[marshmallow]

God hates your trailer park.

[trailhkr1]

Piper said he doesn’t know why if God has a quarrel with America that he wouldn’t show his displeasure in Washington or Hollywood instead of places like Henryville, Ind., but that “every deadly wind in any town is a divine warning to every town.”

We have always had tornadoes even in the puritan gay 90's and the 1950's. Guys like this make Christians look like idiots.

[aruanan]

“God alone has the last say in where and how the wind blows,” Piper said. “If a tornado twists at 175 miles an hour and stays on the ground like a massive lawnmower for 50 miles, God gave the command.”

Typical of a theological determinist.

[dforest]

I know that are not random because I know if one is coming in from the southwest and tracking toward my direction, the chances have been greater that they hit close.

Not so much if they come from another direction.

I don’t know what that has to do what what this guy is saying.

[dirtboy]

Piper said he doesn’t know why if God has a quarrel with America that he wouldn’t show his displeasure in Washington or Hollywood instead of places like Henryville, Ind., but that “every deadly wind in any town is a divine warning to every town.”

Hmmm. 1925. Washington was much smaller. Hollywood wasn't a liberal-infested hellhole. And this happened:

Tri-State Tornado.

F5 on the ground for 219 miles.

These tinhorns should read up on their history before trying to claim that a medium-sized (historically) tornado outbreak like last Friday's is a sign of anything more than bad luck weather.

[pgkdan]

The world’s just chock full of nuts and crackpots, isn’t it?

[aruanan]

“God alone has the last say in where and how the wind blows,” Piper said. “If a tornado twists at 175 miles an hour and stays on the ground like a massive lawnmower for 50 miles, God gave the command.”

And if he's going to be a theological determinist in the Calvinist tradition, what he says must also be true about each hemorrhoid that pops out and the exact number and depth of thrusts of the knife wielded by a serial killer or the steak knife of someone sitting in Ruth's Chris.

[BuckeyeTexan]

If a tornado twists at 175 miles an hour and stays on the ground like a massive lawnmower for 50 miles, God gave the command.

So when innocent people die, we're to conclude that God ordered their death? This idiot confuses "God is in control" with "God commands Mother Nature to kill innocent people because he's angry."

[blam]

Years ago seismologists were puzzled by randon 'squiggles' on their earthquake charts.
They were sure suprised when they learned that those 'squiggles' were tornadoes.

[Fiji Hill]

God doesn’t punish people by generating natural disasters. Jesus addressed this issue in Luke 13:4, when discussing the collapse of a tower in Shilokha (Siloam), a suburb of Jerusalem, in which 18 people were killed:

4“Or those eighteen upon whom the tower of Shilokha fell and killed them; do you think that they were sinners more so than all the children of men who dwell in Jerusalem?” 5“No, but I say to you, unless you repent, all of you shall be destroyed like they were.”

[MarkBsnr]

[dawn53]

It seems this paragraph clarifies his meaning:

“We are not God’s counselors, nor can we fathom all his judgments,” he said. “That was the lesson of Job. Let us beware, therefore, of reading the hand of providence with too much certainty or specificity. God is always doing a thousand things when he does anything. And we see but a fraction.”

I always think of that verse in Matthew 5 when it comes to natural disasters striking some and sparing others:

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

[circlecity]

Piper is exactly right. “Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?” Amos 3:6

[what's up]

Basically, he's saying that God is sovereign over everything. He's in control.

That is a very common christian teaching.

[Jemian]

No, an event is good or bad based on whether it draws us closer to God or farther apart. Plus, an event which happens to us isn’t necessarily designed with us as the end-product. It could be happening to us in order to minister to someone else.

I can’t, because I’m not omniscient, tell you the particulars concerning the why of a thing. I just know that God is sovereign and his overarching “banner” is love. To me that is a whole lot more comforting than thinking we are either at the mercy of an arbitrary dice-thrower, or that some things are able to thwart God’s will.

[JPII Be Not Afraid]

God created nature and nature does as nature should.

God can bring good things out of the bad things that happen. For example:

Bad - Obama elected
Good - Millions awaken from their slumber as to their freedoms and are willing to fight, well only so far as I don't have to leave the house. (Tea Party members excluded)

Bad - Andrew Breitbart dies unexpectedly.
Good - Millions are again awaken, but this time are willing to stand up for God, Family and Country and speak the truth without fear as Andrew did.

God's ways are not our ways, but I have to believe God is in charge of everything!

B3!

[WestwardHo]

Marshmallow, would you please write a short post on “Why I rejoice in being Roman Catholic!” Something positive, inspiring, and uplifting! It would make your posts a delight to read!

[luckystarmom]

My old pastor likes Piper. I stopped liking my old church about the same time my old pastor started quoting Piper and friends.

It is horrible doctrine. It makes you feel like bad things happen to people because they have done something wrong (which can be the case, but not necessarily).

[Matchett-PI]

nutcase.

[bigbob]

[fruser1]

I’m always surprised to see Christians taking the lord’s name in vain.

When you say “God is punishing you because I am right and you are wrong.”, that’s your own vanity speaking, not God.

You’re just using God’s name as a cudgel.

That’s a sin bubba.