Having released a muddled, unhelpful video before the election (more comment on that here), John Piper now criticizes Obama's selection of an unrepentant homosexual "priest" to pray (h-t JT).
I have no problem, of course, with what Piper is now saying. He's right.
My problem is that we already knew such things about the most unqualified and radically-liberal man ever to pose a credible run for the presidency. My problem is that Piper could have "thrown down" on such issues before the election, when it might have made a difference.
Now is good.
Then would have been better.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
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9 comments:
Let's not forget he said how exciting it would be to have a black President. How a man who has done so much work in the past for the unborn could be so caught up in the imagery and skin color thing for the Presidency is just so disappointing.
He also ripped into Palin and said she should be a stay at home mom.
All I could say to Piper is too soon, too late. What on earth did you expect Piper?! All the work you did in the past thrown in the toilet because many people like you (I'm not saying Piper voted for President Obama) got swept away from the imagery, skin color and emotionalism and voted for this man. It's probably a matter of days if not hours President Obama will sign an executive order to reverse President Bush's order of banning Embryonic stem cell research).
Thanks for nothing Piper at least on the political arena.
It was a helpful reminder to me, who admires, respects and thanks God for Piper perhaps more than any other living preacher, that Piper is still a man, who has blind spots and misspeaks like any other.
This too is in God's hands...
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:1-4).
The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. (Proverbs 21:1)
Welcome to the Obama Nation.
Supplications, prayers and intercessions are definitely in order.
Rachael,
What Piper did was more than a misspeak. I'm sure you recall the video on his comments. One would have expected him to be excited to see a Down's Syndrome child in the executive branch.
No. Instead, he got all giddy. He said what a "thrilling thing it would be" to have a black President and he said it would be a "golden opportunity" and a "golden moment."
Sorry, Rachael, he gets no pass from me. He was just as swept up by the skin color, emotionalism and imagery as many Americans who voted for him that were swept up by.
I hope Piper is "thrilled" now with this "golden opportunity" and "golden moment."
There was a small church who called an aged pastor. The pastor had been, in decades past, a world class speaker, a man of conviction, integrity, and especially, a holy and godly man.
The problem was, that no one in the leadership of that church was willing to ever disagree with him, because he was, after all, percieved to be more "spiritual" than they were.
The pastor didn't ask for this phenomenon and certainly didn't want it - and yet the leaders were all quite reluctant to hold an opinions that was contrary to the pastor's.
The pastor ended up resigning, because he saw that through his influence these men were leaning on him instead of leaning on God.
Perhaps Piper, in understanding the sway his opinions can carry with some people, and being (presumably) a genuinely humble man, was unwilling to vent his spline beforehand, lest someone follow him rather than God, and lest he himself be tempted to give into that desire to use his personal influence as a worldly means to an ends that he has commited himself to pursuing spiritually? Perhaps, I say, he is more interested in changing votes through hearts and concerned that if he takes the other path, he may never leave it?
I dunno, I am just guessing.
Daniel: Perhaps, I say, he is more interested in changing votes through hearts and concerned that if he takes the other path, he may never leave it?
Daniel, Piper should not have said anything then. You don't hear MacArthur say anything about politics. MacArthur simply doesn't care about politics (I'm not saying that's good, but at least he doesn't bungle his words because he doesn't say anything). Piper shouldn't have said anything.
Piper does have a huge cult following, though. That is troubling. He has three campuses and people are willing to go and travel miles to watch him on a video screen. That's pathetic.
He is responsible for that cult following because he allows something like that.
The one person I've seen that has a good balance between theology and politics is RC Sproul.
CR - John Piper is not perfect. I hold the man to a pretty high standard because he is an expositor of God's word, a pastor, and a man of some influence - but that standard is not "perfection".
When he fails to live up to my expectations, I remind myself that I (daily) fail to live up to the expections of others also.
I haven't a clue what kind of pressures the man is under, but am reminded of Acts 19:15, "And the evil spirit answered and said to them, 'I recognize Jesus, and I know about [John Piper], but who are you?'" I juxtaposed Paul's name with Piper's in the verse to emphasize that I really do not have a personal frame of reference whereby I can weight or appreciate what sort of burden John Piper lifts up every morning.
Perhaps if John Piper were carrying my burden or yours, he might have had more freedom to respond in a way that we would be applauding today? As it stands, I am willing to say, "wouldn't it have been nice if...?" - but not quite willing to say, "thanks for nothing!"
Dan,
I wish Piper would have been johnny on the spot--six months ago. Silence during the election was really silence for the unborn. We love Piper still, yet he remains as us, a sinner capable of gaffes.
CR,
MacArthur has just as big of a cult following as Piper and yes, I wish both would have said more regarding the election six months ago. Spurgeon seemed to have found time to speak on political matters, as sticky as they can be. Any pastor should have said something and that something should have been a godly word at the right time. I say we forgive both of them quickly, pray for them, in spite of our own sins in this arena.
Rem,
I'm sure Mac has a cult following. You don't see it much because (a) Mac just doesn't get into politics, at all. He just doesn't care about it. So, well, I guess, there is no (b). Because if you don't talk about it you don't draw fire. But yes, I'm sure on other issues, if we tried cricitizing Mac, we'd draw some fire.
But in Piper's followers you get it a lot. You try critiquing him and it's like, "how dare you, who are you?" I'm not talking about anyone here at Dan's blog, but you get a lot at other blogs. Very disturbing.
That is very interesting what you said about Spurgeon. I did not know he took time to speak on political matters. I'm glad he thought it was important to speak about.
Oh well...
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