Re: John Piper - Where are the faithful young men?

[evidenceonlythanx]

What a towering inellect. Well done young woman. You have more guts and integrity than all the snivelling, fawning power-worshipers put together. I hope life brings you some moments of happiness. As the people born with the guts and intellect to see beyond the shallow, flimsy, social facade that so entrances most humans, are often isolated and ridiculed for their gifts. Be on your guard for if you read history you will find many great visionaries burned-out of their homes by the cowardly masses.

[tercelkisor]

how old are you? you make stupid claims and then build "logic" on your own stupid self-assertions. i say this with the most respect possible. you are a moron. quit making videos for a while. read, interact with people, and learn simple logic. maybe you wont make a fool out of yourself after that.... no offense.

[lcanipe2]

The only thing about this argument is that Hitler was not God...he was just a man! John Piper is speaking and preaching from God's True, Living, Authoritative Word of God...not so that men would stand up and follow him, but that they would follow God...yes sin is real in our lives, that explains the fact that we are not perfect but we are naturally evil. And when we accept and believe in God's son Jesus for dying for our sin, then we are called to fight against it, to make war against it!!

[Davidhale321]

See what you are talking about is the Anti Christ. John Piper is a strong speaker but not a Hitler. See like Hitler, the Anti Christ will be able to convert even the non Christians. So be angry at John Piper, if you want, for him asking Christians to be loving servants who follow the one true God and speak his truth even if it means them dying. All i have to say to this is: you obviously have no idea how powerful my God is. Me not proclaiming his name is as wrong as me murdering and raping.

[PoplinAT]

what happens when a person reads what they want to read. I have found that you either believe it or you don't. If you could imagine a beginning like watching a child grow from its infancy, you could understand that they start with 1 word and then another until they have built a vocabulary to the point of understanding the things that they feel. like hunger thirst pain love hate mom dad. So read all that there is that defines humanity. CHRIST IS THE ONLY WHO HOLDS WOMEN EQUAL TO MEN!

[7RUthere]

He has told us to love others as we love ourselves... killing and raping are nowhere in His commands. Biblical Christianity teaches us to be humble and loving. I'm not sure what you are arguing against, but it's not Christianity. You're misinformed, but I'm sure you're not interested in the truth; like most atheists, you've already made up your mind. I challenge you to actually read the Bible that you continue to bash; you might learn something. Perhaps then your videos wouldn't be so silly.

[patrckhh20]

Who is this ridiculous little girl?

[suspendedanimation]

So you are suggesting that Nazis who died attacking others is comparable to Christians who die because they are being killed by those who do not believe in God?

You speak of brainwashing - I would contend that everybody is subjected to brainwashing by society every single day. Society tells you that there is no God, and you hold to that because that is what you want to believe.

[leavittethan]

You can't take this girl seriously. It is pretty funny actually.

[lucascoque]

Just look at you. Take your own conclusions.

[booger44707]

You ask if we would kill and rape for our God. So I ask you, does God ask us to kill and rape for him? Churches send people all over the world that help build homes, treat sick people, and share the Word of God. When do you see on the news a story about a group of Christians going somewhere and raping and killing everybody?

[lovelyweather1]

I have read through the comments briefly and it seems that no one is supporting you. I want you to know that I fully support you and think (regardless of whatever comments people make about your intelligence) that you are extremely intelligent and we need more people like you in this world. The ones who are unintelligent and delusional are those who follow John Piper. Those who could love and respect a man like that are the ones who are lost. You are uniquely gifted and I appreciate your words.

[RyanBoose]

I say this not with anger, but genuinely hoping you will consider this point. While John Piper is not our God by any means and therefore is not perfect in his theology as none of us are, if you listen to his sermons, and not just clips from them, you will see that if he has any desire for men to come together like an army, it would be for them to give their lives for others, to kill no one but the sin inside them, and to serve even if it costs them their life.

[pleasepaul]

and for your question yes i would do anything or at least i would try to. but knowing that God is GOOD he would never ask me to murder someone or to lie to someone, because then that would make God a sinner.

[pleasepaul]

Id also like to apologize for those who come to you as Christians but offend you and threaten you. As Christians we follow Christ and although He lived a perfect life we will always fall short. Christ commanded us to love our enemies and to turn the other cheek when harmed. John Piper does not intend in manipulating people but instead inform them about the greatest event to ever occur in all of time. Please reconsider anything you have believed and learn that Christ is good.

[NextTopMiler]

hahahahahahahahahahah

[TheLMack]

Amber, I just want to apologize for my Christian brothers and sisters who have treated you too harshly for your words in your video. Some of them are not as gracious as a christian ought to be. I'm sorry for them.

I just want to say that murder and rape are the antithesis of laying down one's life for Christ. They are the opposite of what Piper is saying here; even between the lines.

[Stormchaser2000]

Hey Amber, are you mentally retarded? You certainly sound like one!

[Brimoody117]

Kill and Maime? is this supposed to be a joke? where is she getting this?

[Schaapjuh]

@Brimoody117

I've no freakin' clue. But it's actually pretty funny to watch people think they're smart and got something to tell :)

[reallyfun]

wow

[nsxanders]

I'm not convinced she actually understood a word of what Piper communicated in the video she's responding too.

[EvilBunniexxx]

I pray the Lord forgives you little girl for you know not what you speak of.

[LinkMaster1711]

Very foolish. Here in America, where our children, who have everything, have even lost hope.....

[FlyingAxblade]

in regards to your question...Christians do not rape. They become martyr. now, lil sister, Organized Religion is for those who cannot handle Organized Crime, Organized Crime is for those who refuse to believe that the ABSTRACT is accessible through a humans mind. As for your prepared statement, how much was plagerized? pardon my spelling. I really hope you give the Bible a fair shake. ignore the churchians. Jesus is universally accepted as a great teacher, see what Luke or Mark sez He sez

[snaptail13]

Oh, how I yearn for Christ's love to surround you; to captivate the inmost corners of your heart and soul. My heart breaks for you. Thus, I will pray for you, child. I pray that God Himself will reveal His Father-like love that no human mind can even begin to grasp. I am praying for you.

[Oneaudience]

Madness, let us attain to madness for Christ!! O that we would dare to surrender to the will of the ALMIGHTY GOD, by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT, in JESUS' matchless name!!! Now to address this video, there is a total difference between what the Nazi's did and what Israel of the OT did. 1st one was the genocidal murder of innocent people, the other was God's justified wrath upon people consumed by evil through his people Israel, after might I add He gave them chance after chance to repent.

[Stuballs84]

Luke 14:33

So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

[CaptainClever07]

Why don't you rewatch the video you're responding to, he hasn't asked anyone to kill. He is asking them to put there lives on the line and go to places like Turkey and Iran where they will kill you for being a Christian. He doesn't want his own private army. Please show me where he didn't say anything biblical and perhapes something negative

[Valpurgis9]

what would i do for god? I would forgive you, like Jesus would, I would let go of my pride and not look between the lines for what i want to hear, like it seems you have done - Christianity is not about being right it is about accepting we are wrong. Because Jesus died and rose for you and me, we have rights and responsibilities - you talk about rights, so I take responsibility to respond to Christ's call, not my own.

[EvilBunniexxx]

Child....... you really need to wake up to reality and know what your talking about.

God is God....Alone!

[Matthiasman06]

Premises: 1)Lying, stealing and killing are "madness behaviors". 2)Biblical references can prove that lying, stealing, AND killing are against the God-given commandments as presented through Moses. 3) HUMANS ARE FALLIBLE. Inferred Premises: 1)(Premises 2 and 3) Humans are capable of knowing truth. 2)Humans can, will, and have disregarded truth. Conclusion:Though Hitler may have claimed to be acting in Christianity, believing he knew Christianity's basic premises is lying to yourself; "madness".

[Matthiasman06]

Premises: 1)Lying, stealing and killing are "madness behaviors". 2)Biblical references can prove that lying, stealing, AND killing are against the God-given commandments as presented through Moses. 3) HUMANS ARE FALLIBLE. Inferred Premises: 1)(Premises 2 and 3) Humans are capable of knowing truth. 2)Humans can, will, and have disregarded truth. Conclusion:Though Hitler may have claimed to be acting in Christianity, believing he knew Christianity's basic premises is lying to yourself; "madness".

[fcbarcafcb]

Just a quick comment. If Piper has all these loyal "follwers" that would do these things, then why did people freak out when he invited Rick Warren to speak at a conference? They do not follow Piper, they follow Christ. They listen to him because he is doctrinally sound but everyone knows he is fallible. The backlash he recieved over one incident that was not even a big deal makes that very evident. Point being, listen to the man before you judge him.

[lordboojum]

If you don't think God instructs his people to kill then you obviously skipped the Old Testament completely.

[coryepps]

Hitler wasn't Christ...I think considering your life cheap for Christ is a little different than doing it for Hitler... The two aren't really that comparable. Or at least I don't think so... NOTICE: There is a bit of sarcasm in this.

Also, MY GOD wouldn't ask/tell/command me to rape anyone...it's kinda against His policy... (a bit of sarcasm here too)

[master360chiefchick]

I think you are crazy and need God in your life.

[7RUthere]

Have you ever listened to John Piper or ever read from the Bible? Judging from your video, you haven't! Kill, rape, or harm in the name of God? These are completely opposite of what Jesus teaches! Sure there have been and are hypocrites, but you shouldn't judge true Christianity by their actions. I suggest you pick up the Bible and read it before you attack it; and when I say read it, I mean read it! Don't cite verses completely out of context as Dawkins or the other atheists' heroes do.

[TaborBrandon]

(continued...) Read scripture for yourself, read both sides of the argument, and decide in your heart what makes more sense. God gives you in his mercy the opportunity to have a relationship with Him through Jesus, or reject Him. I pray you will never stop looking for answers for God said in HIs word:

[TaborBrandon]

Amber-I don't know who has informed you about Jesus, and what Christians believe and live for, but I can assure you that God does not ask for us to kill, rape, or harm anyone. I'm not going to debate with you about logic and scientific proof for God, or the Bible, I just want to let you know that I am praying for you tonight. I don't hate you, believe it or not, I love you (not romantically obviously) and I pray that one day you will soften your heart and let the Lord inside.

[iamjameson]

um, aren't Christians and Nazis at completely opposite sides of the moral spectrum? Mr. Piper is strongly encouraging us to go out into the world and live for God, to not waste the life He has given us.

[HenrikAlexM]

wait, where did you get the idea that this "behavior" is "madness"? If you are an atheist, doesn't that imply that there are no morals? So you couldn't claim that any behavior was mad, or was madness. and if you are a true atheist, then what Hitler and what the Nazis did, shouldn't matter to you since there is no such thing as good and bad.

[FLstatesSwimmer]

& yes, certain ancient cultures/religions worshiped a god, so that they may obtain more fruitful harvest or more water, etc. but honestly, that has NOTHING to do with sin. nothing. im still confused as to how u got to that point. that person didnt even debate those cultures' reasons for praying LOL. all they talked about was sin. each tribe/group of people have consistencies between them that point to a "right and wrong". each person has a sense of that, no matter where they came from.its ok tho

[FLstatesSwimmer]

1st of all, Christians... don't bash her. it only eggs her on and creates a false sense of hope for her (since her ignorance is what bothers us) INSTEAD pray for her and love her for who she is. after all, that *alone* is what our God calls us to do-- love! He's never asked for us to do anything aside of that. If so- it wasn't a message from Him. PLEASE, Amber,go ahead & test God if that's what u're so hung up on. Or maybe the idea of something much bigger than urself that ur mind can't grasp?=)

[thefatbiker]

Amber -- I haven't read the comments, so forgive me for that. I have been reading and studying Piper for a year. Some of his teachings are difficult to absorb. Still, when I "read between the lines" it seems he is calling people to live in sacrificial service of others. His books talk about loving God and loving others -- not to kill or rape. He calls people to be world-lifters, feeding the hungry, taking medicine to those who need it, showing love to a world in need of it. Did I miss something?

[mikhailtsypan]

Christians!! go every where and preach Gospel! including to Atheists! look at her.. wasting energy to fight God's Word. i mean, using all that energy to write a letter and read her opinion to public.. ms Amber, there Is God and He Does want you to have Hope for everlasting life with Him. please dont spend your life arguing with Bible. it's too powerful.. Oh, if you could only grasp the taste of God's power!

[DeJay14]

lol love how your reading from a computer

[manutdfan4321]

Such arrogance, you think you've got it all figured out don't you...Are you going to honestly compare following Christ who's only message was to bring hope to the people of the world with Hilter was a power hungery wicked man who wanted control. Understand the context of what he is say, he saying to take a risk and go and preach the gospel to countries where preaching the gospel is punishable by death for what purpose to gain power? No to bring a message of hope to people that need a saviour.

[jr52990]

well I do have to say one thing.... we dont follow Christ just because he is our God.... we follow him because he died for our sins (because not one of us is good)

[LinkD3]

Kid....... you really need to wake up to reality and know what your talking about.

God is God... & you are not...

please dont waste your life

[buchsnr]

umm i would like to point out that you just equated hitler and jesus christ lol but in answer to your question, i would do anything for God, but the God of the Bible would never ask for killing or raping.

[AmericanConcrete]

hogwash!

[luckymouse9]

Can you please provide some examples of proof for your arguments?

[for777Him]

second, we will NOT harm you haha we will LOVE you maybe too much that you will think we're annoying or something. and loving you might make us want you to turn into a Christian. that is the "worst" thing you'll experience from Christians. in reality, or in my eyes, it is the "best" thing for you. but you can believe what you want. i can't change you. only God can, is what i believe. so don't be afraid of us or think we're bad. was Jesus a bad guy? no. he was the most loving. same w us

[for777Him]

first of all God does not tell us to or WILL NOT tell us to kill, rape, steal, or do whatever you said. those are in the ten commandments dude. He tells us to basically do GOOD not KILL haha but i would do whatever God tells me to do, and He tells me what He wants through the Bible. yes, i guess we are kinda "brainwashed" with Christianity, but let me tell you being "brainwashed" with Christianity is a good thing because all the Bible and God says is good stuff that helps my life, not hurt it

[NuclearSidewalk]

Nobody said anything about killing or maiming. He's talking about sharing the good news of Jesus with those around us. Flinging our lives away? It's going to tell others, even at the risk of death, so that people may here. (not Nazis manning concentration camps or hunting hidden Jews, as your Goodwin's-Law-fulfilling analogy offers) No one is calling to rape, pillage, etc. If you want killing and maiming at the beck & call of teachers, I'm you're barking up the wrong ideological tree.

[NuclearSidewalk]

...and hurrah for catching typos after clicking 'submit.' "Hear" as here. Whoops.

[Amberdrakey]

My internet connection is terrible, so I can barely load even a single page. I'm not debating Chesterton, I'm debating you. But the reason math works is because it is absolute, and unlike literature it is not based on social constructs. Forget the names of the numbers, because that is apparently confusing you. Instead, (II and II make IIII) I will aways get IIII everytime long after I'm gone. If the earth implodes tomorrow, II and II will still make IIII. But logic is sound because of these

[Amberdrakey]

logical absolutes which define how the universe works. If you still don't accept this, then take the simple equation x-x=0, or If I take every one of your things, then you have no more things. Unlike god, you can test these deductions by experimentation. Place x number of things in a box, then take them all out and you will have no more of x in the box. If you don't like math, I gave you numerous more examples like the sun rising and the ball.

[luckymouse9]

What is your point in stating that logical equations are non-contradictory?

[Amberdrakey]

Umm... are you just trying to be ignorant? Not all ancient religions involved sacrificial rites, and even if they did, the concept of sin is not universal. The most common reason for sacrifice was for a good harvest or something of the sort, not because they believed in sin. However.. the ancient world believed in numerous other things which are now considered defunct, the theory that rain comes from gods among them. It's a simple concept really-people like to understand their environment,.

[Amberdrakey]

rather than face the terrible unknown.

[luckymouse9]

The concept of sin is certainly universal, though not blatantly.

Every culture has belief in what is right and wrong.

Wrong would be sin, though that culture may not call it "sin."

For the majority of the cultures in the world, there are beliefs of what is right and wrong. Any culture with a law is a prime example of this.

Therefore, the concept of sin is certainly universal (even if you can find a few exceptions).

[luckymouse9]

Also, stating what other religions falsely believe doesn't help your case against Christianity. This includes any forms of sacrifices, offerings, rituals, or practices devoted to any Gods/things.

[Amberdrakey]

Hmm... how many times do I have to prove it? Okay, imagine a box. Now, I can put a red ball into the box, and it is logical that the ball I take out of the box will be red. I can test my hypothesis if I wanted to by taking the ball out of the box and seeing what color it is. I could even cut a hole into one side of the box so I could make sure it didn't change colors while it was in there. Now... let's say that I told you that a society of magical pixies lived in the box, but only while

[Amberdrakey]

you weren't looking. How would you know I was right? You can't, and since there is no evidence of such things, it might as well be in my own mind.

[Amberdrakey]

Once again, you are wrong because logic applies to the world around us, whereas religion does not. You can check how sound logic is by comparing it to what happens in the environment around you. Now pretend that I had never heard of any religion, not the bible, not the quran, ect. What phenomena in my surrounding environment would cause me to believe your specific religion? It's all in your head...

[Amberdrakey]

I'd like it if you'd respond to me using your own words, however... No, it is not an act of faith because it can be proven. Don't believe me? Look at math. Math is based on logic. Take the simple equation (2+2=). Now, it's not an "act of faith" on my part that I know 2+2=4, and not 5, 6, or 7. I can go out into the world around me, and count out that if I have 2 more things, and give myself 2 more things, then I will have 4 things.

[Amberdrakey]

It isn't that "we just know", it's that there is a reasonable precedent in history. There is evidence for the sun rising, so it is a reasonable hypothesis that can be tested to be true. The idea of god has none of these things. You may be able to make the shaky claim that there is proof (the Bible), however can you test your hypothesis? Until yu can, whatever you say isn't true. As for certainty, nothing in this world is ever certain, just look at the Quantum world to see that.

[Amberdrakey]

Forgive me, but what you said makes no sense. Unlike subjective religion logic can be proven. For example, it is logical that the sun will rise tomorrow eventhough it hasn't risen yet. This deduction is either true or false, and we can see that just by waiting for tomorrow to come. God and logic aren't on equal footing, because logic can be tested and proven to be true.

[Amberdrakey]

Umm.... why the hell not? Logic is simply the means by which we deduct information from the enviroment. If so, then why does it not apply to morals or the existence of the supernatural? One's morals are developed from one's interaction with others, so someone effectively cut off from other people will not be very morally driven. Have you ever heard of feral children? They barely know how to act around their own kind, let alone know how to act morally.

[VoSpader73]

You said:

"we mostly agree that rape is wrong because it causes one person pain at the expense of another's pleasure."

Why/how is causing another person pain in order to gain personal pleasure (I assume that is what you meant) wrong?

[Amberdrakey]

It all goes back to how we developed as a species. We are obviously social creatures, and thus need to understand each other in order to cooperate. This includes things like understanding the emotions of others, and thus has resulted in empathy. Because of empathy, others pain makes us uncomfortable, and thus we don't like it too much when others feel pain. Antisocial behavior isn't tolerated because it interfers with the human ability to cooperate with each other, which is essential to survival

[VoSpader73]

"What would I do for my God?" That's the question you ask, and then go on to ask rhetorically "murder, rape, steal?" implying certainly that these things are wrong. First, the answer to that question, no, because it is against His revealed Word. Second, as an atheist, how are you able to (consistent with your world view) consider those things wrong? Is not the ultimate source of morality the self?

[Amberdrakey]

I am a bit bothered by that last line "consistent with your worldview" since atheism isn't a worldview.... but whatever. Your morals come from society, not yourself-everyone knows that. Those with morals other than society's morals go to jail...

[VoSpader73]

Atheism, is a worldview. It is the lens through which, after analyzing all the evidence and coming to a conclusion, you view the world, is it not?

Ok, so if morals only come from our society, is rape objestively wrong or is it simply arbitrarily designated as such by a group of people (society) who happen to not like it?

[Amberdrakey]

No-atheism is NOT a worldview since there is no collective atheist mode of thinking. The only reason one needs to be an atheist is to not believe in a deity, so this describes a vast many worldviews. Don't try to use "not like it" to trivitize the definition. If most people agreed that rape was right, then it would be perfectly legal. However, since humans are empathetic creatures, we mostly agree that rape is wrong because it causes one person pain at the expense of another's pleasure.

[CRHE]

Why don't you come clean, Amberdrakey. I mean, honestly, are you for real? Do you really think that John Piper could stand up at his pulpit next week and have people follow his commands to "lie, steal, and kill"? Do you honesly believe that John Piper has spent nearly 30 years at that place because he's been warming people up to the idea of leaping to their feet to serve as his own personal private army?

It's this kind of off-the-wall stuff that makes me think you're a parody of an atheist.

[Amberdrakey]

Sigh... you don't get it do you. The Nazis didn't input their extreme racist policies all at once-it was a gradual process. The key word here is gradual.

[CRHE]

Just digging yourself deeper

A few questions:

1. How long did it take the Nazis to implement their racist policies?

2. How long has John Piper been preaching at his church?

3. Did the Nazis breed hatred for Jews by preaching love for Jews?

4. Can you come up with even one quote that would suggest that John Piper is so much as *warming up* his congregation to lie, steal, or kill?

5. What do you make of Piper passionately preaching against those things, decade in and decade out?

[Amberdrakey]

I think the problem here is that you think that I am refering to Mr. Piper specifically. I was only making comparisons here, between the strategies used by Hitler and christian preachers-including Mr. Piper. Unfortunately, you seem to be under the impression that Christianity is a campaign for tolerance-which it is not. Take it's position on gay people for instance-they are basically abominations. Hitler convinced the Germans that Jews where abominations before he burned them in gas chambers.

[Amberdrakey]

If you want a quote from Mr. Piper himself demonstrating this mode of thinking, read this-

"I think we should abstain from fellowship with that church and abstain from fellowship with him, because the Bible says that if your brother does a certain sin then have nothing to do with him. Withhold your fellowship with him. "

Just like Hitler, he is calling his congregation to shun homosexuals and therefore count them as something undeserving of their friendship. I suggest you read-

[Amberdrakey]

American Fascism:The Christian Right and the War on America for more information.

[Gr0nkster]

Where where the intelligent girls when I where that age? Come to think about it...I can't seem to find them at my current age either =x

I'm glad that I subscribed to you. Keep up the good work!

[Hereticbooks]

Amber, you're awesome.  I think you're the hope for humanity....you and young people like you. I like that you write your own scripts....and put it to the rediculous people...

[TheGuardian2100]

Great question. I hope you get some answers.

[renegade4dio]

You have more than 50 subs already because you're earning them ;)

[Maeldasage88]

Nice one!

I'm thinking about making a video response to this.. In a way to complement some of the points you made. I hope you don't mind :P

[lifeofryli]

Congrats on turning 50. I predict many more. It will be fun to see your mind evolve and your opinion refine over the next years.

But please be sure to never get overly discouraged (yet accept you will from time to time—its only natural!). Nothing's personal because all moment's in your young life are really just practice and positioning for the next moments. Who knew!

Stay involved. And humble. Always improve. Why not—the only consequence is getting better. And how bad can that be.

[Rockster969]

"what would you do for your god" NephilimFail said he'd kill with joy in his heart for god,amber,is that the kinda thing you are talking about Amber?

Hmm,killing?

I seems thou shalt not kill is superceded by an eye for an eye in America,spesh down in the hang em high south.

Anyway,I know I'm going to heaben cos' i'm down with jebus,heh heh.