Before we found our new church home, I caught Joel a time or two on TV. We mostly watched John Hagee. It didn't take too much time listening to Joel to form the opinion that something was not quite there. Anyone else get that feeling?
That's putting it mildly. I would describe them more of "We'll tell you anything you want to hear as long as you show us the money first." Anytime I see them on TV the channel gets quickly turned. I know other people who really him and regularly donates in one form or another. To each his own I suppose.LisaC said:The Osteens are motivational speakers, not teachers of the Word.
LisaC said:The Osteens are motivational speakers, not teachers of the Word.
Grey Colson said:LisaC said:The Osteens are motivational speakers, not teachers of the Word.
Motivational speakers don't typically operate a "church" do they?
They consider theirs a House ofGrey Colson said:LisaC said:The Osteens are motivational speakers, not teachers of the Word.
Motivational speakers don't typically operate a "church" do they?
Madea said:He's always been kinda creepy to me. I've never understood the attraction.
ShoeDiva said:Madea said:He's always been kinda creepy to me. I've never understood the attraction.
:ditto I am glad someone else feels that way.
mei lan said:Caveat: I am an evangelical Christian with a tendency towards evangelical Presbyterianism. (Did you know there is a denomination called Evangelical Presbyterian Church? Completely more Biblical than PCA or PCUSA. Mars Hill Pres. in Acworth is one.) I have an extensive background in theology and I daresay I could preach rings around most preachers in pulpits today. I say this not as a point of pride, but by way of background.
During the years of Daddy's illness and afterward, many was the Sunday when I just could not physically make it to church so I would watch someone on TV. During this time I often watched Joel, TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer, Tony Evans, John MacArthur, et al. I can honestly say that I have never heard Joel say anything that did not line up with Scripture. Ever. Now, he is not a deep theologian and he does not think well on his feet in interviews. He says his call is to encourage believers and his sermons reflect that. He freely admits his foibles. I have never heard him preach prosperity gospel, name it claim it, pie in the sky crap. His sermons, while not necessarily deep, are based on Scripture. And his recent sermons (last six months or so) seem to be focusing a lot on suffering/hard times and what God wants our response to be to same. He does not take a salary from the church and he and his wife are working towards starting an orphanage in India or Africa with their own money.
I realize this is not a popular position for an evangelical Christian to take these days. I do not pretend that he is the be all to end all and I do not watch him every single week. However, I think all this bashing of him is rather a fad in the Christian community. Every single person I have ever talked to (prior to this discussion)who didn't like him had NEVER seen an entire broadcast start to finish. I have noticed a troubling tendency in the Christian community of not checking things out thoroughly. Kinda like a lot of folks voted for Santorum and Huckabee because they are social conservatives, not realizing that they are fiscal liberals, and in the case of Huckabee, soft on crime (he pardoned more criminals than the governors of all six states that border Arkansas combined). If a person genuinely likes them, or doesn't like Osteen, that's fine. But I think each person should investigate for themselves. The Bible says to test everything. Joel may have said something not in line with Scripture at some point...but I can name at least three things that I've heard Charles Stanley say that I can make a case for not being Biblical and he's a hero in many evangelical circles.
My final thought is this - there are a good number of preachers who I believe to be charlatans and who I cannot abide even for a minute. But I'm not gonna campaign against them if they preach Jesus bcause Paul said in Philippians 1:15-18 that this is what matters.
Waski_the_Squirrel said:I don't like the assumption that because someone doesn't like a personality means that they didn't watch him.
Guard Dad said:He and his wife have made a few statements that are not Biblically correct.
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