I hate to label someone an idiot, but John Piper (I will henceforth call him Dr. Piper because it makes me feel a bit better about not having finished my doctoral degree yet) is at the very least being idiotic. Doug Chaplin and Drew Tatusko have already gone into detail about this, and I whole-heartedly agree with them. Dr. Piper has recently written a blog post in which he interprets the meaning of a recent tornado in Minnesota (though if you actually read the news story linked to below you will realize it was in no way limited to that area). Here is his conclusion (to give a little background, part of the reason the ELCA was meeting was to discuss the issue of homosexuality):
The tornado in Minneapolis was a gentle but firm warning to the ELCA and all of us: Turn from the approval of sin. Turn from the promotion of behaviors that lead to destruction. Reaffirm the great Lutheran heritage of allegiance to the truth and authority of Scripture. Turn back from distorting the grace of God into sensuality. Rejoice in the pardon of the cross of Christ and its power to transform left and right wing sinners.
I think Chaplin could have just answered with this the one-liner without going into any more detail: “Has Piper noticed that Minneapolis is not far outside the commonly presumed boundaries of Tornado Alley, and Minnesota has a long history of tornados?”
I am not sure how much I could possibly add to that, but I will say a little if for no other reason than to vent. Does Dr. Piper think that the ELCA was the only group of people affected by a natural disaster as significant as a tornado? In fact, there are reports now that 18 tornados may have touched down in the midwest yesterday. What of the people all throughout the rest of the midwest? God must be a very poor marksman indeed to have to strike that wide of an area just to warn the ELCA! Better yet, what about every terrified five-year-old child wondering if they would ever see their mother of father again? I guess according to Dr. Piper these little demons need a warning too since they are all totally depraved.
All I can say is – How callous! To take something like this and to use it for a theological agenda. As Chaplin says, this brings out his “inner Dawkins.” If this brings out his inner Dawkins, I can only imagine what it stirs in Dawkins himself.