More on Joel Osteen
Posted by RazorsKissMay 4
Via Google Alerts, and the Chicago Tribune.
Joel Osteen stands behind the lectern in stylish suits and preaches in a soothing Southern drawl and a big, easy smile. His sermons speak less to Gospel and Scripture than to staying positive and praying for a better life.
Critics have labeled his talks “cotton-candy theology”–sweet and sugary with little nourishment for the soul.
Some religious scholars say Osteen’s simplistic message presents a dangerous, watered-down version of Christianity. His sermons often sound more like motivational speeches than Biblical interpretations.
Michael Horton, a professor of apologetics and theology at Westminster Seminary California, said Osteen trivializes the Christian faith by viewing God as a being who exists solely for our personal happiness. Osteen is part of a growing “prosperity gospel” movement, he said, where followers are instructed to pray to God for health, wealth and happiness.
“In this religion, God is not worshiped. He is used,” said Horton, a minister in the United Reformed Churches of North America.
“Joel Osteen uses the Bible each week like it’s a collection of fortune cookies that can be opened to suit any of your needs or goals in life. The Bible is a story about the redemption of Christ, not a timeless set of principles for success.”
Ooooh. Goooooo apologetics!
Osteen said such criticism unfairly fails to look at his message as a whole.
“When I talk about prosperity and better things, I’m not just talking about financial success,” he said. “I’m talking about prosperity in your marriage, prosperity in your health, and with your kids. I don’t think God wants us to be at the bottom of the totem pole. He wants us to have a better life than our parents did.”
Gag me with a Buick. I’ve started a tradition. Every bookstore i get into, where I see his smiling face looking at me from a book cover – I turn it around. I do it constantly, because I’m in bookstores constantly. Petty, I know… but he annoys me.
Really annoys me.
Go read the article. Typical “religion reporter” fluff. At least they got a good quote in from the apologetics professor.
14 comments
Comment by Michael on May 7, 2005 at 9:19 am
Have been reading blogs on Joel Osteens book and I am generally in agreement with comments about the FLUFF he presents each week. I will leave all judgement to God and I wouldn’t want to smear his character or good name. I suppose we must all decide whatkind of message we will give credence to and that is exercising judgment of a different kind…which is required of us.
I have just published a book that is available on Amazon.Com entitled, Hook Line and Sinker…or…What Has Your Church Been Teaching You?. I deal with some of the business of the “prosperity Gospel” and other practices and I even have a section called “The Gospel According to the Americans” In about three months I will be releasing another book through an entirely different publisher that will be available here and in Europe. It is entitled “An American Prophet and His Message…Questions and answers on The Second Coming of Christ.
Comment by Sal on May 7, 2005 at 3:11 pm
The first time I saw Osteen on TV, I was totally turned off. It didn’t take long, 2 maybe 3 minutes. I didn’t realize what a big deal his church was until he started blogging and then saw the book…Someone told my husband to visit his website, I wouldn’t stay and listen. I prefer cheetos to his cheesy fluff!
Comment by Bethany on May 9, 2005 at 8:54 pm
He really does turn all the Osteen books around. I’ve seen him do it on several occasions. lol
Comment by CrossPreacher on June 7, 2005 at 5:24 pm
I’m from Houston and I see the deceit first hand. The whole city has gone bananas for Joel; and it’s no wonder. His “I’m good, you’re good” psychological gospel with no mention of sin, salvation or repentance is what makes people comfortable in their sinful state. It allows them to have the “blessing of God” and their sin at the same time. Frankly, I cant watch his program without shouting back at the T.V. -“thou fool”!! I can go on and on about his false teaching but it isnt necessary. All I can say is that he is leading hundreds of thousands of people on a path to Hell, and they are smiling all the way there. God help us.
Comment by Adr on June 21, 2005 at 3:21 pm
What wisdom do you offer!!…except to criticise something that is successful & benefitial to the spirit of man…you are only in opposition because it reflects your failures…….You must be catholic….
Comment by RazorsKiss on June 22, 2005 at 9:05 am
Adr… get a life, really.
I’m so gratified that you are such a frequent reader – so frequent, in fact, that you don’t know I’m a protestant, who goes to a Baptist church.
Furthermore – I’m criticizing something that is dangerous to the souls of men – because it totally neglects speaking of a savior, of the need for one, of sin, and of repentance.
It is a “feel-good gospel”, and such a gospel is simply a false gospel.
I’m in opposition to it because it’s retarded, because it’s contra-Biblical, and because it’s absolutely false.
It has nothing to do with “failures”. Although, just like you, I have them. So what.
Comment by ian on June 23, 2005 at 11:49 am
The Joel Osteen interview with Larry King Live was a disaster!
This is what the Hispanic Reformed Community us saying….
( forum http://www.sinmancha.net/foro/viewtopic.php?t=8 )
I don’t want to translate all the Spanish for everyone – don’t have the time – but I’ll leave the link. Original comment was 3/4 espanol 😀
~ RK
Comment by Mrs. Estep on November 2, 2005 at 1:00 pm
This harsh review of Joel Osteen is from one who is VERY JEALOUS of Joel and his “God-sent” message. Shame on you!
Comment by RazorsKiss on November 2, 2005 at 7:11 pm
Mrs. Estep,
Jealousy has nothing to do with it. I find it strange that the phrase “God-sent” is in quotes. The message that is sent of God will be found in His Word – not in pop psychology. It is found in meat – not milk. It is found in clear, concise, Biblical teaching – not in feel-good Americana pablum. It is found in (if he would actually follow the mantra he recites to begin each sermon) painstaking study and teaching of The Word of God – not stories and anecdotes. It is in prayer, in service, and in doctrine. Not in money, fame, or feelings.
That is why I say what I say. He does all of the above. He panders pablum instead of prayer. He mouths platitudes instead of teaching the meat of God’s Word. He tells Christians that feeling good is what God’s Kingdom is all about, while skipping over the reality that we are set squarely against the materialistic, narcissistic, and otherwise satanic world around us. We are not to be conformed to this world. the message he “preaches” (there’s another “quoted” – as in “so-called”…) is NO DIFFERENT than the message given by “esteem booster” speakers all around the country. It’s self-help – with “Jesus” added in as a “throw-me-a-bone”. It isn’t preaching. It isn’t teaching. It’s pablum. For shame that anyone would call that “God-sent”, Mrs. Estep. Shame belongs where shameful behavior lies. That behavior lies directly within the pulpit of a church in Texas, Mrs. Estep. The person behaving in a shameful manner is a “preacher” who isn’t doing any preaching. Preaching is not telling stories, and affirming your self-worth. Preaching is rightly dividing the Word of Truth. The ability to discern when that is occuring is a crucial part of your responsibility. Abdicating it, madam, is not an option.
Shame on me? I think not.
Preaching is a holy calling. The subject should be GOD – not YOU.
Comment by Rick Sprinkle on January 8, 2006 at 1:10 am
One thing is certain, the late Walter Martin would have had Joel Osteen for lunch. In the popular “re-defintion” theology of Joel Osteen the Gospel is trivialized to make one comfortable with sin. As a Wesleyan-Arminian I find evangelical Christians in general already view sin as a must to habit when Christ paid the full price that we can avoid sinning on purpose or my direct effort if we only submit to His Lordship. If we do sin, we can truly repent and turn away from our sin not IN our sin –that’s what sanctifying grace is all about my friends. Moreover, the prosperity message of feel good “faith-ism” of neo-cultists like Benny Hinn and Haggin just confirm all the more reason to suspect Osteen is their camp of Word Faith Stupidity. It is a sad commentary when so called Bible believing Christians cannot see the heresy of people likle Osteen and Hinn. The reason is simple, they would rather accept the words of men over the words of Jehovah. I would recommend “Christianity in Crisis”and “Counterfeit Revivial” by Hank Hanegraaff and the video “The Great Apostasy” by Bill & Jackie Alnor for starters. Keep up the good work RazorKiss. –The TruthToolBox
Comment by Rev Rafael D Martinez on February 13, 2006 at 9:45 pm
Our ministry just delivered a workshop entitled “Behind The Smile: A Look Behind Joel Osteen’s ‘Your Best Life Now'” which we taped. A Real Audio presentation of the talk is now on our website. Tapes of it may be purchased from the Evangelical Ministries To New Religion coalition whose annual conference is where we delivered this at.
http://www.spiritwatch.org/behindsmile.ram
Comment by Mark Wendland on September 17, 2006 at 8:57 am
I currently belong to a charismatic, non-denominational church, but my roots are in evangelicalism. Part of the barrier between Olsteen and the evangelical tradition might be chalked up to the inability of evangelicals to understand charismatic emphasis on the “now” of the “now/not yet” dichotomy that is an integral part of any Christian worldview. With Olsteen, however, I’m afraid that even I would have to agree (mostly) with his critics. When he speaks directly about those criticisms he is somewhat more nuanced, but taking the “sermons” by themselves I believe that many of the criticisms are justified. I am afraid that individuals like Olsteen present yet another barrier to the dialogue btween evangelicals and charismatics. I know because I sat on the other side of the fence for a long time justifying my inability to explain large portions of scripture on the fact that people like him existed.
Comment by rahimkap on December 19, 2006 at 3:12 pm
You guys bicker and fight amongst yourselves so much. There needs to be a more inclusive approach. Hating on Joel doesn’t do anything for you or Christianity. In fact, it is really distasteful. No one is a 100% right and everyone has as different perspective. His version allows more people in, and appeals to the mass audience. I’m sure his version is flawed, but so is everyones. Hating on him does not progess Christianity or religion. The last I checked, Glorifying God was still a good thing. He may be wrong in everything else, but he does that well.
(R)ahim (K)ap
(The Real RK says: I’m the only RK ’round here, buster!)
Comment by RazorsKiss on December 20, 2006 at 10:25 pm
RK? pfft. Edit0r3d.
Anyway…
“Inclusive” is antithetical to Biblical teaching. NARROW is the way, not BROAD.
His theology is nonexistent, his self-help as “gospel” is abhorrent, and his pandering to the lowest common denominator flies in the face of any historical, acceptable parsing of Scripture.
Not gonna get by with that here, sorry.