It saddens me that so many people think Joel Osteen's theology represents Christianity. What he preaches seems very far from Biblical truth. My goodness. Let's look at Jesus himself. He was the Son of God, yet he came to be a servant, was born with the animals and died a horrible death on a cross to pay for our sins. I don't see much prosperity or entitlement there. Wake up Christians. It's not about you and what God can give you. It's about a world that needs help and Christ is the answer.
What’s God Got to Do With It?
-
Posted By: Psalmreader @ 10/14/2008 12:33:58 PM
-
Posted By: jvande7471 @ 10/14/2008 12:42:33 PM
Jesus came to teach a new way. Remember, he was still a good Jewish boy. He bucked the establishment because he didn't like the old, represive ways of thinking. He knew he was just the beginning. "Greater things than these, you will do" Jesus taught kindness, love, togetherness. He tried to acknowledge our oneness. EVERYONE was the target of Jesus' teachings, not just the Pharases that believe their way was the only way.
-
-
Posted By: Dave in NM @ 10/14/2008 12:36:40 PM
"Prosperity Gospel" is the perfect blend of otherwise contradictory bits of right-wing dogma: be loudly religiously conservative, but be all about the Benjamins. Forget all that bit in the Bible about fat men and eyes of needles - that's just symbolism - open to interpretation. Everything ELSE is to be taken literally, of course, but that whole poverty thing? Naaah - doesn't buy votes for our Big Business Overlords. It's thinking like this that drove me out of the Republican Party in the '90s.
Obama/Biden '08!!!
-
Posted By: jvande7471 @ 10/14/2008 12:32:35 PM
Joel tells us that God loves us, no matter who we are of what we've done. And God wants us to live fully. Joel doesn't focus on wealth, but on prosperity in all aspects of our lives. I find him to be very refreshing. I got tired of hearing about how much of a sinner I am by the time I was 12, and ran away from all churches.
Maybe this conversation would be better if we discussed all the ways in which we're alike, rather than all the things that set us apart.
Mr. Rogers likes me just the way I am too, and he was Presbyterian.
-
Posted By: PastorofDisaster @ 10/14/2008 12:24:27 PM
The "Prosperity Gospel" is so married to our capitalistic society that it has lost its ability to be prophetic. God never said God wanted us to be wealthy, just faithful. The Bible is filled with stories of heartache (much of it man made) and it is not wished away with easy moral axioms. Our hope is in a God who walks with us, not in a pastor who gives us pretty words that tickle our ears!
Dave in Alabama
-
Posted By: jvande7471 @ 10/14/2008 12:21:04 PM
They should go to jail because their beliefs don't match your beliefs? Sane, are you with the Taliban?
-
Posted By: Byerley @ 10/14/2008 12:20:51 PM
This article is ridiculous pap with no more merit than current campaign rhetoric!
-
Posted By: Byerley @ 10/14/2008 12:19:28 PM
This is ridiculous pap with no more merit than most of the campaign rhetoric!
-
Posted By: Sane in Utah @ 10/14/2008 12:14:12 PM
Yuch. Just a bunch of snake oil salesmen who wouldn't know a real Christian value if it slapped them upside their heads. The sad thing is there are many stupid people in this country who send these people money. They should be in jail.
-
Posted By: bnhadams @ 10/14/2008 11:46:30 AM
I've watched the Osteen's on TV, and while I find him to be personable and benign, I've never heard one of his sermons rise above the level of "The Bible as Self-Help." And you hear very little about what this Church does in the community. One would expect that with 40000 in worship, they could change the world. If their doing it, you sure don't hear much about it.
-
Posted By: jvande7471 @ 10/14/2008 12:13:27 PM
bnhadams - Lakewood church has many ministries. www.lakewood.cc
I believe that Joel talks more about what Jesus had to say to us, than about what other people have to say about Jesus. My take is Lakewood is a church OF Jesus, rather than a church ABOUT Jesus.
-
-
Posted By: funkdome @ 10/14/2008 11:59:48 AM
The author's criticism of " what has God got to do with it?" would be well applied at the OnFaith blog she started which has become a fountain liberal political dross.
-
Posted By: joelpalmer @ 10/14/2008 11:51:44 AM
If Jesus came back today, he wouldn't be able to stop vomiting
-
Posted By: kolee @ 10/14/2008 11:48:55 AM
These people are successful because they tell people what they want to hear. No one wants to hear, "sell all you have and give the money to the poor. And then come, follow Me." - Matt 19:21
-
Posted By: paulte @ 10/14/2008 11:45:51 AM
I don't think you can have a Cross-less Christianity. I'm skeptical of success oriented preachers. This is not to say that Christians can't find some success in worldly pursuits but they can't compromise their principles in order to do so.
When God came into the world as a man, the world eventually hung him on a tree! His true followers will always experience something similar (not as drastic) form the world. The world is one of the trilogy of impediments to salvation, the world, the flesh & the devil! 'Nuff said!
-
Posted By: NWCrabtree @ 10/14/2008 11:44:29 AM
Amen. Thank you for finally speaking the truth. This is all a symptom of our "McDonalds" theology in America: "Give me what's easy and cheap." Thank you, Ms. Miller, for helping us to dig a little deeper and search for something more substantial.
-
Posted By: Bill Johnson @ 10/14/2008 11:41:13 AM
Joel and Victoria have a basic philosophy and that is that all things with God are determined on Faith. They try to show people that God respects their amount of Faith shown. When asked about Abraham, He was described in one sentence "a man of Faith". They show all this through the fact that God has given all of us gifts for us to use and a "seed of Faith" THAT IS TO BE GROWN. How do you grow Faith? In one and only one way. "Faith comes from hearing and from hearing of the word of God". To those who heard that at the time knew that meant "Read the word of God daily and sit in classes (dhurch services) and here the truth expounded by those who have studied and know the word of God". Without exposure to the truth, you cannot grow and, often, will wither in Faith and Belief. Is it so hard for someone to read a chapter a day? It only takes fifteen minutes a day. And, to sit in services for an hour a week? It is only hard for those who have no stimulous to make the best of their new Christian endeavor. As Faith grows, it will determine the attitude invoked during trials or testings which come in life. An attitude of "God is in charge and He will see me through the most difficult of occerences and empower me to accomplish good things for myself and to prepare for greater things to come in the form of 'Abundance of Living'. "All things come to the good for those who love Christ and are called to His service". All of us are called, in one way or another, to be in His service, even those who simply "show the Light". Joel teaches that "God loves us all" and has a great plan for each of us, if we show and grow in Faith. Each minister has a somewhat different calling. Some are to expound the academic studies, some the Revelation studies, and others, like Joel and Victoria are to touch the lives of people who need to hear that "God does not make junk" and all have a great promise, if they will only tap into it through Faith. Bill Johnson
Report Abuse
Enter comments if any for reporting abuse
- Black Friday should unleash pent-up demand. Analyst Bill DreherNYT
- The task is to restore our conservative bona fides James Bopp Jr. on a 10-pt GOP checklist NYT
- Twenty five years feels right in my bones and right in my spirit. Oprah on ending her showCST
- It’s going to be a holy war Orrin Hatch on debate over the Senate health billNYT
- The nation and the world will see him for the coward he is Holder, on trying KSMAP
Discuss