John Piper’s Son Has Become a Bible-Bashing Tik-Tok Star. What Can We Learn?

Michie

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Feb 5, 2002
165,508
55,201
Woods
✟4,584,738.00
Country
United States
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
We hear regular reports of high-profile Christian leaders renouncing their faith, most recently Dr. Paul Maxwell, an author, former Moody Bible Institute professor, and writer for Desiring God. Yet, for many of us, it was even more shocking to learn that Abraham Piper, son of the influential pastor John Piper, had become an internet sensation, best known for his videos mocking his former evangelical beliefs.

As reported by the New York Times, “Abraham Piper became a sensation on TikTok nearly overnight. He posted his first video in November, and he now has more than 900,000 followers, many of them young people who thank him for capturing their experiences so precisely. His unlikely path to online stardom: irreverent critiques of evangelical Christianity aimed at others who have left the faith.”

It turns out that Abraham had fallen away from the faith at the age of 19, so his non-belief is not news in itself. (Personally, I knew nothing of John Piper’s family, so all of this was new to me.) What is news is the popularity of his videos, recorded in an upbeat, conversational tone that no doubt appeals to today’s youth.

What are we to make of all this?

Continued below.
John Piper’s Son Has Become a Bible-Bashing Tik-Tok Star. What Can We Learn? | The Stream
 

GOD Shines Forth!

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Jan 6, 2019
2,615
2,061
United States
✟355,297.00
Country
United States
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Single
What are we to make of all this?

It's a tired form of theater that plays to the cheapest seats in the house?

13The woman Folly is loud;
she is seductivec and knows nothing.
14She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
15calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
16“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
17“Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Proverbs 9
 
Upvote 0

Maria Billingsley

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Oct 7, 2018
9,576
7,775
63
Martinez
✟893,955.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
We hear regular reports of high-profile Christian leaders renouncing their faith, most recently Dr. Paul Maxwell, an author, former Moody Bible Institute professor, and writer for Desiring God. Yet, for many of us, it was even more shocking to learn that Abraham Piper, son of the influential pastor John Piper, had become an internet sensation, best known for his videos mocking his former evangelical beliefs.

As reported by the New York Times, “Abraham Piper became a sensation on TikTok nearly overnight. He posted his first video in November, and he now has more than 900,000 followers, many of them young people who thank him for capturing their experiences so precisely. His unlikely path to online stardom: irreverent critiques of evangelical Christianity aimed at others who have left the faith.”

It turns out that Abraham had fallen away from the faith at the age of 19, so his non-belief is not news in itself. (Personally, I knew nothing of John Piper’s family, so all of this was new to me.) What is news is the popularity of his videos, recorded in an upbeat, conversational tone that no doubt appeals to today’s youth.

What are we to make of all this?

Continued below.
John Piper’s Son Has Become a Bible-Bashing Tik-Tok Star. What Can We Learn? | The Stream
He is just trying to "unlearn "bad theology. Sometimes starting over unveils truth. Be blessed.
 
Upvote 0

Rescued One

...yet not I, but the grace of God that is with me
Dec 12, 2002
35,503
6,392
Midwest
✟78,404.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Widowed
John 14
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

"23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me."
 
  • Like
Reactions: anna ~ grace
Upvote 0

paul1149

that your faith might rest in the power of God
Supporter
Mar 22, 2011
8,460
5,268
NY
✟674,364.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
Politics
US-Others
most recently Dr. Paul Maxwell,

That was a horrifying video, a study in self-deception. From other previous quotes by Maxwell given in the article, he did have things in his Christian persona to be dissatisfied with. But to abandon Jesus in order to connect with people is preeminent baby/bathwater folly. I've never forgotten a story we read way back in early grade school, of a boy who wanted to win a kite contest so badly that at the last moment he let go of his string to let his kite fly higher. The result was that without proper grounding his kite came crashing down to earth. That's exactly what Maxwell has done.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: 1 person
Upvote 0

GOD Shines Forth!

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Jan 6, 2019
2,615
2,061
United States
✟355,297.00
Country
United States
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Single
That was a horrifying video, a study in self-deception.

It's Calvinistic doctrine that caused his "effects of abuse trauma". He's written a book about it. Probably in time he will admit that Jesus Christ, not Calvinism or Christianity, is worth being troubled about (after the "lovely people" disappear or are proved to have NOTHING when it comes to issues of the spirit).
 
Upvote 0

PloverWing

Episcopalian
May 5, 2012
4,338
5,024
New Jersey
✟332,494.00
Country
United States
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
I hadn't heard of Abraham Piper before, so I watched a few of his TikTok videos this morning after reading your post. I know of his father, of course, chiefly from his infamous book on gender co-authored with Wayne Grudem.

When I was leaving Evangelicalism, it helped me to read other people's similar stories. I remember reading Evangelical is Not Enough, by Thomas Howard, and being cheered to encounter a fellow-traveller. These days, TikTok is probably more accessible than reading books, but I expect Piper's videos are serving a similar purpose: Young adults trying to process the more difficult parts of their evangelical upbringing may find in him a kindred spirit. It doesn't surprise me that his videos have become popular.
 
  • Like
Reactions: public hermit
Upvote 0

EpicScore

Active Member
Sep 16, 2017
192
182
✟41,079.00
Faith
Calvinist
Marital Status
Single
I remember reading this lengthy Facebook post written by Skillet lead singer John Cooper in response to (probably) Joshua Harris public renunciation of his faith back in 2019. Here it is, and it seems like what he said is still quite relevant, given that these people tend to have similar reasons when they announce leaving their faith.

As for ourselves, perhaps this could serve as a wake-up call to re-evaluate about how we share and express our faith, especially in the context of helping people wrestle with deep, personal issues. I've been attending various churches throughout my life, and I observed a lot of those churches don't really preach the Gospel.

Perhaps some of us may have heard it said that "having faith in Christ is not the end of the story, it's the start of a new journey to become more like Christ." And, I suppose, the preachers assume that the congregation has already taken that first step into faith, and now their job is to guide them through the next steps. However, in their preoccupation in teaching Christlikeness to the people, these preachers neglect to preach Christ Himself, and the hearers leave the pew understanding getting very little more than a "be a better person" or "get religious" message, without actually knowing Christ or his grace.

Add to the fact that a lot of Christians often throw around "faith" to dismiss other people's legitimate concern, and/or invoke God's work and prayers as an excuse to not help or support others in a more meaningful way, this might give the impression that Christians live in a bubble divorced from reality.

I admit that I might be a little guilty at this at times. Answering people's intellectual objections and skepticism with apologetics and doctrines are a lot easier than dealing with their emotional objections.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

apogee

Regular Member
Oct 9, 2004
824
442
✟41,941.00
Faith
Christian
What Can We Learn? - having watched a few of his videos, I'm gonna go with - we can learn that Abraham Piper is a very smart and likable guy, who happens to be very funny and doesn't take himself very seriously at all - and that the fact that he has those qualities, actually reflects pretty well on his parents (maybe).
 
Upvote 0

Rescued One

...yet not I, but the grace of God that is with me
Dec 12, 2002
35,503
6,392
Midwest
✟78,404.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Widowed
I remember reading this lengthy Facebook post written by Skillet lead singer John Cooper in response to (probably) Joshua Harris public renunciation of his faith back in 2019. Here it is, and it seems like what he said is still quite relevant, given that these people tend to have similar reasons when they announce leaving their faith....


I like your D. A. Carson quote:
“People do not drift toward Holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.”
 
Upvote 0

HannahT

Newbie
Supporter
Apr 9, 2013
6,027
2,422
✟458,831.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
I've never been a John Piper Fan myself. He tends to add things to scripture, and tends to be on the ugly side if you disagree with him. I'm sure on the regular he can be a nice person, but he also could do a bit more listening...instead of telling people what they are if they don't agree with him. If he had some better listening skills? I mean in a way of NOT listening always in order to critique...but to listen? He might come across better, but that is a huge issue for him.

Years ago he did a video on marital abuse, and he blew it big time. His giggle at the beginning, and then his spiritualizing things instead of addressing this issue? It was awful, and their second attempt (Via Desiring God) - 2 years later I think it was - to re approach the subject after much backlash didn't do much better then either.

Every human has their limitations, and this is one subject he needs to steer clear of IMO. He only made things worse, and never did they step up and admit it. It's a hard and scary issue, and there is nothing wrong with admitting you are over your head. We all have our blind spots, and he has an issue admitting some of his. lol I know how human of him right?

If I were guessing? John might have approached some of his son's doubts and questions like he does within organizations, books, sermons when others question their scriptural add ons. Questions and doubts should be approached gracefully, and with no sense of looking down their nose at the person. I've seen many kids of legalistic families that left the fold, because of the belief system that their family pushed upon them with no wiggle room. No doubt he will be the wayward son, because they are still not capable of handling such matters in a way that feels safe to do so. If you can't question, or disagree without feeling attacked? You are going to go elsewhere.
 
Upvote 0