Herein lies the irony. In the name of not “singling out” homosexual conduct we are, in fact, singling out homosexual conduct. If it is the only sin we treat with these special kid gloves, then we are guilty of treating this sin differently than the others. We are minimizing it in a way we do not minimize any other sin. It seems to me a simple fact that we do not treat any other sin according to this contextualization “rule.” Nobody demands it, and it doesn’t really occur to us.

It seems the recent firestorm surrounding Phil Robertson’s suspension from the showDuck Dynasty  has subsided. A&E has reinstated him with no further repercussions. Make no mistake, that was a purely financial decision. It was very clear to me on Day One that A&E needs the Robertsons far more than the Robertsons need A&E, and I was certain the final resolution would reflect that fact. So it has.

I’ve been mulling over one phenomenon I couldn’t help but notice throughout the controversy, something that has been slightly bothering me. A great many evangelical Christians responded (even in the pieces I happened to really like) this way: “I don’t really have a problem with what Phil Robertson said  (though it was uncouth), but I have problems with what he didn’t say.”

Now, usually it is a very small matter when somebody criticizes silences, what so-and-so didn’t say. But there was a uniform pattern to this criticism this time around, a widespread agreement over the particular “thing” Phil should have said but didn’t. In short, the “thing” Phil Robertson should have said is we are all sinners and that homosexual behavior is but one sin among many.

Regarding its truth, I have no doubts. Regarding its wisdom in many contexts, I have no doubts. Regarding its value as either a rule or a cogent criticism, I have many doubts.

Let me use an illustrative analogy to explain what I mean.

Imagine the New York Times in 2008 had approached Pastor Tim Keller to ask what he thought of the arrest of Bernie Madoff for the incredible Ponzi scheme he used to defraud billions of dollars from investors.  Keller responds with something like, “Economic fraud is a terrible sin, and Bernie Madoff should repent and turn to Jesus for forgiveness.”

I cannot imagine a single Christian pastor, teacher, evangelist, apologist, journalist, writer, social critic or observer criticizing that quote with the following: “While I agree with Pastor Keller, he really should have emphasized that economic fraud is just one sin among many and we are all sinners.”

Can you?

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