Posted on 10/24/2020 8:01:49 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
John Piper, founder of DesiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary, speaks at the MLK50 Conference hosted by the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and The Gospel Coalition in Memphis, Tennessee,
Christians from across the spectrum have weighed in on influential pastor and author John Piper's op-ed piece criticizing Christians' support for President Donald Trump.
“I think it is a drastic mistake to think that the deadly influences of a leader come only through his policies and not also through his person,” Piper, founder of Desiring God, wrote on Thursday. “Flagrant boastfulness, vulgarity, immorality and factiousness are not only self-incriminating; they are nation-corrupting.”
Though he later clarified he is not voting for either Trump or Biden, Piper said he is “baffled” by the fact that “so many Christians seem to be sure that they are saving human lives and freedoms by treating as minimal the destructive effects of the spreading gangrene of high-profile, high-handed, culture-shaping sin.”
“Christians communicate a falsehood to unbelievers (who are also baffled!) when we act as if policies and laws that protect life and freedom are more precious than being a certain kind of person. The church is paying dearly, and will continue to pay, for our communicating this falsehood year after year,” he wrote.
Piper’s blog post elicited a wide range of responses from Christian and political leaders, from Beth Moore to NFL star Benjamin Watson.
On Twitter, Moore, a popular Bible teacher, said Piper’s comments are consistent with the approach he’s always taken toward politics.
"Re: John Piper. The article yesterday came from the same John Piper I met 20+ years ago. 100% consistent. And if you want a preacher who will only preach what doesn’t offend you, you need to find one who doesn’t preach the Scriptures. There’s plenty out there. Knock yourself out."
"DO NOT SAY in the aftermath of all this madness, why didn’t anybody warn us???"
In a separate tweet, she wrote: “Incalculable damage was done by marrying evangelicalism to republicanism. (Same would be true if it had been Dem party.) My generation is the elder child of this unholy marriage and we are so deeply indoctrinated, we see them as 1 flesh. NO. The church is married to Christ alone.”
New York Times bestselling author Joel Richardson said that while he “loves” Piper, “abortion is not merely one of many equally relevant factors in this coming election.”
“To equate @POTUS' sins with the societally acceptable wholesale slaughter of the single most innocent little lambs that this world has to offer is straight up bull,” he wrote.
Conservative Christian commentator Allie Beth Stuckey added, “Any leftist cheering on John Piper today will be severely disappointed in his views on marriage, gender, abortion and socialism. Piper is not a liberal.”
In contrast, influential pastor Thabiti Anyabwile called the post “maybe the best blog post I’ve ever read” from Piper.
NFL star Benjamin Watson also approvingly shared Piper’s post.
I think Piper has his candidates confused...
“Beth Moore.”
There’s the problem.
All headed to perdition!
Seriously, am I supposed to vote for the "nice guy" who wants to restrict religious liberty and let babies get murdered?
I look at the fruits coming from Trump's tree--and I want more of them.
Critics of the critics are claiming that Piper never mentioned Trump by name in his piece. But anyone with two brain cells to rub together can see his implication as plain as day.
I’d say his orifices are cross-connected.
IF Biden wins and the Senate flips, within 12-18 months, there will not be a church or a synagogue left open. ALL will be closed, burned or torn down utilizing “hate crime” laws.
So this “holier than thou” Mr. Piper might want to stop and think about that or a few minutes.
We did not elect President Trump because he was some kind of saint...he isn’t. We elected him to do a job...and a nasty one at that.
He looks like an old hippie wearing a pleather jacket.
Is he a fascist? I see the salute
Did he become a millionaire resettling refugees in MN ?
Eliminate the church’s religious tax exemption...terminate any federal funding the school may receive...disallow any federally insured/granted student loans. These folks can’t play both sides.
This guy is a crook..he is worth 17 million...a false prophet.
Biden is no “Nice Guy”. That is a persona that was created by the lying media and Democrats. He is only nice in the sense of a used car salesman, who has a crooked smile to your face, while his hand reaches around to your backside to grasp your wallet. You might say that his $40 million Dollar smile has fooled many..
Beth Moore is a false teacher. And Piper says she’s fine.
His pro refugee comments have been scrubbed from Facebook.
Smart test. Of course, it won't make you (or I) popular with the Calvinist clique who thinks everything is predestined and you path to heaven (or not) is guaranteed by your professed beliefs.
This same sorry clique will probably vote for Biden in big numbers because they declare they are caring about the poor, patriotism, unit of the country, etc. even if their actual results show the exact opposite.
Hopefully, his 15 minutes of “fame” are over
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