Usually, I refrain from responding to any of Van's inane and ignorant ramblings.... But, this has to be commented upon.
Van claims to have been slandered...which hasn't actually happened.
First, slander is a category of defamation and, by definition, slander happens verbally. When defamation happens in print, such as in a forum such as this, it is called libel.
Collectively known as defamation, libel and slander are civil wrongs that harm a reputation; decrease respect, regard, or confidence; or induce disparaging, hostile, or disagreeable opinions or feelings against an individual or entity. The injury to one's good name or reputation is affected through written or spoken words or visual images. The laws governing these torts are identical. [1]
Libel is further defined: "to publish in print (including pictures), writing or broadcast through radio, television or film, an untruth about another which will do harm to that person or his/her reputation, by tending to bring the target into ridicule, hatred, scorn or contempt of others." [2]
To prove libel in a court of law, "the plaintiff must show evidence of four elements: that the defendant conveyed a defamatory message; that the material was published, meaning that it was conveyed to someone other than the plaintiff; that the plaintiff could be identified as the person referred to in the defamatory material; and that the plaintiff suffered some injury to his or her reputation as a result of the communication." [3]
What you have written here is, without a doubt, libel:
Of the four elements required to prove libel, you have committed the following:
1.
Conveyed a defamatory message. Saying that Piper is "not a person to trust," that "he distorts scripture", and he "presents a deceptive gospel" is an untruth. What you've done here is defame Piper simply because you disagree with him. You've offered your opinion as universal truth, and you've written against him as a person [
ad hominem], not his theology--and in doing so, have defamed him.
2.
The material was published. Your writing was unquestionably published here in this forum
3.
Piper could be identified as the person referred to in the defamatory material. It's obvious that John Piper is the person to whom you are referring.
4.
Piper suffered some injury to his reputation as a result of the communication. While it's obvious that this is your intent in your posting--as you have yet to reference Piper's voluminous writings on evangelism; as you have super-imposed your understanding of scripture and theology (whether it be flawed or not) over his as the indefatigable standard of truth; as you have called into question his character as a means to the end of discrediting his theology; and you obviously have had no true interaction with his material--no one would take you seriously enough to claim that you can harm Dr. Piper's (and it is
Dr. Piper) reputation.
Seriously, he's an author of international acclaim who has sold countless millions of books (and, by the way, he does not take one thin dime of royalties) whereas there are very, very few who have read or taken seriously anything you've written.
Your comments about Dr. Piper are quite sad, because they demonstrate that you know absolutely nothing about what you are talking about. A wise man once said: "It is better to let the world think you a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." With every passing letter you type about Piper in this thread, you are demonstrating and proving your foolishness.
The Archangel
[1] http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Libel+and+Slander (accessed 5/18/13)
[2] http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/libel (accessed 5/18/13)
[3] http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Libel+and+Slander (accessed 5/18/13)