Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson Blames a 'Lack of Jesus' for Rise of Radical Islamic Terrorism

By Shawn Schuster
Phil Robertson
Phil Robertson blames a lack of Jesus for the rise of radical Islam. Photo: A&E

Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson discussed the "walling off of Jesus" in a recent interview with conservative talk show host Sean Hannity. The 68-year-old patriarch of the Robertson clan said that a lack of Jesus is to blame for the rise of radical terrorism in the world.

"America is now experiencing 'No Jesus.' That's why when you have 'No Jesus,' your morality disappears, and the third thing to go is your freedom," Robertson said during the interview on the Hannity program. "We've already lost Jesus as a nation, Sean, we've lost him. We've walled him off - we've walled him out of our schools, we've walled him out of our government, we just walled him off. Well, once you wall God off, and he's not there [...] something has to fill the void."

Robertson is certainly no stranger to standing up for what he feels is morally right and invoking the name of Jesus when describing the problems with modern society. In a December 2013 interview with GQ, Robertson famously described what he saw as sinful in the world today. "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."

A&E, the network that shows Duck Dynasty, initially suspended Roberton from the show for those comments, but an enormous backlash from fans prompted the network to reverse the decision.

During the Hannity interview, Robertson was asked his opinion on why society, including the American president, is so scared to admit that radical Islam is to blame for the recent rise in terrorism. "Well, I think maybe it's because we're lacking a little historical context here," Robertson commented. 

"Look, let's cut to the chase here," he continued. "The five ideologies of the twentieth century -- two of them are still vibrant. The one we're currently facing: the Islamists, the terrorists, and this political correctism -- Atheism, basically."

Robertson went on to explain historical examples of groups that use murder in an attempt to dominate the world and how they all lacked Jesus, including radical Islam, which he calls an "ideology under the guise of a religion."

"We're having trouble labeling who we're fighting over there because there's no moral compass," he continues. "The ones of us who are left, all I can say is love God and love your neighbor. Islam will say submit to Muhammad or we will kill you. That's the difference in the two right there."

As for addressing his previous controversial comments on homosexuality, Robertson compares that to Islam as well. "I label it for what it is: sin. When someone asks me, whether it be drunkenness or drug abuse or immorality of all kinds, I just say, 'Well, it's sin according to the Bible here.' However, you can repent of that and you can be saved and all your sins will be wiped away, and then all you've got to do is love God and love your neighbor."

When Hannity joked with Robertson about how he may be cut out to be a pastor, Phil responded, "Well, I may be a little ragged for TV evangelism." 

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