Category: philosophy/religion topics
I catch this when I can, am not a regular viewer of anything on tv, but I think I like him. Houston based Reverend Osteen has a positive message, I just listened to him on my JetBlue flight home with the headphones. It was something I really needed to hear, about letting go of grudges, or, like additional baggage on an airline flight, you wind up paying extra in loss of joy & perhaps even repeating the same behavior that so hurt you. Where he and I have to part ways is at the end where he acknowledges Jesus Christ as Lord. I see him as a mortal human messenger of God.
Sponge,
I am ready to take some flack for this...
Joel Osteen is a motivational speaker, nothing mroe or nothing less. He is, unfortunately, using religion as a way to get people to follow him. If people want to hear that self-help God-wants-you-to-be-happy stuff, that's all right with me; I just don't think he should be invoking the name of Christ in his messages.
Kate
He is indeed a nice guy and I like him as well. The only problem I have with him is that he always speaks positively about things, and things just aren't that way all the time. Everybdy goes through hard times, which does include us Christians, and I think he needs to acknowledge that a little more.
Illumination, true enough. But he also believes that if bad things are happening to you, then it's your own fault. You don't have enough faith in yourself or somesuch.
Kate
That is precisely what I don't like about him, from what I saw. Faith and positive thought talkers are one reason I was so long in converting anyway. People can be saddled with a lot of guilt when things don't work out, which, IMHO, most of the time they don't. We're left with our wits in the end anyway. But his unrealistic expectation if you pray enough, or think highly enough things will happen. Well, there's a pretty major gap there between that and the reality we're all too responsible for most times.
Kate,
oh my gosh. I opened this post ready to say something along the lines of what you said. Thank you!!
Joel Austeen has a huuuuuge church. Massive. Why? Have you ever heard him seriously talk about sin? Yes, he's just a motivational speaker. I value challenging preaching. If you don't mind me recommending some to you, Joyce Meyer, although pretty blunt, gives you real good teaching to live by, and there are so many more! I'm just so glad there are people apart from me who see him for what he is.
I always watch Joal! As a matter of fact, I'm a Houstonian! I don't go to his church, though.
Although, I do agree with you. He does always speak about positive things. As for the person that said he's "using religion to make people follow him", I respect your openion but I have to disagree.
As for the thing about "If something bad happens to you, you don't have enough faith", I have to agree with you. Doesn't it say in the bible that "we have all been dealt the measure of faith"?
The prosperity gospel is most harmful, especially for those who are trying to "figure out who God is."
BethanyRose, I could not agree more. The prosperity gospel is against all things that Christ taught, while pretending to be all on fire for Christ. The leaders are only on fire for their wallet and pick people who are too weak to study the full council of God for themselves. This is why I cannot support Joyce Meyer, because she freely associates with Joel Osteen and other WoF teachers.
This is why I'm against the churches that only teach prosperity. It's deceptive, first of all, because the Bible clearly states that you as a Christian will go through difficult times and you will be persecuted for your faith. I think one of the reasons why Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, and all the rest of these motivational speakers try to preach prosperity and success is because they're tired of being mocked and persecuted. It's sad that they're deceiving so many people in these enormous churches.
You are all right in saying that thinking does put a lot of us off, make a so-called stumbling block if you will. Think of those pre-Youtube vids from PastorGas.com which were a TBN preacher mixed with judiciously-placed farts. Known at least to some of us as Tootin' Tilton, this guy was apparently a sanctioned leader by the TBN crowd, but caused no end of uproarious laughter in bachelor pads, cigar rooms and other male-friendly locations.