BG45 Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 [url="http://www.lohud.com/article/2009904220354"]Televangelist promises "hope"[/url] [quote]Considering that he is fast becoming the most popular preacher in the country, Joel Osteen doesn't act or sound like a preacher at all. He has no seminary training and can hardly talk about any religion other than his own brand of creamy, fat-free Christianity (all the hope, none of the sin). He prefers telling endearing domestic stories about himself and his 21st-century friends and relatives to rehashing the dusty tales of Scripture. When he preaches at the new Yankee Stadium on Saturday, becoming the first nonbaseball attraction there, he will be his humble, likable, wavy-haired self and nothing more. "I feel like I don't need to preach. I just want to talk to the people," he said. "My gift is to help encourage people. I'm more than happy to leave other things, other areas, to other pastors, who have different gifts." Osteen has become so big, so fast that analyzing his appeal has become something of an academic field. Having preached for less than a decade, Osteen, 46, presides over a Houston church in a former basketball arena that draws 40,000 people on Sundays. His televised sermons are seen by more than 7 million Americans a week and millions more around the world. He's had two best-selling books and a third, "It's Your Time," will come out in November. He's only been preaching on the road for five years, but is taking the stage at the new Yankee Stadium before A-Rod for what he calls "A Night of Hope." He appeals to conservatives and liberals, Texas Republicans and Nancy Pelosi, Pentecostal Christians filled with the Holy Spirit and atheists filled with none. .... Told that a new Roman Catholic archbishop of New York was about to be installed, Osteen seemed to have little sense of what that means in New York. He said about a third of his church members are "Catholics or former Catholics." He said that he would "probably" ask someone who was baptized as an infant in the Catholic Church to be baptized again as an adult. "Some of that is tradition," he said, sounding unconcerned.[/quote] More in the article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkwright Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 lol oh Joel... As someone from Houston I am embarrassed by him. He was interviewed by the local news one night, they asked him "What are your church's teachings on Abortion, Death Penalty, things like that?" I'll never forget his answer "We don't talk about things like that. We only focus on the good things of life." Sounds like he doesn't like to talk about sin either. But if there is one thing to take away from this... You can be\do anything you want in america without being qualified! Here is a guy with no college, no seminary, and he is the pastor of one of the biggest church's in America! whoo hoo! BTW He and his wife were in my court last year for his wife's scuffle with a flight attendant. He was a very nice person - his wife was a bit creepy though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominicansoul Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 (edited) i have found surprisingly, that his words affect me when I need them the most... ...like when a dear friend rejected me and stopped talking to me all together, I turned on the television and Joel just happened to be on, speaking about rejection and abandonment... ...I think God uses him just as God uses many people, (even pagans) to bring about some truths... I think Osteen's on the journey, let's pray he reaches the fullness of Truth and finishes the race well...(btw his comments on Catholic Baptism don't suprise me, it's just more ignorance on the part of his upbringing...) Edited April 22, 2009 by dominicansoul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archaeology cat Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 My only experience with him is when my grandmother would watch him. And he annoyed the heck out of me. But I don't know much about his views/theology. I didn't realise he didn't go to seminary. Interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archaeology cat Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 [quote name='dominicansoul' post='1843497' date='Apr 22 2009, 05:31 PM']let's pray he reaches the fullness of Truth and finishes the race well...[/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkwright Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 [quote name='dominicansoul' post='1843497' date='Apr 22 2009, 11:31 AM']i have found surprisingly, that his words affect me when I need them the most... ...like when a dear friend rejected me and stopped talking to me all together, I turned on the television and Joel just happened to be on, speaking about rejection and abandonment... ...I think God uses him just as God uses many people, (even pagans) to bring about some truths... I think Osteen's on the journey, let's pray he reaches the fullness of Truth and finishes the race well...(btw his comments on Catholic Baptism don't suprise me, it's just more ignorance on the part of his upbringing...)[/quote] Yes I do have to agree with you. God can use all of us to bring out some truths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG45 Posted April 22, 2009 Author Share Posted April 22, 2009 Personally I clicked "I don't know" on my own poll, because it's not mine to judge if he's a Christian or not. God knows, I don't. Yeah God can so use people when we need it, so not surprised DS. I remember on my conversion, and Missy can testify to this, I'd be so frustrated at things making sense with Catholicism, and I'd pass by all these non-denom churches and their signs would be smacking of what I was trying to deny! I can imagine if he did convert to Catholicism and swim the Tiber, it would probably be a big deal in even the mainstream media. rkwright, I didn't know that was your court room! I remember watching the coverage, and he's standing there next to her, all unassuming looking...and she was perfectly preened. Not a hair out of place, and seemed to tower above him. AC, I tend not to watch him because he does annoy me a lot of times, sometimes I'll tune in though. When I did a presentation on First vs. Third world Christianity in Senior year of Undergrad for an Ethnology course I watched a lot of televangelists and EWTN, Joel was no exception. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StColette Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Too much of a "Feel Good" Gospel approach for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissyP89 Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Jesus? Jesus who? If there is no sin, then there is no need for a Redeemer. As nice as his optimistic approach may be, and as good as it might feel, it's misleading. It'd be akin to refusing to defend the Faith, or only the easy teachings while ignoring the difficult ones like contraception or the Real Presence. You do people a great disservice that way. (And as far as pagans being used to touch people for Christ, it was a dear friend of mine, a Wiccan priest of many years, that was my first encourager as I moved toward reversion.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Never even heard of the guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archaeology cat Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 [quote name='MissyP89' post='1843561' date='Apr 22 2009, 08:27 PM']It'd be akin to refusing to defend the Faith, or only the easy teachings while ignoring the difficult ones like contraception or the Real Presence. You do people a great disservice that way.[/quote] Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Vega Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 "Don't know" on both accounts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TotusTuusMaria Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 (edited) My mom calls him a motivational speaker and she likes him. He's alright. I said Yes/Christian-lite. I believe he does love our Lord and does try to probably seek holiness. I don't have anything against him. I don't watch him though. I don't like his approach on abortion and not talking about that which isn't "positive and good." I don't find myself listening to mega-church televangelists that often. Just because he hasn't had seminary or college experience means little to me. I am surprised that it should be brought up when we read the spiritual works of St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. Catherine of Siena and take their advice on our prayer/spiritual lives. They have no education either. I am sure we also have tons of Popes that have no college/seminary experience either starting with Peter. Our Lord never went to college either. God can use anybody. Edited April 23, 2009 by TotusTuusMaria Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximilianus Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 [quote name='CatherineM' post='1843568' date='Apr 22 2009, 02:37 PM']Never even heard of the guy.[/quote] You are not missing anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groo the Wanderer Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 He has nice hair. that is all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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