JOEL OSTEEN TO BE FEATURED ON BARBARA WALTERS' “10 MOST FASCINATING PEOPLE”

Religion News ^ | Dec 10th, 2006

[TaraP]

December 5, 2006 – (www.joelosteen.com) America’s “Most Watched Pastor” Joel Osteen will be featured on Barbara Walters Presents: "The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2006". The annual hour-long ABC news special highlights some of the year's most prominent names in entertainment, politics, sports and business.

Joel Osteen is the first pastor to be featured on the program, which is scheduled to air Tuesday, December 12, 10:00 PM ET on the ABC Television Network.

Joel Osteen is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling book, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, which has sold over 4 million copies and has remained on top of the New York Times bestsellers list since its release in October 2004.

Joel and Victoria Osteen are pastors of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, the largest and most diverse church in America. Lakewood church’s weekly services are broadcast on numerous national cable networks, including Discovery, USA Network, ABC Family and Daystar Television Network. Joel can also be seen internationally in over 100 nations including CNBC Europe, Vision Canada, CNBC Australia and Middle East Television. Nielsen Media Research rated Joel Osteen's broadcast as the #1 inspirational program nationally, based on average television viewers per market. For more information, go to www.joelosteen.com.

[weegee]

Houston PING

[ModelBreaker]

I'm really surprised Barak Obama wasn't nine of the ten the most fascinating people, all by himself.

[TRY ONE]

"Joel and Victoria Osteen are pastors of Lakewood Church in Houston...."

Victoria IS A PASTOR???????

Me thought Victoria was just Joel's body guard and Sky Marshal on Joel's air flights!

[TaraP]

I thought it might be Rick Warren.

[subterfuge]

Well what's your opinion Tara? You're kinda new here.

Osteen bashers will be here soon, don't worry.

[fatnotlazy]

Thanks for the heads-up. I may take some anti-nausea pills and actually watch the show -- not because of Rev. Osteen, but Miz Walters just makes me ill these days. I'm not a particularly religious person, but I try to catch Rev. Osteen's tv sermons as much as possible. Very interestng, no fire and brimstone, no phoney "healings" and definitely none of that constant hawking for money that you get with other tv evangelists. Besides, his approach is gentle, his advice practical and he recognizes that we are human and we make mistakes. None of that constant guilt you get from other men and women of the cloth.

[TaraP]

I like Joel Osteen, don't want him all that much, I like John Hagee and a few others on T.V.

[Theophilus]

not bashing. just not interested, not interesting.

[kinghorse]

Ug. As long as this is the face of contemporary Christianity, we will be in decline. It's like asking Clay Aiken to run a Rodeo. My 2 cents.

[Minus_The_Bear]

Dude makes Clay Aiken look straight.

[Maceman]

Obviously, Barbara never talked to ME.

[thepresidentsbestfriend]

I watch Joel from time to time,he seems ok ?

I was a bit disappointed in him when he was asked about gay marriage and abortion by a reporter a few months ago.He came across as very wishy washy.He said something like "we have democrats and republicans in our Church"

I wanted him to state clearly,that both of these choices are against THE LORD.

He did not.

[garyhope]

"Fascinating" to whom?

Certainly not to me. To me, Osteen and his wife are creepy.

[TaraP]

Also on Barbara'list is:
Michael Moore
Karl Rove
Usher
Mel Gibson
Paris Hilton
Ken Jennings

[fatnotlazy]

Ok, I have to ask...who is Ken Jennings? :)

[Always Right]

I watch Joel from time to time,he seems ok ? I was a bit disappointed in him when he was asked about gay marriage and abortion by a reporter a few months ago.He came across as very wishy washy.

Yeah, that is probably Joel's biggest problem is that he is too non-confrontational. Joel does seem very effective at leading people towards Christ, so more power to him.

[TaraP]

Ken Jennings was dethroned as the reigning king of "Jeopardy LOL...

[fatnotlazy]

Thank you. I forgot about him. I thought his 15 minutes of fame expired a long time ago. :)

[Always Right]

The guy who won a ton on Jeapordy.

[Jaded]

There are only 3 people that I would be even remotely interested in listening to. Well, if they could remove the whiny Baba Waawaa.

[samadams2000]

I cringe when I see that guy and his following.

[Vision]

I'll check it out. Thanks

[Always Right]

Dude makes Clay Aiken look straight.

Did Rosey officially out Clay?

[farmer18th]

A pretty good sign that your ministry isn't worth listening to: Barba Walter's producer gives you a call.

[L98Fiero]

"Osteen bashers will be here soon, don't worry."

I Googled this Osteen guy and WOW. Christians like to eat their own, huh? Most of the almost unanimously negative hits I got were from other religous people.

[L,TOWM]

Osteen bashers will be here soon, don't worry.

Howdy!

[mel]

You have to start with baby steps, better to start with joel Osteens than be like Europe and just hand it over to Islams (ie 600 churches turned into mosques in the last years)IMHO

[L98Fiero]

"Usher"

I understand she had to add some color but, DANG. Couldn't she have done better than that?

[Augustinian monk]

"Joel Osteen is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling book, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential"

I wonder hopw this book would sell in Sudan?

[Rockitz]

As far as I've seen, he's "wishy-washy" on the Gospel. I can't believe he didn't recite John 14:6 when he had his big chance on one of those morning shows (the Today show I think it was). He came across as a universalist.

[ThisLittleLightofMine]

He washes the gospel down to make it "user" friendly.

[Hop A Long Cassidy]

>>>Me thought Victoria was just Joel's body guard and Sky Marshal on Joel's air flights!

No, she must be his publicity department.

Woman gone crazy in airplane...
http://www.click2houston.com/news/9963471/detail.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1710507/posts
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/093006dntexosteenwife.2f71a42.html

[Twinkie]

Concensus. . standing for nothing . . falling for everything . . but "relationships" flourish . . everyone's all warm-fuzzy . . the megachurch just gets more mega-ey . . and never mind the admonition to "mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate" . . court wealth and fame . . compromise for the sake of concensus . . the wealthy tend to many times favor abortion and liberal causes . . go along to get along . . for the sake of . . relationships . . . right?

[D-Chivas]

What's so bad about Joel Osteen? This guy has done more to help out the image of evangelical Christians than anybody in recent memory.

Sure, some people don't like his Tony Robbins-style. They'd rather have some fire-and-brimstone type up there, trashing other religions and judging other people. Those types will probably be the bulk of Osteen's critics in this thread. Whatever.

[weef]

We have democrats and republicans in our Church

Obviously he doesn't want to offend either donor group.

[LIConFem]

"Certainly not to me. To me, Osteen and his wife are creepy."

Same here. I'm sure he's a great guy, but that syrupy-sweet voice, the nauseating eyelash batting and the silly head tilting -- affectations all -- make him unwatchable (for me).

[JFC]

I'm really surprised Barak Obama wasn't nine of the ten the most fascinating people, all by himself.


JOY and Rosie will melt if he is TOP DOG.

I am sick of BW and the Views View.

[TaraP]

I don't mind Joel Osteen, I think he is sincere and speaks to people in a non-threatening way.

I just like the style of a John Hagee who puts a little of
*in your face* sermons to this viewing audience some people need that approach.

[esquirette]

"You have to start with baby steps, better to start with joel Osteens than be like Europe and just hand it over to Islams (ie 600 churches turned into mosques in the last years)IMHO"

Sorry--I could not disagree more. Tell the truth, whatever the cost, beginning with the fact that all faiths cannot be truth. Joel Osteen is anything but uncompromising in this area. Just watch, he will betray Christianity in his inerview with Walters just like he did on Larry King.

[seedman81]

Osteen's "Word of Faith" teaching does not line up with the Bible doctrine. That's the knock I and many others have on him. He is not the first nor only leader to come out with this doctrine. His father preached it long before he did and there are others today who echo this false teaching. For more info see this critical review of his book from the Christian Research Institute:
http://www.equip.org/free/JAO170.htm

[L,TOWM]

They'd rather have some fire-and-brimstone type up there, trashing other religions and judging other people.

Not at all. I just don't like some one that does'nt preach the Gospel being referred to as an "evangelist" or "pastor". Osteen has a great gig going, but to call his schtick "christianity" is an affront to anyone that has actually done more than skim a Bible for "the nice parts".

Some one that simply preaches the gospel is going to be too contraversial to get a huge following and income base. Look at some of the other comments on this thread and the actions of the man's wife while he and his family were going on vacation during CHRISTmas (perfect time for a CHRISTian pastor to go on vacation, ummm). The ear-tickling, watered down pablum his dispenses at his corporate HQ may be a lot of things, but don't call it the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

[derllak]

These are fascinating people? Ugh, this planet is worse off than I thought!!
Paris Hilton is a pimple!

[mel]

I used to think like that but then I realized that some people have to start somewhere. Everyone is not going to be attracted to same type of service as everyone else and I am not going to say anything about how a person starts their Christian path. Osteen doesn't appeal to me, but I do feel he definitely is helping a lot of people.

[fish hawk]

Post #8. You don't "want" him? Of course you mean in a Biblical way. LOL

[i_dont_chat]

I wasn't going to make any comments about Joel Osteen's brand of preaching, because I like his sermons. After your comment about his form of gosbel being "user friendly", I must agree.

You will not hear anything from the Rev. Osteen's messages that you don't get straight out of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Except the invitation to accept Jesus Christ. That doesn't happen in A.A. meetings.

But the rest of his sermons are almost word-for-word of what is discussed almost every hour of every day -- somewhere in your area -- in A.A. meetings.

[Cecily]

Oh dear, I sure hope Barbara doesn't ask "pastor" and "evangelical" Osteen to clearly explain the Gospel. He can't do it. Bono does a better job of it. She should stay off the topic of homosexuality too, unless she wants even more shilly-shallying from Osteen.

The man is yet another fraud mouthing empty, feelgood platitudes from the pulpit. Why do you think he and people like him draw such huge crowds? They tell the people what they want to hear.

[TaraP]

NOW IMO the 10 Most Fascinating People would start out like this.
I will Start low to the Highest!

10. Adam and Eve
9. Noah
8.George Washington
7.Abraham Lincoln
6.Moses
5.Nostradamus
4.Albert Einstein
3.Benjamin Franklin
2.Apostle Paul
1. Jesus Christ!

[Tolkien]

Osteen bashers will be here soon, don't worry.

Basher? Calling a heretic a heretic is bashing?

Then I gladly accept the title.

[L,TOWM]

The "non-religious" don't know any better. To them, a nice non-threatening dose of sugared down Gospel is a comfort. It is also useless. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is one of the most offensive, exclusive, and non - unifying messages that has been spread in the world, if taught verbatim.

I do not comment on the NASCAR threads because I don't know a danged thing about professional race car driving. Osteen supporters, in like manner, also don't know jack about christianity.