Last Sunday I was channel surfing and decided to be entertained by Joel Osteen for a few minutes. I thought I was listening to Thomas S. Monson. His faith promoting story was about a "young man" (no name revealed) who played high school football (no school, town or state revealed) and had given up on his dream of playing beyond HS. The young man is inspired to try again and not only plays college football (school not revealed), but is drafted into the NFL (team not revealed), just like Tommy Boy.
I happen to like Joel Osteen and his positive attitude. I am unsure of what my views are at this time, but I think he truly helps alot of people. If you listen to his story about how his dad started Lakewood it is sincere and not f'ing shady like TSCC and doesn't fall under the category of 'organized.' Kudos for Joel! :)
JO and TM are cut from the same cloth. Chicken soup for the Soul for Jesus propagandists with a POSITIVE ATTITUDE!!! The only difference is that JO doesn't have the truth claims of the BOA and BO hanging around his neck.
I agree. I've never listened to JO, but I'm pretty sure that he doesn't claim to be the prophet of God's one and only true church. I'd trust just about anybody before I'd trust the lying TSM...
I have a friend who was onthe high council. We would watch Joel before giving a talk and copy his stuff word for word and use his manurisms and gestures. Pretty funny watching him and noboby new what he was doing.
Sometimes this board is all about "bashing" and heavy topics, which is good but having something positive to say, while we might not all agree, is refreshing! My 2 cents.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2012 10:38AM by missmarymac.
It's just the whole prosperity gospel concept that offends me.
I first heard the prosperity gospel expounded quite a long time ago when I was a little 12-year-old in LDS Sunday School. The scripture wherein the difficulty of a rich man going to heaven is more difficult than a camel going through the eye of the needle was discussed. The guy, who was usually a pretty good teacher but was a moderately wealthy businessman and thus had his own bias, chose to bloviate on how God actually favors any wealth that a rich man has earned honestly. My SS teacher could have copyrighted or patented his concept and might have gotten even more wealthy.
That whole plot line about the nFL in Osteen's sermon sounds like a movie from a few years ago, except it was major league baseball in the movie rather than football.
who was the knuckle head who did the spoken word years ago ?
he was general authority too. My MORmON grandparents were so impressed with him. anyway, I bought a tape of him at DI. I listened to it. He gave an inspiring talk about perseverance......
.....this guy picked a classic battle in the never ending age old war between Britain and France back in the day to illustrate his point. the British decided that they needed to go teach the french a lesson, and at this time teaching ppl a lesson meant beating their ass into bloody pulp and then killing them to emphasize the point, you know, a great basis for an Xtian based sunday school lesson type talk that's worthy of being broadcast on might KSL!
after crossing the channel the brits were sick, tired, worn out, out numbered and thinking about what might have been the considered the really christian thing to do -that of going home with out killing some of their neighbors. but some brit leader couldn't let that happen, so after they got rested up a little bit, he rallied the troops. which was definitely the will of God as told by this speaker. they were so motivated that they really spilled a lot of french blood before going back to Britain.
NO DOUBT that MORmON Jesus was very pleased ! ..... with all the death .......because ( OBVIOUSLY from listening to the talk) the french always deserved to be killed...even when they are invaded..... ( except for on the occasions later on when god switches sides because he needs to see some English massively killed!)
.... because thats always the way it is... (unless its not!!! ) ... in MORmONISM.. IT all makes sense..... to MORmONS!
I actually envy his puppy dog happiness. I get his emails sent to me from a Christian friend but they are a little simple. Not very thought provoking. I also don't believe in the "name it claim it" philosophy or things like "you will get that job." or "things will get better just keep praying". If you don't take action then little changes.
Joel Osteen starts every service offering hope to the desperate.
Right there is a huge difference.
When did you see Monson acknowledge there was any desperation among his listeners, any needs at all that could not be met by that member fasting, praying and paying more.
If I believed in prophets or Jesus, I would expect Jesus to be put up at Joel Osteen's house when he returns.
This thread goes back before my time. Anagrammy, you may not read this. I don't have a problem with Jesus as a booster (George Carlin), but the prosperity gospel grates on me. "'I know the plans I have for you'" declares the Lord, 'Plans to prosper you, not to harm you and give you a future.'" Okay, but this philosophy is very popular in tscc and with Christian right wingers. It makes it too easy for them to disregard the poor or afflicted as some how responsible for their situations. What makes more sense to me is what Christ said in the Jerusalem temple, before He healed a blind man, in response to the question, "Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" His reply, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be revealed in him." (This man subsequently defended Christ to the Pharisees.) So we see the poor, sick, lonely, addicted, stuggling and we don't make them guilty, we help them so that the works of God are revealed. In us. That's also a very positive message.
I would ask what kind of God you have that wants to reveal himself through the suffering and afflictions he has given the children that he purportedly loves?
Is this a model we want to follow?
Then why give blessings for healing or ask God to cure the sick when he is revealing his works through their illness?
If this earthly life is our teacher, then respectfully, this bundle of contradictions called religion is the least effective method of teaching I can imagine.
If Osteen really cares about the desperate, maybe he should share his wealth with them. I think his messages are just telling people what they want to hear so that he can sell more books.
I think what you and your high council friend did was brilliant. very few LDs watch other denomintions' religious programming, so they wouldn'tlikely see it soon enough to know from where your pal got his material.
I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with positives and looking on the bright side once in awhile, either.
If I were Jesus, I'd want to end up at Joel's house too. He lives in the finest neighborhood in Houston, River Oaks. How does your MIL justify $800 a month to his ministry?
My MIL is a sucker for anyone with his/her hand out "preaching the word of God." My FIL passed 12 years ago and left her well set up...she has managed to go through literally hundreds of thousands of dollars giving money to people and has very little left. I figure when she runs out of money and has to live on her SS only, the donations will finally stop.