August 11, 2008 1:04 PM
Does God want Joel Osteen to be rich?
One of my least favorite people - now poised to become even wealthier by profiting from those experiencing more hardship:
God Wants Me to Be Rich
by Karl Taro Greenfeld
Joel Osteen preaches the virtues of prosperity--for himself as well as his congregation. A look at the man who may well be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the slumping economy.Who will save us? Who will lift us up from crushing credit-card debt and resetting mortgage payments and impending foreclosure, from increasing gas prices and decreasing health-insurance coverage? We are a nation stumbling through our worst financial crisis in a generation and our worst housing market in a lifetime. And so we come, seeking gentle salvation, inspiring prayers, steadying words, soothing notions, and calming thoughts that will allow us to become, in Joel Osteen's words, "victors, not victims."
We are in Greensboro, North Carolina, making our way into the downtown arena through the hot, buggy air, to worship with the pastor who will save us, the man anointed, by one of his congregants, as "Reverend Feelgood." Sixteen thousand will file in this evening, as have millions more to coliseums, concert venues, and baseball stadiums around the country--all, in a way, his churches. (View a slideshow that tallies the budgets of some of the biggest churches.)
We are a diverse, representative swath of troubled America: families struggling under debt, husbands and wives seeking reconciliation, young couples on first dates, children dragged by pious grandparents who promise them popcorn and BibleMan action figures. It is religion as escapism, criticized throughout the Bible Belt as "Christianity lite" or "prosperity gospel." But this murmuring crowd, slouching toward a kinder, gentler salvation, is a more telling indicator of the state of our union than consumer durables purchased or capital goods ordered. Unemployment they know; they don't need to wait for the Bureau of Labor Statistics to publish a monthly number. O, but come to Joel, lift your hands to Jesus, banish your negative thoughts, and you can find in these dark times a beacon.
If, in this country, there is great hurting, then Osteen is here to soothe that suffering. He does not wish that pain on any of us, and the sight or thought of it will bring forth from him great torrents of tears--his eyes clamped shut, his fingers pressed into narrow eye sockets, his lips pulled back over pink gums as he grimaces. The crying has become a visual touchstone of an Osteen sermon, the born-again equivalent of James Brown's pre-encore collapse from "exhaustion."
Joel feels our pain and has made himself wealthy (reportedly earning $13 million for his last book advance alone) and his church prosperous ($75 million and counting in annual revenue) by urging us to let go of it, to turn it over to God, to accept God's favor so that we may be as prosperous as Joel.
There was always a strain of American Puritanism that pointed to Scripture as justification for asserting that wealth is somehow godly. But ever since evangelical Christianity separated from the mainline faiths in the early 20th century, some preachers have gone further and linked their focus on personal piety to financial success. The big-tent revivals of the 1930s promised the dust-bowl destitute the possibility of finding Jesus and their next meal just by listening to a fire-and-brimstone message. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, televangelists like Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart made prosperity gospel big business, capitalizing on that era's economic uncertainties to win over a new generation of acolytes, before those ministries were brought down by scandal.
Osteen is one of a new breed of televangelists--Joyce Meyer, T.D. Jakes, and Creflo Dollar are also rising stars--who are preaching a less sanctimonious, more inclusive message. His church is in that part of the economy that thrives in troubled times, that can count on full pews when wallets are empty and an ever more receptive audience if we do go into a full-on recession.
Read entire article here.
Also, see Christian materialism and greed.
Posted in Church Issues, Complaint Department, Religion, Spiritual abuse | Permalink
Comments
wow, thanks for sharing this article.
Posted by: kerry @ colored with memories | August 11, 2008 1:41 PM
Joel Osteen makes me sick. A false profit...um...prophet who will reap the judgement of Almighty God for his fleecing of the sheeple.
Posted by: Libby | August 11, 2008 2:25 PM
Yay for Entitlement Gospels.
Why do preachers always gravitate towards extremes? Either extreme self-loathing and self-depreciation, or extreme ego-boosting. THERE IS A MIDDLE ROAD, will somebody PLEASE find it?
Posted by: paigeu | August 11, 2008 3:24 PM
I live in the Land of Osteen (Houston). His wife is being sued, so we hear about the Osteen saga daily.
Perhaps the saddest thing about this ministry, is that MONEY is being promoted as the solution to problems. How damaging to one's faith that is!
I have seen many instances of people who subscribe to the health/wealth gospel and attend those churches, where they find themselves with a problem. Not only can they NOT count on their church brethren to encourage, support, and assist, but suddenly they are not even welcome to worship there anymore.
Posted by: Milehimama | August 11, 2008 4:09 PM
Justin Peters deals with Osteen in his full length seminar. Osteen is not included in the overview, but to get an idea, check out his site: http://www.justinpeters.org and watch "demo." Its excellent!
Posted by: cls | August 11, 2008 4:33 PM
put GOD FIRST AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS BLESSINGS OVERFLOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: brian | August 11, 2008 8:48 PM
I never really heard of Joel Osteen. It was my husband who first pointed him out. My husband thinks Joel Osteen is very fake, and that his message is very ungodly.
After reading that article, and finding more about him, I feel the same way.
Aisha
Posted by: Aisha Hoffman | August 11, 2008 8:58 PM
When people talk about God I try think of the image of Jesus. Jesus of Nazereth never wrote a book, owned a home, or had any money.
In the beatitudes we see what is considered good in the Kingdom of Heaven.
It seems strange that those qualities don't seem to be a part of so many "Ministries" now.
Posted by: SuzyQ | August 12, 2008 5:55 AM
Barbara,
I copies the article about Joel Osteen to my blog. I hope that is ok, if not let me know and I will remove it promptly.
thanks,
debbieo
http://doingmybestforhim.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Debbieo | August 12, 2008 12:14 PM
I can not say that I blame you for not liking him. He has always seemed so fake and rehearsed to me. A family member is a pastor and I watched all the theatrics from him and was just plain sickened by the nonsense. Trust me when I say things were not what they seemed.
Where did all the good sensible Pastors go?? I have gotten so sick and tired of people "Pastors" "Prophets" whatever spitting out this stuff. It so sounds like paying your way into heaven. I am sorry, I may sound a bit bitter, but if not from one man it is from another.
You must give give give until your pockets are empty... what can not pay your electric bill I am so sorry hey I am about to leave on my 3rd vacation this year can I call you back in a week or so.... or not ever, because I really just don't have the time for you but please don't forget to give, because God CAN NOT bless you if you don't pay up.
Receiving the bulletin and sermon notes(which were filled out for us they have NEVER been filled in before) in the mail. The sermon was on tithing. We had NO INCOME at this time, my husband had been layed of and we had nothing and they felt the need to point out how we were not tithing. What happend to actually caring about someone and doing it without weasling money out of them.
So many of these Prophets and Pastors give church, christians and God a bad name by their actions and falseness, is that a word??? I can see why many would rather be unsaved sometimes.
Sorry not a very positive comment. I am glad to see that not everyone has been pulled into the Olstein craze. I just don't get it. I just don't see how God can be happy with the behaviour and the way the church has become such a big business thing. I was raised to believe that we tithe and give offerings and yes of course there will be bills to pay but a PROFIT FOR A CHURCH IN THE MILLIONS, and I know this is not the first church but surely they have some to spare for helping the widows and the orphans and the poor as the tithes that were stored in the store house were used so very long ago......
Deuteronomy 26:12-13, where God said to them… "12 When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year--the year of tithing--and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, 13 then you shall say before the LORD your God: "I have removed the holy tithe from my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten them""
Lord help us if this keep going.
Amy
Posted by: Amy | August 13, 2008 7:22 PM
What a circus.
I'm very saddened that this is how outsiders (and some insiders) see and experience "The Church".
I am thinking back, with a grateful heart, for several of the Pastors who have shepherded me along. There ARE still good ones out there, and it's worth the effort to find them! Godly men who remember the words of 1 Peter 5...
"Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away."
Remember to encourage your faithful pastor!
Posted by: Julie | August 14, 2008 12:55 AM
I cant for the life of me understand why these men of god like joel olsteen have to have so much money,and live in big houses have the beswt glothes ,cars ect thats what turns me off and most important such a watered down ghospel,make me feel good messeges I hate to judje but something isnt right with this man of god
Posted by: Tim Argiropoulos | October 30, 2008 2:02 AM
