'Duck Dynasty' anti-gay fallout sparks debate on religion, tolerance

The suspension of TV personality Phil Robertson of A&E's hit reality show "Duck Dynasty" for making anti-gay comments has sparked a politically charged debate about religion and tolerance while casting doubt on the series' future.

Robertson, the patriarch of the backwater Louisiana clan on the reality show about hunting, fishing and domestic squabbles, was put on indefinite "hiatus" by the cable network A&E for his remarks to GQ magazine characterizing homosexuality as sinful behavior. "Start with homosexual behavior and just morph from there," Robertson said when asked what is sinful. "Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men." A&E, a joint venture of privately held Hearst and Walt Disney, said it was disappointed after reading Robertson's remarks, which it added were his personal views and did not reflect those of the network. "The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely," it said.