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Open Air Preacher Tony Miano’s Twitter behavior and lessons he’s learned about kindness with his own family.
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Over the weekend, open air street preacher, Tony Miano, current member of John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church, responded to a CNN tweet about the devastating earthquake in Nepal:
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https://twitter.com/TonyMiano/status/591971536870871041
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This tweet created quite a firestorm on Twitter. How could a man be so cold, callous, and insensitive amidst such a horrific catastrophe which has now claimed over 2,500 lives? An international media outlet from UK, The Independent, was the first to cover the story involving Miano: Nepal earthquake: US Pastor Tony Miano sparks outcry by suggesting Nepalis should not rebuild their ‘pagan shrines’.
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Here are the first two paragraphs from The Independent:
A former Los Angeles police officer and self-styled preacher, has sparked outcry by suggesting that Nepalis should not rebuild their “pagan shrines” and instead convert to Christianity.
Tony Miano, an outspoken conservative who has previously been accused of homophobia, triggered angry responses when he posted a series of messages on social media, expressing sympathy for the people struck by devastation in Nepal, but suggesting God was angry.
Take a look at some of the tweets.
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https://twitter.com/TonyMiano/status/592092913963642880
https://twitter.com/TonyMiano/status/592094083402760192
https://twitter.com/TonyMiano/status/592107853134999553
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“My Twitter feed is exploding.”
“The gates of Twitter hell have been released.”
~Tony Miano
I’m confused by this. The gates of Twitter hell have been released by whom? Who is taking credit for this?
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Here is Tony Miano explaining how he has spent four hours of his time interacting with people of different faith. Keep in mind, he is a full-time evangelist supported solely by donations. Isn’t this what he is supposed to be doing? Note the hashtag: #NotYourGrandpaMinistry, making sure we know that it’s hard work doing what he does.
This latest incident is another media attention grabber, but I also want to describe what he calls love. I think I figured out what he means by love in his podcast, Family Relationships: It’s Not to Late to Reboot. The first half of the podcast he discusses the public response to his tweets, the second half is actually remarkable and we’ll get to that in a bit.
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The podcast begins with Miano defending his tweet (shown above):
That’s what I posted. That’s my heart. I don’t want any of the pagan temples that have led billions of people to hell to be rebuilt because I want every human being in Nepal to come to genuine repentance in faith in Christ. That was my hope and Twitter has just exploded. So . . .what should our response be?
In the podcast, he said he didn’t pull a Pat Robertson, who has a reputation for saying inappropriate comments after tragedies, but yet he proved himself to be “a Pat Robertson” as he continued:
I didn’t do a Pat Robertson and I didn’t go out and say that this event is God’s judgment against the Nepal. I didn’t say that. It could be, certainly, it could be. God is sovereign over everything. He directly causes and/or allows everything to happen. He’s not indifferent. He’s not uninvolved. He’s not sitting in yonder heaven twiddling his thumbs watching the world go by without having any hand in it. His hand is all over it. There’s not a stray atom. There’s not a stray molecule. There’s not a single hair out of place . . . The earth shakes at His command . . He is in control of all of it.
So, he said God controls every molecule, but he isn’t pulling a Pat Robertson. Okay. He continued:
I don’t think my tweet was taken the wrong way. I think it was taken as it was intended, and people hate it, because people hate Jesus Christ. The comments have been: “how dare you – how dare you use this tragedy to “promote” your religion?”
My response would be, “how dare a Christian not open his or her mouth and call people to repent and believe the gospel in times of tragedy?” Show me in the Bible where the Bible supports the idea of Christians remaining silent because bad things are happening to bad people?
He is not sorry for the tweet whatsoever, but believes as a Christian he should be tweeting for people to repent. He then goes on to describe how he sees himself, and his friends, and everyone as “bad people” because no one is good, not even himself, his friends, his wife. Bad things happen because of sin. He discusses the wrath of God:
“A 7.8 earthquake in Katmandu will seem like a ripple in a kiddie pool compared to what Jesus Christ will do to this earth as he judges in righteousness. That is a message of love. That is a message of love.”
[JA note: he repeated that line twice.]
I shared the gospel – I don’t know how many dozens of times on Twitter today. . . and people hate it. They hate the message of love because they love themselves and they love their sin more than they love God. They want to be God, and, like the Pharisees, they want to murder the God they know exists because they want to be God, because they do not want to submit to the authority of Him.
And that is true of the most angriest [sic] vile atheist on the planet and it is true of the humblest meekest mildest [sic] Nepali Hindu woman bowing before a temple, bowing before an idol. It is hatred of the God they know exists. It is hatred of their Creator. It is hatred of Christ.
I do not believe that the responses to Tony’s tweets indicated people’s hatred of Christ. Their response was to his behavior. I believe he knew it would cause a outroar and this method has been proven successful before. This is not so much about saving souls as it is about drawing attention to Tony Miano under the guise of spreading the Gospel and I think we have the proof below in Tony’s own words. I wonder how many people have been saved after someone told them to repent on Twitter? Think about it.
Miano finished his diatribe and asks his podcast partner, Chris Hohnholz, to share his thoughts:
Miano asked, “What do you think, Chris? I’m done preaching. What do you think?”
Chris joined the conversation. At first you might wonder where he’s going with his words (the bolded part), but then you can see how he justifies and supports Miano’s tweets:
You know, brother, I was just thinking about the whole, “now-is-not-the time” [phrase]. It’s interesting because most of the folks who would make such a claim probably would also be saying – well, any other time is not the really the time. It’s not the issue of the timing. Certainly we as Christians are sensitive to someone if someone is in great pain because of the loss of a child, the last thing we’re going to do is to take them through an Are-You-a-Good-Person test. We’re going to comfort them, we’re going take care of them. . .
[Side note: The Are-you-a-Good-Person test may have originated from Ray Comfort (Tony Miano formerly worked with Ray at Living Waters). It’s a tool evangelists use in sharing the Gospel to convince the person that they are really not a good person, that they are in fact a sinner, and they need Christ. Here’s a cutesy example of it produced by Living Waters.]
Chris Hohnholz continues:
But when we are distant from it, and it’s a subject that we can discuss, this is what’s going on, this is the reality of death, that those who died outside of Christ in Nepal will be going to hell. [But] we’re not in the midst of it. We’re not taking care of the broken and bleeding bodies. We’re distant from it. We’re able to discuss this matter and talk about what the real hope is, because sadly, for those who died outside of Christ in Nepal, there is no hope now . . .We have the opportunity to bring hope to those who are hurt by this emotionally, who are concerned for people who have been affected by this.
Ok, so here it is. I think we got a clue from Chris. Since Tony Miano is DISTANT from the disaster area, he thinks it’s okay to discuss it with such strong terms. That is the justification = geographical distance. This mileage apparently gives him the right to say what he feels needs to be said – which he calls l.o.v.e.
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Miano then exhorted Christians to behave appropriately on Twitter. This is rich:
I’ve also posted on Twitter asking Christians who are jumping in to make sure that they do so with Christlikeness, that souls being saved is more important than winning the argument and we can’t respond in kind and revile, no matter how bad the reviling is. I had people posting prayers asking for my death, you know, and, things like that. We obviously can’t respond in kind. We’ve got to love the lost.
uh-huh!
Ok, now here’s an unexpected twist to the story. In the second half of the podcast, at about the 41-minute mark, Tony Miano shared from his heart about his family, his parents’ divorce, estrangement from his mother and also his sisters. The last time all of his siblings were together was 16 years ago. The last time he spoke with his mom was 5 years ago. Miano discussed honor and how he knew he was commanded Biblically to honor his parents, but he did not exactly know how to do that or what that looked like.
Tony Miano shared how he met with his younger sisters and his mother. He had some very deep heart-to-heart conversations with his sisters, one in particular lasting 5 hours, saying, “The Lord allowed me to have the most profitable Gospel conversation with this sister that I’ve ever had since coming to faith in Christ, and He wasn’t done.”
This Tony Miano was different. It was beautiful. He stated there was reconciliation, healing, joy, smiles, experiences that the siblings hadn’t shared for a long time. Look at these words:
Now along with the estrangement with my mom, there was also estrangement with my two youngest sisters for all kinds of reasons. I think it would also be safe to say at times it was the Gospel that was part of that estrangement, but not only the Gospel. There were times along the way I blew it in how I shared the Gospel with them, not the when, not the why, but the how.
Do you see that? He gets it – – “the how.” That is exactly what we’ve been saying all along – it is “the how.”
He also shared a bit about his long-time friend, Ray Comfort. He said that Comfort modeled to him what “true kindness to unsaved family members really looks like.” He mentioned how Ray Comfort shows kindness even in the way he treats atheists after having an hour-long debate with them. After a debate, Comfort would shake their hand, put his hand on their shoulder. Kindness. Ray Comfort showed kindness and Miano respected him for that.
In the same podcast in which Tony Miano says it is love to behave as he did in his tweets regarding the temples in Nepal and telling people to repent following a natural disaster, we see that he has been shown and received kindness in his interaction with his siblings as Christ was exalted in their conversation.
You can’t have it both ways, but Tony Miano thinks he is entitled to behave one way on social media, yet knows in his heart that “the how” and kindness, the same kindness he experienced with his precious sisters and mother, is of God.
And this is the saddest thing of all to me – – Tony’s online behavior. Take a look at how many news outlets are picking up the story and it has been growing.
Please, Tony, if you cannot be kind for Christ, if you cannot control “the how,” please check to see if you are in the right business/ministry . . . . for Christ’s sake.
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Spiritual Sounding Board 
i would question your motives as I don’t agree with the tone of what happened yesterday. However, you should probably examine your motives since you have a huge problem with your former pastor who is dearly beloved by Tony. Examine your heart…
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Angela,
Who are you to CON or Tony? Wouldn’t you have a problem if your pastor sued you? Don’t you have a problem with Tony, yourself? Who are you? And what is your motive for telling Julie Anne to examine her heart? I’m not getting you.
Ed
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I thought Angela must have been sarcastic, Ed. No?
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Angela is a first-time commenter here. I suspect she’s not being sarcastic. I could be wrong, though.
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I smell a sock puppet or True Believer. Both here and at Wartburg Watch, I notice after any expose of a crooked control-freak ManaGAWD the first-time commenters/sock puppets come out of the woodwork to defend their Personal LORD and Savior, the ManaGAWD. By attacking the Blasphemers.
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Angela,
Julie Anne’s former pastor was, and remains, a creep. Until he changes his ways, JA has every right to call him out.
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Yup, that’s the pattern. And they will find that it won’t work here or on TWW.
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He thinks what he said was used for God’s glory? I think God is shaking his head just like we all are. Good for you, Tony, for calling out a nation of people that you have never met and walked with! What a man of God you are.
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Kathi, your sarcasm is showing.
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Okay, I am in a biazzro mood today, probably will regret my juvenile comment later…
Tony & Con sitting in a tree,
kissing each others butts is what I see…
First comes judgment along with hells fire
if anyone questions them, they shout LIARS.
I could go on & on but will spare everyone. I understand this is no laughing matter, Tony’s tweets were reprehensible, another black eye on the body of Christ.
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In case no one noticed (some may have overdosed on this stuff already): JD Hall has Miano’s back over at Pulpit and Pen.
https://pulpitandpen.org/2015/04/27/preaching-in-tragedy-ye-will-all-likewise-perish/
Didn’t Hall say he was going to step away from social media for a while?
*sigh*
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And so Tonys misunderstood comment is used for God’s glory? sounds like the Taliban when they say their bombs are dispersed for the glory of Allah.
Where in the world does Tony get his supposed revelation that his comment was used for God’s glory?
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Gm370, Sometimes a little irreverent humor is just what we need. It keeps us from falling into despair when faced with Milano’s cruel words.
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Julie Anne – Is sarcasm a spiritual gift? 😉
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I’m convinced it’s necessary for my sanity to be saved. 🙂
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Julie: What I do not like about folks like Tony and J D–disagree with them and you are not a Christian. Are they God–they know the spiritual condition of men and women’s hearts–NO and No!!
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I was looking at some of the Tweets by way of the link Julie Anne provided above (Twitter search results for the name Tony Miano), and here are a few.
By the way, a lot of them are using the hash “Soul Vultures” when discussing Miano.
Rupa Subramanya @rupasubramanya Apr 25
Rupa Subramanya retweeted Tony Miano
#SoulVulture seeing opportunity to destroy a religion in a tragedy. #ChristianBigot
[she copied Miano’s tweet which said,
.@CNN Praying 4 the lost souls in Nepal. Praying not a single destroyed pagan temple will b rebuilt & the people will repent/receive Christ.]
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I found this one interesting, because in the last few years I have noticed similarities between some expressions of Christianity and extremist Islam:
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David B. Cohen @DavidBCohen1 Apr 25
ISIS levels others’ holy places. @TonyMiano rejoices when quake levels “pagan temples.” At least ISIS doesn’t pretend to be about “love.”
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Miano likely feels he’s being persecuted for sharing the Gospel, but he’s really being harassed for being an insensitive creep for how he’s sharing the Gospel, and IMO, for the “when” of it.
I”m not saying I’m totally in agreement with all comments or manners of behavior of Franklin Graham, but, I am willing to bet that Graham’s Samaritan Purse (or whatever it’s called) charity is in the process of sending medical supplies, clothing and food over to Nepal at the moment, which is the way to “evangelize” people in a tragedy, if that’s your goal.
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Yep, I just checked the Samaritan’s Purse site, and they are preparing to send supplies and help to Nepal, or already have:
Samaritan’s Purse is responding to the disastrous quake
If those people in Nepal learn that those volunteers are acting in accordance with the teachings of Jesus, they might possibly be moved to consider the Gospel.
But Tweets from Miano just telling them that their religion is bogus and to repent is not going to have the same impact.
Miano seems to fancy himself an Old Testament prophet (or a John the Baptist), but we’re living under the New Covenant now. I don’t recall the OT saying God names Miano as a prophet who gets to run through other nations screaming at them to repent.
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“I would rather say something misunderstood by millions that the Lord uses for His glory than to say nothing at all and scoff at those who speak. ~Tony
Miano might rather one of the two choices he presented but he doesn’t get to chose between either of them since neither are the case. His comment was not misunderstood by millions. The inappropriateness of it is on the sending end, not on the receiving end; and it is too late for him to have said nothing. What his situation is is that he said something offensive and unnecessary, badly timed to say the least, insensitive, lacking emotional intelligence, and just plain uncalled for.
What he calls scoffing is rebuke from those who know what he did, without misunderstanding him, and he is refusing to take the rebuke. So now, rather than learn from this he is instead hardening his heart yet further.
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“The inappropriateness of it is on the sending end, not on the receiving end; and it is too late for him to have said nothing.”
“So now, rather than learn from this he is instead hardening his heart yet further.”
Spot on, Barnabus!
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I’m not sure how twitter works, but I know with email it is often good to reread what I have said before pushing the send button and think about how I might come across. I have pushed send on occasions and had regret from it. It doesn’t seem that Mr. Miano is showing any regret or remorse.
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Loura wrote upthread :
Still, there are a lot of OT examples (contrasted by Job’s story) where God specifically brings disaster on a nation to judge it. I do not believe God has changed, but how can we reconcile the two?
(Anyone feel free to chime in!)
I remember years back reading a Jewish Midrash on God’s judgement in olden times. The Rabbi argued that more often than not, God simply allowed wicked nations and even his own beloved Israel to reap their own consequences for what they had sown.
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Daisy said
“Miano seems to fancy himself an Old Testament prophet (or a John the Baptist), but we’re living under the New Covenant now. I don’t recall the OT saying God names Miano as a prophet who gets to run through other nations screaming at them to repent.”
Yes, and the more he is persecuted the more he will bunker down because in his mind persecution is necessary to salvation. Being a martyr is his idol and again not unlike the Taliban.
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In regards to Job, and disasters…Job was a believer. Job was being tested in his faith. There was no judgment going on, as far as I can see. I’m not sure as to the “why” Calvinists continue to tout the Job incident as a judgment from God, when this was nothing more than a test…a wager that God made with Satan.
Ed
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It’s easy to respond in haste when you are in a heated discussion and I have been guilty of that. Sometimes I have 2-5 trial runs for responses before hitting send. If it’s an especially heated discussion, I have copied the response in Word (just so I don’t mistakenly hit send) and walked away for a bit. Occasionally, I scrap the thing altogether, other times, I will send it.
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That’s good, Ed.
Ok, I just checked Tony’s Twitter feed. It’s unending. He has been responding since very early this morning and tweeting at stops.
Check this out: https://twitter.com/WanderinPoet/status/593080053950320640
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To gm370 posted at 8:30 a.m.
Thanks for the “juvenile laugh” as it was entertaining….don’t suppose you could come up with a crazy juvenile “roses are red, violets are blue” piece of poetry to address TM’s piety on a silver platter? You have a wonderful way with words!
Also, as Julie Anne has addressed previously concerning J.D. Hall’s “issues.” I used to be a faithful listener of Hall’s via the internet until his wicked bullying was brought to light by very caring people who love Jesus as their own. Grown men should know better than to speak this way in the public forum….especially those who believe they have “more?????” of God, the Holy Spirit, working inside of them.
Let’s see here, what are the fruits of God, the Holy Spirit, again? Is one of them bullying, or perhaps spiritual elitism?
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It’s sad – – as TM has behaved like a fool before the world, now the world is reacting and responding to Christians in general – (like the above). This is not just about TM’s behavior, it’s about the reputation of Christ.
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Amen Julie Anne. A resounding “amen.”
If I may have the opportunity here, to share a poem a dear friend gave to me with a small hand made cross- stitched cross to carry with me wherever I went; it was given to me out of sincere love and reverence for Christ during a very trying period in my life. This sister in Christ is the real deal and a very kind human being…..
“I carry a cross in my pocket
A simple reminder to me
Of the fact that I am a Christian
No matter where I may be.
This little cross is not magic
Nor is it a good luck charm
It isn’t meant to protect me
From every physical harm.
It’s not for identification
For all the world to see
It’s simply an understanding
Between my Savior and me.
When I put my hand in my pocket
To bring out a coin or key
The cross is there to remind me
Of the price He paid for me.
It reminds me, too, to be thankful
For the blessings day by day
And to strive to serve Him better
In all that I do and say.
It’s also a daily reminder
Of the peace and comfort I share
With all who know my Master
And give themselves to His care.
So, I carry a cross in my pocket
Reminding no one but me
That Jesus Christ is LORD of my life
If only I’ll let Him be.
May our LORD send His faithful to love, care, and comfort those souls who are suffering.
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Not only has TM’s verbal diarhea hurt and offended unbelievers, this time he has also put Christians in danger. Check out some of the more radical Hindu tweets under hashtag Soulvultures. People worldwide are angry, and on certain levels rightly so. Phil Johnson was dead right when he said this was the spirit of Westboro. It is similar to Terry Jones threatening to burn the Koran (which put service- members at risk). It is perceived as an attack on a culture. What Tony misses is his own idolatry of superiority and knowledge that is just as damaging as idol worship. Arguing with people is not ministry, however you frame it. Having said Phil Johnson was right on one issue, his attack on JA is ludicrous and deceitful because he himself isn’t doing anything to stand up publicly against specific public sin by any of his buddies. He releases a generic statement and thinks that should be enough. It’s not about shaming but it is about standing against sinful heart issues like abusiveness. Why anyone would want to submit to such wishy washy “authority”, however good their “teaching” is, is beyond me. Besides, it shows what they really believe about people and it just ain’t Biblical.
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Have you been reading my draft post, Melody? Lol. Gotta get my homework done first, though.
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Lol great minds and all that. 😉 happy home working. Gonna be back to that myself in a month or two. 🙂 Please tweet me your post if you remember-don’t want to miss that one. Thanks again for speaking out.
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@Trust4HimOnly:
Because God has him on speed-dial and told him personally, that’s where.
I mean, where would God be without Tony?
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Exodus 20:3-6 NKJV
“You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
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That’s a great passage, christpersell. What is your thought on why you posted it here?
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Do pagan shrines exist? How would one define them?
Why are evangelicals so reticent in naming the person or view which is the subject of critique? Is this behaviour motivated by a fear of a loss of revenue, or is it something else? (referring here to Johnson).
If Mr. Miano was a victim of a dysfunctional or abusive family, how should he be approached? Does this not provide him a sort of immunity?
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Lara: I appreciate your link to the article in DM, yet I think it casts the actual practice of most Hindus in an unnecessarily bad light. Many abstain from meat, and would be appalled at the mass ritual slaughter. Further, in my personal experience I have never had a Hindu say anything bad about Jesus Christ.
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Bad behavior is incompatible with public (or private) ministry. Dysfunctional family issues are NOT an excuse for someone who chooses to avoid dealing with their own past issues and current sin.
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I don’t support Mr. Miano in the least regarding what he said, and there are so many definitions “ministry” and “fitness”, that I won’t venture an opinion. He certainly has no second thoughts about his approach. Yet I think if someone approached him in an irenic spirit, preferably someone with a similar background, it might be of help. Perhaps this has already been done. I don’t understand your second sentence. Do you mean this is a legitimate excuse, or merely an excuse?
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God Bless you all. Have a good day.
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Keith B said,
When Julie Anne said,
I took that to mean that having a dsyfunctional family upbringing is not a valid reason to abuse other people.
Some abusers or rude people will use their abusive or dysfunctional family of origin as excuses for why they misbehave, never mind that plenty of people come from lousy families but choose not to be rude or to abuse others.
Keith said,
That may be true, and I’ve heard that most Hindus have nothing against Jesus per se, but in one of the angry Hindu tweets against Miano I saw, one of them referred to Jesus as a “lying false zombie god” or something of that nature.
I believe I’ve also read that in some parts of the world, some Hindus murder or harass Christians for being Christian. I was surprised to read such news articles, because previously, I had read that most Hindus are pretty chill and respectful of all religions. Apparently not all, though.
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Daisy: I have also read about Hindus who are anti-Christian. The difficult thing about Hinduism is that with the plethora of deities one is faced with an extremely varied range of beliefs. I think the mass killing of oxen would be offensive to a lot of Hindus, but I agree there has been persecution. I have known only a few Hindus well. One is a businessman in my county who is well-liked, and US-born. He seems quite tolerant, and awfully conservative. The only thing irritating about him is he is a fitness nut, shaming most of the rest of us.
In college i knew a young lady from Manchester UK who had converted to Christianity. Her family apparently did not mind, but expected her to attend various rites which presented a spiritual issue for her.
On the issue of being raised in an abusive family as an excuse, i must admit to being a little cynical, as I hear it so often in my work. Being estranged from one’s family, as Mr. Miano has been, must stem from significant problems and create significant stresses.
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Re: Temples, I would not destroy them even if a whole community converted. These are buildings of historic significance, much like the pyramids, or the Parthenon. I am open to other views, but the mere fact that a building was once used for a pagan purpose does not make the building tainted in some sense.
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Daisy: I fixed your comment and removed the now unnecessary comment 🙂
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Keith said:
Keith, that was my mistake. I left out an important word: NOT. It should read as follows:
Dysfunctional family issues are NOT an excuse for someone who chooses to avoid dealing with their own past issues and current sin.
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Julie Anne: I get it now. I generally agree with that view, but have to sometimes reflect a bit, because of my general tendency toward cynicism (i.e. people using a bad upbringing as an excuse). Thanks! Have a good day!
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This guy makes me SO angry.
You want to love the Nepalis? You want to share the gospel?
Get your butt on over there and SERVE THEM. Give out water or supplies. Did people out if the rubble. Rebuild shelters. Love them. Tell them Jesus loves them. Be kind.
Or at the very LEAST, SHUT UP and aid some ministries who are doing all that. What shame this man brings to Christianity. Smh
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Crayons: Amen…it is old-fashioned, but right.
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It is so strange that Tony Miano fails so miserably with a such an aggressive form of a “condolence” when he essentially is calling them Pagans.
He appears to be so blinded is he thinks his methodology is going to console the victims families.
I firmly believe he was mentored to embrace this methodology from a faction within a Hyper Reformed Theology that is disconnected in my view in how Christ would console non-believers of scriptures.
I certainly don’t see enough evidence of Love and that would also in “though love”.
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Katy: Thanks for the “juvenile laugh” as it was entertaining….don’t suppose you could come up with a crazy juvenile “roses are red, violets are blue” piece of poetry to address TM’s piety on a silver platter? You have a wonderful way with words!
This is awful, but it got stuck in my head when I read your comment.
“Roses are red, violets are blue.
“Don’t sweat no earthquakes, ’cause Christ died for you.
“(if you are not of a different sect,
“but one of the Elect)”
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Meanwhile in Ken Ham Land, he uses the Nepal earthquake to push young earth creationism.
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He did not!!!
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David C, I am sympathetic to YEC, but I can’t agree with Ham using the earthquake to promote YEC. 😦
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Julie Anne said,
I’m kind of going through this right now with my sibling. I should maybe visit CFJ blog and post it there, I don’t know.
But I had another minor incident with my sibling, who has been emotionally abusive to me for years, and she will use her stress in her job, love life, health problems, etc, as a reason or justification as to why she verbally harasses me (or in written form, she sends me rude e-mails, rude social media posts, etc).
If I call her on her abuse, which I did not do until recently (I used to just sit there and take it from her without objecting), she wants me and others to feel sorry for her, to chalk up her angry name calling, out bursts as an excuse for it all.
I’ve been through some stressful stuff in my life too, but I don’t ordinarily use it as a rationalization to scream at people and take my anger out at them.
The older I get, I am finding it harder and harder to sit still, remain quiet, or just accept being yelled at by her, and all because she says she has life tough.
Our family of origin contributes in part to this behavior. I see where my sibling gets it from, but I’m not going to buy into that as a justification for it.
Her abuse is wrong period, regardless of how our family was messed up, or how bad a day she had at her job, etc.
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refugee 10:25 AM
“Like and Like some more.”
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Daisy: I don’t see it as a sin to yell back at her. You have to protect yourself, and if she is a narcissist, there is little else that is effective.
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Some of these guys that are embedded in their Hyper-Reformed Theologies are programmed to pursue persecution if they aren’t suffering enough…otherwise their salvation in their own mind may be questionable..
In their mind the reward in heaven may not be as radical as suicide Al-Kaeda bomber going to the farthest extreme of embracing self-persecution with 10,000 virgins waiting for them on the other side….
My impression is they embrace a merit badge theology and their hope is to acquire enough merit badges so they can at least “get in” to heaven.
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Tony is still defending himself even a half hour ago. https://twitter.com/Toxophile/status/594619964549701633
https://twitter.com/TonyMiano/status/594621868973301760
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