Phil Robertson speaks for first time after anti-gay remarks

Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson broke his silence after the controversial interview with GQ magazine and subsequent suspension from the A&E’s reality show.

Phil Robertson, 67, said during a Bible study group in West Monroe, Louisiana, on December 22: “I will not give or back off from my path.”

“We are a bunch of rednecks from Louisiana, but I am not uneducated. I have a degree from Louisiana Tech. But this week I have been called an ignoramus,” Phil Robertson shared with the group, as reported by The Daily Mail.

“This week I have been asked, <<Is this the first time you have brought up sin?>>” the Duck Commander recalled during the religious meeting.

“I said, <<Are you kidding? I have been traveling to and for spreading this message>>. Then he said, <<Well, do you invite yourself to go and get your Bible and tell people what you are now sharing with us?>> I said, <<No, they are inviting me>>.”

The Robertson family patriarch added: “I love all men and women. I am a lover of humanity, not a hater.”

He then led the group in prayer and shared: “I will not give or back off from my path because you conquered death, Father, so we are not worried about all the repercussions.”

Phil Robertson made no direct mention of A&E Networks, which placed him on hiatus from filming “indefinitely”.