of us have made mistakes, and all of us have sinned.

Scripture is clear that those who pass judgment on others ultimately condemn themselves, Robertson said, adding: Sinners are attacking everyone else, not realizing that they're condemning themselves because they're sinners too.

Everyone out there should remember everyone who cancels others, here and now, they themselves will be canceled later, he continued. So we better learn how to love one another, love God. And we better learn how to forgive people that make mistakes around us, or we ourselves will be canceled.

The founder of the Duck Commander Company cited 1 John 3:1, which reads: See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.

Those are the uncanceled, he explained. He (God) took away the written code and replaced it. Just love God and love your neighbor; I've removed all your past sins, they're blotted out. I'm not counting any of your future sins against you if you just trust me.

Those who put their faith in Jesus are uncancelled by the blood of Jesus; He got us out from under the written code and put us under a system of grace, Robertson added. It can't be earned. It's not, maybe if I do this. Just Love God. Love your neighbor, for crying out loud. It's really simple when you get right down to it. So He provided that for us.

Driven by a desire to promote the countercultural, unifying message of Jesus, Robertson penned his latest book, Uncanceled: Finding Meaning and Peace in a Culture of Accusations, Shame, and Condemnation.

I would say right now, if you're not following Jesus, you should because the suicide rate is up, the murder rate is up, the death rate is up," Robertson told CP. "The cancellation crowd, thats all up. People who made mistakes 200 years ago, we drag it up, take their statue down and bad mouth them, and I'm like, Whatever happened to forgiveness and love? So if we don't love God and don't love our neighbor, we've got some pretty rough days ahead of us here. For me and my family, we trust the Lord. We're going with God.

In Uncanceled, Robertson examines the motivations behind why people have the inclination to cancel one another, both in the secular world and in the Church. He argues that in a culture so obsessed with political correctness, the importance of respectful dialogue has been all but forgotten.

In America, you won't even get but three strikes, and you're out. But Jesus said Forgive them 70 times seven. That way, you're not all torn up over people and what they say, who curses you [who says] evil things about you. It's just the way the world is. You just learned to live with it, point them to Christ, keep moving, don't hold it against them. Be quick to forgive.

Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. We expect it. We embrace it. But we don't hold it against them. We just pray for them, he said.

Christians must realize, Robertson emphasized, that the goal isnt to get the approval of man or to win a culture war its to worship the God of the Bible instead of the god of political correctness.

It's not rocket science, but it does require a change of heart, he said. I'm 75. I came to know Jesus when I was 28, because I was like a dog chasing his tail. I just wasn't getting anywhere fast. I came to Jesus, he said.

Think about this: Immortality is riding on how we live our lives on the Earth, he posited. Loving God and loving each other is worth it. Immortality is at stake. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code with its regulations. He took it away, thank God, nailing it to the cross. Having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. What a beautiful thing God has done for us. I'm just trying to get others to join us.

Resting in the understanding that Jesus already paid for our sins allows a person to treat others with grace and live a life of freedom, Robertson said and will hopefully help unite an increasingly divided society.

Im pretty fired up about this, he said.

We need to put in the practice and be very forgiving and longsuffering, not holding things in the past, Robertson added. Put into practice the attitude of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, how He operated. You read it, and you say, I need to do that. I need to be like that. So give people time. Hopefully, their hearts will change. And they'll reach out to their neighbors and put into practice the greatest commands in the Bible, according to Jesus: Love God, love your neighbor. It always comes back to that.

Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com

Go here to see the original:

'Duck Dynasty' patriarch Phil Robertson on why cancel culture is antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus - The Christian Post

Recently, many of my friends and acquaintances have expressed their worry about the future of our country and the world. They ask me if I agree.

My first reaction is to tell them Im off duty. As a journalist, Ive been immersed in these social issues all my life. Been there done that. Theres nothing new under the sun. All these issues have been debated for eons.

Whats new is the pace of technological development, which is faster now than ever. This creates both good and bad, but mainly good.

I was born an optimist. I truly think this is a genetic predisposition. So I cannot help myself. As such, I am biased. Thats why its important to have a variety of opinions from a variety of people. Everybody possesses their own intrinsic point of view.

Its fun writing your opinion. For decades I have had the pleasure of making a living doing this. Thanks to technology, today anyone can write their opinion and launch it into the world via social media and the world wide web. This is progress.

Social media and the internet have launched an explosion of opinion, commentary, opinions, rants and the like. People were starved for an outlet and when they finally got one, the world began brimming over with internet posts, blogs, comments. etc. These opinions were always there, they just didnt have the means to be expressed.

Over time, this creative explosion of free thought and opinion will calm down as we adjust to the new reality of immediate unlimited commentary and opinions. The human mind has amazing adaptive ability and we will take this in stride. It just takes time.

Sooner or later everyone will have heard every rant. Well all know both sides. It wont be new and exciting. And our culture will adapt and move on.

I am reminded of an elderly gentlemans group that meets for lunch once a week here in Jackson. Over the years they have told the same jokes so many times that they just refer to the joke as a number and everybody laughs.

Congress is debating getting the National Science Foundation to study and propose appropriate algorithms for social media. Facebooks algorithms are rooted in engagement and nothing engages like outrage, so Facebook is eager to stick outrageous content on your newsfeed. Its good for their advertising.

Instant communication, unlimited search and unlimited data over the internet allow news talk shows to instantly find the most outrageous news of the day. So if you watch these shows you will be bombarded with outrageous stuff non stop. Human nature is such that, when bombarded by outrageous content, people get outraged, angry, worried, anxious and fearful. Thats how the Jan. 6 Trump election riot happened.

So if you dont want to feel these emotions the solution is very simple. Dont watch talk news. I dont. And I rarely feel outrage and anger. Nor do I spend much time at all on social media, especially when its deliberately designed to manipulate me.

The biggest of the Big Tech is Apple. I find it amazing that hardly anybody I know connects Apple, and its graphic of the bite out of the Apple, with original sin. How can you miss it? Especially in the Bible belt.

Adam wanted to know what God knows. He wanted all the knowledge of the world. So he took a bite out of the apple, just as the Apple imagery projects. Its one reason I dont use an Apple phone.

That bite out of the apple didnt turn out too well for Adam, nor is it turning out too well for the human race. Be careful what you ask for.

Our search for knowledge and truth seems insatiable. The James Webb Space Telescope is an infrared observatory orbiting the Sun about 1 million miles from Earth to find the first galaxies that formed in the early universe and to see stars forming planetary systems. It cost ten billion dollars.

I hope to enjoy some cool photos, but I am under no illusion that it will significantly advance my understanding of the universe. No doubt we know more than we did 2,000 years ago. But our knowledge, as a percent of the whole, was infinitesimal then and its infinitesimal now.

The book of Deuteronomy says secret things belong to the Lord. Were never going to know them, no matter how big our telescope is.

Just go to You Tube and search for quantum eraser delayed choice experiment. God is only going to let us know what he wants us to know and it will never be complete.

What is truth?, Pilate asked Jesus, confused when Jesus told him that Everyone on the side of truth listens to me. Oh we so much want to know the truth, we creatures made in the image of God. We are giving dominion over the earth, above all its creatures, but we are most definitely not the creator, no matter how much we wish to be.

Look at wokism. This is just a weird hodgepodge of insights that more or less go back to loving your neighbor as yourself. But instead of attributing good aspects of political correctness to God, the new generation of unbelievers claim it as their own creation, as though anything inherently good can come from us.

Or take the critical race theory, an idea that human exploitation was a driving force in history. News flash! The total depravity of man was known long before this trendy buzz theory, and its certainly not limited to any one race.

Is the world going to hell in a handbasket? Could be if we turn our back on God. Hes done it before and he can do it again. Its his world, not ours. Our command to be good stewards of the world should never be confused with being its master or creator.

Global poverty has declined from 35 percent in 1990 to 12 percent today. That is astounding progress, never equaled before. The marvel of the Internet and high-speed wireless communication, search engines and data storage will make that progress look like nothing compared to the next 30 years.

God makes straight paths with crooked sticks. He will use these new human advances to advance his kingdom. The future will get better and better. There is only one thing that can screw it up: Us and our unbelief. Fortunately, we have a patient and merciful God.

Original post:

Opinion: Future looks bright if we keep the faith - Gwcommonwealth

When Neil Diamonds America cues up inside the Mobile Civic Center, and the Crewe of Columbus marches out Friday for their 100th anniversary tableau, Terry Ankerson will be dancing right along with them.

Its a fellowship the 75-year-old retired banker from Mobile has been involved with since 1974. His family has been linked to the mystic society since its inception in 1921. According to Ankerson, one of his great uncles is a charter member.

More Mobile Mardi Gras stories:

The century celebration is set for Friday, after having been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its theme is Constellations Navigating by the Stars, and the parade will feature 20 units 19 floats, and the queens carriage.

Ankerson will be riding on one of those decorative floats, for the 48th time, alongside a grandson.

In the Crewe, youll see three generations, said Ankerson. Grandaddies and sons. That has held us together for so many years. Its a wonderful tradition.

We miss her a lot

This years parade will be bittersweet for Ankerson as well, as its the first since his daughter, a former queen of the Crewe of Columbus, died from a bout with cancer in November 2020.

For Ankerson, the family ties with the Crewe run deep:

Leigh Ankerson Bailey, at age 42, died in November 2020, following a battle with internal melanoma.

Terry Ankerson, one of the longest active members of the Crewe of Columbus, pictured here looking at his late daughters dress that is on display at the Mobile Carnival Museum. Leigh Ankerson Bailey was 18 when she crowed queen of the Crewe of Columbus during their 75th anniversary in 1996. She died in November 2020 at age 42 following a bout with internal melanoma. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

Tough, tough times, said Ankerson, as he looked at his daughters mint-conditioned gown from the organizations 75th anniversary ball that is on display inside the Mobile Carnival Museum in downtown Mobile. The museums exhibit honoring the Crewe of Columbus 100th anniversary will remain on display through May.

Its like having four weddings, said Ankerson, who serves as a tour guide at the museum, and is the de facto historian for the Crewe of Columbus as he referred to his daughters weddings and their individual crowning at the past balls.

We are extremely proud of her, Ankerson said, while looking at Leighs dress and a decorative scepter shaped as a golf club that his daughter possessed during her royal reign in 1996. Leigh Ankerson was once a standout golfer.

We miss her a lot, he said.

Democratized Carnival

Featured behind his daughters dress inside the Carnival Museum is the 50th anniversary gown worn by the queen during the 1971 ball. Surrounding the resplendent attire are pictures, costumes, memorabilia, photographs, and trinkets commemorating the past 100 years of one of the largest mystic societies that parades Mobiles streets every Mardi Gras season.

Indeed, 600 members make up the Crewe of Columbus today, a remarkable increase from early days when historical accounts show that 92 members were part of the group when it was known as Krewe of Columbus.

We have quite a list of guys waiting to get in, said Ankerson. We have a proud tradition.

When first formed, the all-mens mystic society consisted of only members of the Knights of Columbus, the global Catholic fraternal organization.

The organization remained the Krewe of Columbus until 1937, when the K was dropped in favor of the C after a reorganization.

The Crewe democratized Carnival, said Cart Blackwell, curator of the Mobile Carnival Museum. Prior to the finding of the Crewe, it was a small cast of characters involved with the actual parades and balls. They spread it out. Its a big organization. Its that constant spreading out of Carnival that is very meaningful.

Blackwell said another notable aspect of the Crewe of Columbus is its link to the Roman Catholic Church. Though affiliation with the church is no longer a membership requirement, Blackwell said its foundation in the church is very special given the sacred roots of Carnival.

Ankerson said hes unsure what the Catholic and non-Catholic split is within todays group, though he believes there are more non-Catholics than there are Catholics.

Early memories

The groups earliest parades culminated in a ball that was held in the Battle House Hotel, according to a historical account released during the 50th anniversary celebration in 1971. Weather sometimes canceled or postponed the parades, though the balls would always take place.

Sometimes a stubborn mule would create a parade ruckus. That occurred in 1939, when a mule named Leonard sat down in the middle of the parade route. Tractors were brought in to pull the floats for the 1940 parade to avoid another Leonard rebellion, according the 50th anniversary account.

In 1946, the Crewe of Columbus celebrated its silvery anniversary with the first parade on the streets of Mobile since 1942. All parades were canceled during World War II, though organizations gathered for their annual balls.

Among the attendees during the 1946 Mardi Gras was Wayne Dean, a Mobile Mardi Gras historian who is well-known in the city for his portrayal of the beloved Carnival character Slacabamarinico.

The Crewe used to always start Mardi Gras, theyd be the first parade out the chute, said Dean. When it started back up after the war, my grandfather took me he held me in his arms and watched that parade roll. I wouldve been maybe 4 years old.

Dean, in an almost astonishing feat of counting each ball hes attended in his lifetime, tabbed the Crewes 2020 ball as his 1,000th.

It was my first parade Ive been to, after the War, and it was my personal 1,000th ball, Dean said.

Dean also was also in attendance at the Crewes 50th anniversary ball at the Mobile Civic Center (the Crewe moved its balls from Fort Whiting to the Civic Center in 1965).

Back then, they allowed fire inside the ballroom, and they had six-to-eight chandeliers hanging from the ceiling of the Civic Center auditorium, Dean recalled. I remember a man coming out on a tall ladder and lit those candles in the chandeliers before the ball. It was a beautiful scene. But then they discovered they used candles and they were dripping, and a lot of men were getting candle wax on their tails and the ladies on their dresses. It was an interesting night.

Dean added, But it was one of the most beautiful scenes at a ball that I can remember. It was real candles flickering over the dance floor.

Smoldering rubble

The Crewe, over the years, has had its challenges. Twice, within a period of about 10 years, the organizations float barn burned with memorabilia and floats destroyed.

The first fire occurred on December 30, 1968, when a warehouse the organization shared with the Maids of Mirth erupted in flames and left the venue a heap of smoldering rubble.

For the 1969 Carnival, the Maids of Mirth opted not to parade. But the Crewe with their perennial pluck, according to the 50th anniversary booklet, rebuilt its floats.

Mother Nature wasnt cooperative. The Feb. 14, 1969, parade was thwarted by torrential rains, canceling the parade. A group of maskers then loaded onto buses and were transported to Bel Air Mall where they parade on foot and snake-danced and even took part of a style show that was taking place at the mall that night, according to the 50th anniversary booklet.

Back at the ball, Martin Johnson welcomed the guests and read a proclamation from the Mobile Carnival Association that recognized the organizations indomitable will to rebuild its parade from the ground within six short weeks.

The Crewe paraded behind the Infant Mystics three nights later.

The second setback happened in 1979, when on Aug. 11, the organizations float barn erupted into flames. Those flames consumed three of the floats, and damaged six others approximately one month before one of the most devastating storms to ever hit Mobile arrived Hurricane Frederic.

Related content: Remember Freddie: How Mobiles 1980 Mardi Gras steered recovery through revelry

What is really weird is we had that fire in August and it pretty much destroyed everything, Ankerson said. Then the hurricane hit, and it didnt hurt us as much. Everything was gone anyway. But we rebuilt.

Miss USA and Jim Cantore

The organization continued to grow, but always maintained a rigid position that only masked members could ride in a Crewe of Columbus parade.

The closest that strict ruling came to being upended was when Courtney Gibb, who was Miss USA 1988, paraded on the Crewes emblem float inside the Mobile Civic Center as it was showcased during Miss USA pageant in 1989. The pageant, hosted by Dick Clark, was the only time a Miss USA pageant took place in Alabama.

Courtney Gibbs, Miss USA in 1988, is the only celebrity who has ever been allowed to ride on a Crewe of Columbus float. Ironically, that did not happen during the mystic societies Mardi Gras ball. It occurred on their emblem float during the filming of the 1989 Miss USA pageant at the Mobile Civic Center. It was the first, and only time that the Miss USA pageant occurred in Alabama. (file photo)

Miss USA got to ride on top of the world, Ankerson said.

As Ankerson recalls it, Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel fame expressed interest whether it was serious or not in riding along on the 2016 parade aboard a float that featured him straddling a palm tree.

Cantore, instead, interviewed one of the maskers during an episode of Americas Morning Headquarters on The Weather Channel. The float was part of that years theme, Apps.

We dont let anyone (but members) ride on a float with the Crewe of Columbus, said Ankerson. But we had that one exception and it was not during a parade.

A member of the Crewe of Columbus tosses a handful of beads to the crowds gathered along the streets of downtown Mobile, Ala. Friday Feb 12, 1999. (file photo)

Status doesnt matter

Ankerson estimates it taking eight years before someone moves off the groups waiting list to becoming an associate member and then to an active member who is allowed on a float.

Associate members, Ankerson said, still get to join in on the parading fun. They walk the streets holding a sign that promotes the float that is rolling behind them.

Some of those guys have more fun than the guys on the floats, Ankerson said, noting that its not uncommon for the masked marchers to find ladies standing on the side of the parade route, who might get a friendly hug.

Status within the group or as a member of a local company, Ankerson said, does not matter.

Whats really fun, though, is when you come to a meeting, we dont care if youre the president of the company or the clerk of the company, he said. When you walk through the doors, youre a member of the Crewe of Columbus. No politics and no commercialization. Im sure that is the way its done in a lot of organizations, but thats how we do it.

Crewe of Indigenous People?

The Crewe of Columbus celebrated its 93rd year as a parading organization with the theme Bucket List on Friday Feb. 28, 2014 in Mobile, Ala. (file photo)

In the age of political correctness, could the Crewe of Columbus be eying reforms?

Ankerson said he doesnt believe so, even if the story of Christopher Columbus is filled with controversy over the Italian explorers role in the theft of property and the deaths of indigenous people.

Protests have occurred over the years during Columbus Day parades, and there have been efforts to eliminate the federal holiday honoring the founder of the New World.

Alabama is also one of 10 states that celebrates a version of Indigenous Peoples Day during the Columbus Day holiday in early October. The state put its own spin on the holiday in 2000, when the Legislature created American Indian Heritage Day alongside Columbus Day. Also celebrated on that day is Fraternal Day, which was established in 1915.

The tradition weve held onto for years is about the milestone of (Columbus) being one of the first Europeans to step on this side of the world, Ankerson said. We dont want to be cruel to anyone else.

He added, Who knows? Someone might say we need to change the name to the Crewe of Indigenous People. I dont know. But weve stayed with our Mardi Gras traditions, and with the fun and merriment that we have. As far as were concerned, its for all Mobilians.

Dean said he isnt too concerned about the Crewes embrace of the Columbus voyage and its portrayal of Native Americans, which he described more as Mardi Gras mystical than a history lesson.

There may be some tweaking down the road, but thats up to them, said Dean. Columbus, he did exist. He did sail over the ocean. What he did when he got here mightve been bad in some cases, but I dont think it will change the Crewe of Columbus. I think they when they get to 200, they will be the Crewe of Columbus.

Great traditions

The Crewe of Columbus rolls through downtown Mobile, Ala., during Mardi Gras on Friday, March 1, 2019. (Mike Kittrell/AL.com)

Ankerson said hes just happy to see the parade and ball return this year.

The 100th anniversary celebration was supposed to happen last year, but its cancellation has stirred a new question: Is this the 101th anniversary soiree, or is that next year?

Such details will have to be worked out at a later time, Ankerson said. The Crew of Columbus is returning to its parade route and Ankerson given what his family has been through since last year and given Mobiles efforts to recover from the pandemic - much-needed merriment and fellowship is fast approaching.

If I step outside and asked 10 people, What does Mardi Gras mean to you here? Maybe it will be a former queen or someone with the Crewe of Columbus who tosses 500 MoonPies, said Ankerson. The next guy may say, I caught the MoonPies. The fact of the matter is every story will be a little different around Mardi Gras. That is one of the great traditions we have in Mobile and our organization, we understand that.

See the original post:

We have a proud tradition: After 100 years, Crewe of Columbus to celebrate its Mobile Mardi Gras roots - AL.com