"Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson gave a rousing speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday, in which he encouraged listeners to stand on the Bible, remain faithful to their spouse, and avoid sexually transmitted illnesses.
Wearing a dark shirt, camouflage pants and bandanna, Robertson, who was honored with the "Andrew Breitbart Defender of the First Amendment Award," strode onto the stage holding the hand of his wife of 52 years, "Miss Kay" Robertson.
"You potential candidates, I love, you," he told the crowd of religious leaders, lawmakers, and future G.O.P. presidential candidates. "Stay out of trouble, keep the scandals down, and let me give you a word of advice," he said, pulling out a well-worn Bible. "You carry two things with you wherever you go: your Bible and your woman."
The 68 year old "Duck Commander" went on to explain that he built his multi-million dollar duck-call company through hard work and dedication to the Bible. "People ask me, 'Who are you with?' Well, I'm with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...I am a God-loving, Bible-believing, gun-toting, Capitalist," he explained.
Citing CDC statistics, which allegedly claims there are 110 million people in the world affected by a sexually transmitted disease, Robertson expressed the importance of staying faithful to one's spouse, encouraging listeners to marry one man or woman, and to stay committed to that marriage.
"You say, 'What do you call the 110 million people who have sexually transmitted illnesses?' It's the revenge of the hippies!" Robertson declared. "Sex, drugs, and rock and roll have come back to haunt us in a bad way. I report you decide."
"You want a Godly, Biblical, medically safe option? One man, one woman - married for life," he said, drawing cheers and applause. "If you hate me for telling you that, I'm telling you, my love for you is not contingent on how you feel about me. I'm trying to help you for crying out loud, America! If I didn't care about you, why would I bring this up? I wouldn't care!"
In 2013, Robertson received severe backlash for denouncing homosexuality as an "abomination" and a "sin" in an interview with GQ Magazine.
At the time, A&E briefly suspended Robertson from the show, but quickly reversed its decision after the rest of the "Duck" stated that they, too, would leave the series if Phil was permanently let go.
Since then, Robertson has continued to speak his mind on controversial issues regardless of criticism. A former pastor, he has stated that he's led by God and is called to speak truth to people.
In continuing his speech on Friday, Robertson quoted America's forefathers, including James Madison, John Adams and George Washington in reminding attendees that they are accountable "only to God" for their personal and political decisions.
"There is no room to attack [freedom of religion] for any reason," he said. "Some people studied the Constitution to uphold it. But there are some who study it so that they can circumvent it, right? Stand on the Bible. Stand on the Constitution. Don't budge. Hold onto your weapons," he said. "We had to have all three to run the Brits back to where they came from. We had to have all three when the Nazis reared their head. You say the Nazis? World domination was what Hitler had on his mind. Territorial conquest. There was no Jesus, none!"
In typical "Duck Commander" fashion, Robertson ended his speech with a call to action and repentance.
"I believe Jesus came down from heaven, I believe He paid for my rotten sins, which I have a lot of," he said. "But I'm not the only one. Ever one of you seated in this audience has sinned-a lot. So, you have a sin problem. You sin, you died spiritually. You are a walking dead person."
He added, "Jesus, the one who created the Cosmos, died on the cross for your sins. And three days later, raised from the dead. That solves your grave problem. The blood takes away your sin, and the Resurrection takes away your fear of dying. All of these "eisms"-Atheism, agnosticism, humanism, idealism, naturalism-what is all that about? Trying to get around what I just told you," he said.
"Stand on the Word of God," he concluded. "Use the Bible. Hold on with both hands to the Constitution of the United States. Hold on to your weapons. That's what brought us here, that's what will keep us here. If you mess with that, G.O.P., if you don't have spiritual men making political decisions-you're going to lose this country. We are sliding on a scale like I have never seen in my lifetime. Until and unless we get spiritual men in the White House, we're going to lose it. God help us!"
CPAC takes place through Feb. 28 and has seen GOP leaders looking to cement their relationships and support for funds in advance of a run for the White House in 2016.
Other featured speakers include House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Sen/ Marco Rubio (R, Fla.), Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and Sen. Rand Paul.
