Joel Osteen/Lakewood: Good for Christianity or Not?

This maybe why I like Joel so
because I never really beleive in that mentality
this is a mentality that IMO support allowing the rich to get richer
while preaching to the poor to stay poor


I think JC meant don't make your worldly possessions
the end all be all of your life

And Joel says God will get your there when u need to be there
not to sweep traffic out of your way . .. He says pray for it
if it comes. .it is God's Blessing. . if not .. . God knows u need to be delayed


Rocket River

 

While I agree with AB and FFB as far as the over-reaching view....I also think that kind of rhetoric is not my cup of tea.

I'm personally of the opinion that the God that I velieve in doesnt give a rats arse about what section of the place you fly in, or which sport team will win a contest..or any number of stupid things I hear folks appealing for God's blessing for...

HE cares about how you treat your fellow man and how you treat this planet he has been kind enough to grace us with...everything else is left up to us to deal with in the way we see fit....Im personally not even sure if he really cares if we fully live ourlives according to the interpretations of the Bible...

Its weird..I know..

I really do believe in God...and I believe the story of Jesus and his teachings...but organized religions seem to me to care more about themselves than the deity they proclaim to revere.

I guess you could say Im very spiritual, but not very religious...

The main reason why I truely believe waht I wrote above is cause I figure that if folks are introduced to Christ and the Bible...that hopefully they will at least develop a sense of caring towards others...and Im all for that.

 

(To others, I apologize for making one last rant in this thread. Yes, my bad to derail the thread. I certainly underestimate your earnestness to Christianity.)

Well Fatty, I started my thread post (without any links to the pics that were added later) with a statement "It's been a while America was blessed to have these men", followed by [pic of Jimmy Swaggart], [pic of a praying man with an expensive watch], and [pic of a man in facial contortion], followed with this question "now it's time due for another, who's next in line?", and ended with 5 more pics of men whom most people recognize today.

I initially thought viewers who are familiar with televangelists know a thing or two about the first three guys, so I didn't provide links to their pics. Yes, I was being very sacastic and I didn't even bother to quote the word blessed. Judging from their responses, mc mark, basso, jo mama, and (perhaps) MR. MEOWGI understood what I meant, which is (to spell it out for you), who is next to fall from grace? Now are you telling me that you knew who they were, and after giving a rational thought, provided a relevant answer? Did you make any real effort to understand my post, or just take it at its "face value" for granted?

While I am being courteous to you because I find your posts elsewhere (whether I agree with them or not) were colorful and enjoyable, you have not shown the reciprocal courtesey to me by repeatedly hurling insults such as "idiotic question", "crap", "go play with your toys". Hey, I could have easily told myself why I should exchange with guys like you, but then again, I really think you made an honest mistake to begin with, my derailing of the current thread notwithstanding. All said, I believe the misunderstanding, rather than malicious intention, played an role here.

[To cheetah, any topic on Christianity will likely bring along discussions (or arguments if you may) on religion and politics in general. So my posts, while seemingly off topic, is not entirely irrelevant.]

 

Good discussion.

 

You're right. Apparently I gave you more credit than you deserved. I figured you meant who's next to step up now that these yayhoos obviously dropped the ball. Again, sorry to give you any credit.

If you don't want to be religious, that's certainly your prerogative. But don't come in mocking things you've chosen to disavow.

I stand by my previous statements.

 

Okay, let me first start by saying I am not Christian.

Second, let me ask you guys this.

Does dude really talk like that? I admit, I actually do watch a few minutes of it.

Is he good for Christianity?

Sure he is. He draws a big audience to his church and sermon. He has drawing power.


I'd bang his wife.

 

Cool, man. This confirms my assertion 'religious' people such as you, are just like *that*.

 

I've never heard even a sentence of a Joel Osteen sermon and am not a Christian so I'm speaking with limited knowledge but I'm curious why as a Christians y'all are happy with gaining converts or church goers through prosperity Christianity or Christianity lite?

There's a denomination of Buddhism knows as Nichoren that advocates that you can gain material success through meditation and chanting while there are all sorts of people and groups claiming that by mastering the ancient mysterious powers of Tibetan Tantric Buddhists or Indian Vedis you can gain wealth, power, lose weight and sexual prowess. For me personally anyone who chooses to become a Buddhist for those reasons is worse off than if they knew nothing about Buddhism at all.

To me faith is something we need to transcend material concerns than something to fulfill them. So to me it seems like its self defeating to attract more people to a faith by packaging it as a way for material or feel god psychological self fulfillment in your life than as something that makes you challenges you to go beyond your life to something greater.

I hope this doesn't come off as a bash of Christianity or Osteen but it does seem to me that his church is about quantity over quality.

 

I believe that Lakewood Church is good for Christianity, no doubt about it.

I think alot of people may possibly be basing their opinions on just the half hour TV broadcast and labeling that as "Lakewood Church". Yes, Joel Osteen, doing a motivational 30 minute broadcast (based on biblical content) may be Christianity "Lite" to some folks who need more out of their worship service.

Anyways, I have been to only one Lakewood Church service @ Compaq Center location and my opinion of the church changed for the better (more relief that there is some substance to what is going on here in the largest church in our beloved city of Houston).

Here is the breakdown: 1) 30 minutes of great worship music, 2) then pretty much the exact same message you would see during the half hour tv broadcast, 3) then the goodbye prayer/ message to the TV audience, 4) then a very powerful time of prayer/encouragement for everyone in attendance & an invitation where Osteen gets "heavy" into laying out the (cliff notes version) message of Christ for those who may be truly hearing the message of Christ for the 1st time & those who may want to take that next step in their faith/walk.

I don't know, I felt that something special was going on while I watched the TV ministry for years (every now & then, not a weekly viewer). Then I had my moments of big time doubt about the content. Then (last month) personally going to a Lakewood service to really get a feel for the ministry to see what all the hype was about. Now after all of that, I, in my humble opinion, feel Lakewood is 100% -no doubt about it- "good for Christianity".

THE END (Let me know if you have any questions Chance or anyone else)

Peace,
Ron

 

WOW. Yup. You know me. Always trying to convert and manipulate people. That is seriously one of the silliest things I've ever heard.

Look, I'm not the best church-goer. I typically only go to the Easter and Christmas masses. The rest I do at home. Everyone who knows me on this board knows I'm certainly not the best poster child for Christianity. (drinking, smoking, chasing women, etc.)


But I do believe. And because of this, I feel it is better if other people do as well, especially people I'm close to. If you don't get that, I feel bad for you.

 

If the Mullah's in the Middle East were preaching this stuff there would be far less terrorism in the world.

DD

 

Preaching that materialism is the path to happiness is violent.

 

I do believe that is the nicest thing you hav eever said about a religion.



Sishir Chang,

It isnt about gaining converts to me....its that for the most part, CHristinaity that is true to the teachings of Christ should bring out behaviour that is beneficial and peaceful...it encourages you to treate people in a way that I feel is good for our society....that is the main reason why I feel that anything that introduces folks to that kind of teaching is a good thing.

 

That exerpt from the Larry King show makes me think more of Olsteen than I did previously. Maybe he is good for Christianity. I honestly don't know enough about him to decide.

 

Actually
Joel preaches on what TO DO
not WHAT NOT TO DO

He sort of SHOWS how to live
rather than a lot of DO NOTs

He says GOD WANTS YOU TO PROSPER?
Do you disagree with this? You think God wants man to Suffer?
His basic tenet is God will give you what you want . . .when he feels u need it

Rocket River

 

It's just a matter if you think attachment to materialism and consumerism is the way to happiness and salvation. Jesus said it is not, period.

 

depends on what you mean by PROSPER, frankly. the disciples walked away from their lives to follow him. were literally put to the death. Jesus said that following him would be difficult, because he didn't have a place to lay his head. John the Baptist had his head chopped off and was shunned by society. God's chosen were conquered time and time again and were left to wander in the wilderness.

God's idea of prosper is very different from man's idea of prosper. I think that has to do primarily with man's perception of time and his own mortality. BBut, ultimately, even as God's follower, I don't think He's nearly as concerned with my comfort as he is my character.

 

that's spot on, meowgi. i agree. and i like pointing out that we agree about somethng related to Jesus!