I don’t tend to keep up on “Christian News,” because it pretty much looks like the standard misinformation and disinformation that the rest of the media world puts forth, only with the words “Jesus” and “God” thrown in enough to make it spiritually acceptable.

The quick easy solution to being bullied from the pulpit? Walk away, on the narrow path. Cadence, original oil painting by Steve Henderson; licensed prints at Great Big Canvas, iCanvasART, and Framed Canvas Art.

Because I now incorporate a blog at the Christian Post, however, I can’t help but see the headlines, and the latest, most breaking news in the Church and Ministry section announced,

John Piper Says Bullying Pastors Abuse Authority and Should Be Rebuked.

In case you don’t know who John Piper is (I didn’t, until a month or so ago when I was wandering around the Internet looking up disparate things), he is a Calvinistic Baptist preacher who served as Pastor of Preaching and Vision (what an interesting job title) at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis for 33 years.

He writes lots of books and tends to be quoted in Christian media when he speaks, as he was in this article.

But as independent, thoughtful Christians who have the Holy Spirit within us, we do not need the permission of John Piper, or any other big voice out there, giving us permission to stand up, speak out, and not allow ourselves to be bullied by any other person.

And yet, many of us must, somehow, because too many Christians live their lives under the rules and obligations and authority of others, and when they do dare to speak out, they’re told to not be a “lone ranger,” and to go along with the group. I don’t think this is the message that Jesus propounded — group think, that is.

Please read the rest at We Don’t Need Celebrity Christian Permission to Stand up for Ourselves at by Commonsense Christianity blog, BeliefNet.