gengwall

I will add just this to Cheryl’s comment. Dave – I too am inclined to cut Piper slack (for example, see my post 86 above). But what I see, even in his sermons, which you submit are well thought out and prepared, is a subtle elevation of men and degradation of women. It is not blatant, but it certainly indicates his inclinations. It is not too large a leap to believe this hierarchical overview carries into the area of abusive husbands, although I agree some here may at times get a bit hyperbolic in their reactions.

I will give you a quick example of this subtlety. In a comment on another post, someone was taking exception to a single line quote from a Piper sermon. I was able to find the whole text of the sermon and comment on the quote in context. To summarize, I agreed with 95% of what Piper was saying in the passage of the sermon, which actually dealt with setting boundaries and establishing guidelines for children. So what is the 5% i took issue with? At the beginning of the passage, Piper also asserted, very subtly, that the types of boundaries and guidelines that parents set for children should also be set for wives by their husbands! He led the passage off with this statement, then never said another thing about it. But this seemingly innoccous statement was what stuck in my mind. It is that kind of “jab” that Piper often throws in that betrays his true sympathies. Such a perspective regarding household “rules” and who sets them is exactly what domestic discipline advocates adhere to. And although I know Piper is not a domestic discipline devotee, he never-the-less is sympatico with them to a degree. And THAT is what freaks people out, and not without justification. So, although I have no problem with almost everything Piper preaches, it is these little instances of exposed hierarchialism that make the hair on the back of my neck stand up and cause me to gasp.