'Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson on ISIS Beheading: He'd Rather Point Them to Jesus, but Is Prepared for War

Sep 03, 2014 02:18 PM EDT

Phil Robertson on ISIS

After the second beheading of an American journalist by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), "Duck Dynasty" patriarch Phil Robertson was invited by Fox News to share how he feels the United States should deal with the terrorist group. "My opinion, we're going to have to deal with this group way more harshly than we have up to this point ... I'd much rather have a Bible study with all of them and show them the error of their ways and point them to Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfecter of having your sins removed and being raised from the dead - I would rather preach the Gospel of Jesus to them. However, if it's a gun fight and a gun fight alone - if that's what they're looking for - me personally, I am prepared for either one," says Robertson.

ISIS released a new video beheading American journalist Steven Sotloff just two weeks after beheading James Foley. In the wake of such sadness and disbelief at the evil behind such an act, Fox News host Sean Hannity asked Phil Robertson to explain how there could be such evil in the world.

"Worldwide, planet-wide, Biblically speaking, [there are] two groups of people: the children of God and the whole [rest of the] world is under the control of the evil one," Robertson says citing 1 John 5:19. "The evil one works in those who are disobedient ... they are prisoners of sin," the "Duck Dynasty" patriarch explained. "The Bible says that they've been taken captive by Satan to do his will," he says, paraphrasing parts of Ephesians 2, Galatians 3, and 2 Timothy 2.

Phil Robertson on ISIS

In response to why jihadists would slaughter Jews, Christians, and people who are not even provoking them, Robertson quoted from Proverbs 8:35. "Whoever finds me finds life, and receives favor from the Lord. But whoever fails to find Me harms himself. All who hate Me love death," he says.

"With this [jihadist] ideology that we're faced with, this is like ... street thugs on steroids ... not like a country with a standing army that we line up and do battle with [and adhere to] a certain amount of rules ... this is more like a worldwide gang warfare. But this gang is well-armed and well-organized," Robertson explains.

"In this case, you either have to convert them - which I think would be next to impossible ... I'm not giving up on them, but I'm just saying - either convert them or kill them, one or the other" Robertson says.

The patriarch released his new book, "unPHILtered: The Way I See It," yesterday.

'Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson Releases New Book, 'unPHILtered,' to Explain Homosexual Comments