Just a thought: Ricochet leaders were thinking Denise writes real well, is great at stirring up conversations, is an experienced journalist, and is hawt to boot. Perfect draw to new members and readers. They ain't dumb.

Uhm, Brent, I think you have misread Denise's intentions.

John, Piper's original tweet came across as devoid of emotion. My gut response to it was, "Insensitive jerk putting up a Biblical quote about dead children." And I know the book of a Job very well.

I agree with Denise and Midge and Amy that a more resounding short message would communicate his heart by just stating his own emotions. Just tell the public your heart is breaking for the victims and you are praying for them. How hard is that?!

Roberto:

ChrisZ: Piper's fault was thinking that twitter is a proper medium to communicate anything serious.

This strikes me as an important point. I see here yet another fellow who has a poor understanding of how the Internet works. There is often this illusion that when writing a blog, commentating on a story or "tweeting" that you are communicating with a rather modest number of somewhat like-minded individuals.

No. Remember this your most offhand reflection made online is being broadcast to every corner of the Earth, your best friend and your most hate filled enemy are all watching. You always need to consider how your words might be construed, particularly by those who are predisposed to do you ill.

Bingo, Roberto!

Wow. Just... wow.

Yes, Piper messed up big time. No, even I as a Christian who majored in Biblical studies and am quite familiar with Job found Piper's stupid tweet offensive. I wish Christian leaders would stick to following Jesus' example instead of Elijah's or Nathan's example.

A-am-zing! It's like watching "Star Trek" medicine becoming reality.

Xennady, I am so sorry you didn't get the parent you deserved.  At least your parent didn't proceed to have something illegal done to you as the mothers in this article have.  Twisting the heads off of live babies is illegal.  I pray to God it remains illegal forever. 

:D :D :D  Heh!  Who in their right mind wouldn't love flownover?!

Darn tootin'!  Mike is a special Cool Texan who deserves the best!

My chem professor is currently doing the same thing.  I keep trying not to laugh out loud at all of his "takes."

Uh... yeah... no.  That's not quite how it happened.  Your version is definitely the Hollywoodized one.  There's nothing in there about me thinking I was going to die and imagining my and my classmates' blood spattered on the white-washed farm house.  Incidentally, the farmer's wife refused us entrance into her home.  So, we gathered on her porch and watched the rocks fall.  

Also, nothing in there about us crazy Pentecostals getting all "Jesus-y" and praying out loud.

The stoning, we convinced a bus company to take us back to Jerusalem. The hooligans stoning us 2 hours prior were offering me fruit for the trip back. Little stinkers.

Oh, it's a good one, I guarantee. I hesitate to write it down because I'm more used to telling it in person with facial expressions and gestures. But the short answer is...I was in Israel in '89 with a field archeology class in college. Our leader felt it was necessary to visit the site of Ai during the first intifada. On the West Bank. On our way back to the bus, we discovered our bus gone, and stone throwing youths in their place. After negotiations broke down, our group split in two. The smaller group ran to a nearby farmhouse. The larger group ran to a mosque further away. I was in the small group watching my friends being chased with a remnant of hooligans stoning them. Since we were a mostly Christian group (Pentecostal to boot), those of us at the house stretched out our hands toward our fleeing friends and prayed very loudly for them. The larger band of hooligans approached us ready to stone us until we stepped out and tried to talk to them.Suddenly they dropped their rocks and escorted us to our friends. 2 hours after

I was wondering if that was her premise, but I wasn't quite sure.

I think I just peed my pants.