Joel Osteen

[The Roman from Ipanema]

I found an interesting video, what do you think of it?

Thoughts?

[Briefly]

We really don't consider Osteen to be genuine, or much else that we have interest in.  We are Christian, and we watched a few of his shows.  But we quit when we realized he often he did NOT talk about the Bible, mention God, Jesus, or basically anything else than "getting blessings."

[Palimpsest]

Classic Prosperity Gospel.  Televangelist.  Arsehole.  Scammer.  Preys on the vulnerable.  One of many, unfortunately.  

[SolomonFundy]

I have absolutely no use for this guy. Classic "prosperity gospel" sleaze, and the unfortunate resemblance to a ferret doesn't help matters. 

The Osteens strike me as a particularly disingenuous couple. I've always gotten the feeling that the marriage will spectacularly explode someday, and when it does, the fall out will make the Bakkers look like a couple of innocent lambs by comparison. 

[Howl]

8 hours ago, SolomonFundy said:

The Osteens strike me as a particularly disingenuous couple. I've always gotten the feeling that the marriage will spectacularly explode someday, and when it does, the fall out will make the Bakkers look like a couple of innocent lambs by comparison. 

Yeah, the Osteens did not look quite so good when Lakewood church didn't open its doors right away to those affected by Hurricane Harvey in Houston.  They explained it away (we couldn't get there to open the doors!), but whichever story was right, it was not a good look for a prosperity mega church to turn away a small group of refugees from the flood, although they did eventually open the church doors.  

MetroNews in the UK covered it here, but they also have a link to an article titled Grandad's testicle exploded 'like a volcano' after he caught salmonella on holiday: It had swollen to the size of a grapefruit.

USA Today had a more nuanced story on Sept 2: Even if Joel Osteen did the right thing, he lost a chance to teach Christianity

Yeah, there's too much money, too much celebrity, too much teeth whitening for that marriage to survive truly intact. 

 

 

[Buzzard]

People in need are always seeking words they WANT to hear, rather than things they NEED to hear.  Osteen preys on people who are looking to hear that things will get better, that life will get easier, that there is a solution to problems.  His gospel isnt about God, hard work, personal responsibility, or any of the other "hard" or "real" things, its about following HIM and giving HIM the ability to spread HIS word.  All you have to do is believe in what Osteen is saying and everything will be rainbows!

[Briefly]

23 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

Classic Prosperity Gospel.  Televangelist.  Arsehole.  Scammer.  Preys on the vulnerable.  One of many, unfortunately.  

He has a creepy, predator smile.  The kind you see on a shark, although a shark has a natural function in the environment.

[Howl]

22 hours ago, Buzzard said:

People in need are always seeking words they WANT to hear, rather than things they NEED to hear.  Osteen preys on people who are looking to hear that things will get better, that life will get easier, that there is a solution to problems.  His gospel isnt about God, hard work, personal responsibility, or any of the other "hard" or "real" things, its about following HIM and giving HIM the ability to spread HIS word.  All you have to do is believe in what Osteen is saying and everything will be rainbows!

The "God Farts Rainbows" gospel message? Have these people never read the Old Testament?

[danvillebelle]

Sharks have way more moral integrity than Joel Osteen.  

Jesus' most persistent message in the Gospels is REPENT.  Pick them up and read them sometime, Joel.  You might be surprised at what you find.

[nokidsmom]

On 1/9/2018 at 11:37 PM, SolomonFundy said:

The Osteens strike me as a particularly disingenuous couple. I've always gotten the feeling that the marriage will spectacularly explode someday, and when it does, the fall out will make the Bakkers look like a couple of innocent lambs by comparison. 

That's the feeling I have always had too.  In fact, when I first heard of them I thought they are the new Jim and Tammy Faye replacements, should be interesting to see how these two end up!

Hate to say it but I wasn't surprised that their church did not initially open their doors after Hurricane Harvey.   It showed their true colors.  

[FundieFarmer]

Hate to say it but I wasn't surprised that their church did not initially open their doors after Hurricane Harvey.   It showed their true colors.  

I was shocked by that, if only because they missed out on such a good press opportunity. Such little foresight. They’re such schmucks. I can’t stand Osteen and struggle with his adherents, though I mostly feel empathy for them.

[clueliss]

My mother had started watching him.  He was on either before or after Charles Stanley and she'd watch them both before church.  I may have sat in her living room and pointed out when he was doing the prosperity doctrine nonsense and that he was taking Bible quotes out of context.  She just thought he was nice.