Most Christians prefer to be for something rather than against something, says former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and that's why they have shown support for "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson and Chik-fil-A President Dan Cathy.
Robertson came under fire from gay-rights group GLAAD last week after saying
in GQ magazine that homosexuality is a sin.
Cathy faced criticism in 2012 for saying he believes in "traditional marriage" in an interview with a religious publication.
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Christians, Huckabee told Fox News Channel's
"Your World with Neil Cavuto" on Monday, don't consider themselves to be boycotting anyone when they say they won't watch A&E for suspending Robertson. Instead, they see themselves as standing by someone who reflects their own views.
"We're willing to say live and let live until someone says, 'but we want all of you who hold these views to just shut up and go away,'" said Huckabee, who is also a Baptist minister. "And I think a lot of people said, 'no, we're not going away, and we're not going to shut up. We're going to stand with Phil.'"
"Duck Dynasty" fans, along with people who have never watched the show, joined forces in a show of support after A&E announced Robertson would be suspended indefinitely. The program draws 19 million viewers, the most in cable television.
Family members who appear on the show with Robertson announced they would not appear without their patriarch, and fans threatened to stop eating at Cracker Barrel restaurants after the chain said it removed some "Duck Dynasty" merchandise from its gift shops. Cracker Barrel
reversed its decision after the outcry.
In Chik-fil-A's case, gay groups staged same-sex kiss-ins inside the restaurants, but they were sparsely attended and the controversy died.
Not all the criticism of the reaction against Robertson came from the right. Lesbian feminist writer Camille Paglia called the outrage against Robertson "Stalinist."
"In a democratic country, people have the right to be homophobic as well as they have the right to support homosexuality – as I one hundred percent do,"
Paglia said on Laura Ingraham's radio show. "If people are basing their views against gays on the Bible, again, they have a right of religious freedom there.”
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