Who Is Watching Joel?

The Riddleblog ^ | February 26, 2015 | Kim Riddlebarger

[Gamecock]

Who is watching Joel Osteen? Not I! But he does amaze me. How can he preach on the exact same topic every Sunday--"God wants me to be better"--and, yet make it seem different?

When it comes to Christian media, and who accesses it, the numbers are revealing. Who Is Watching TV or Listening to Christian Radio?

Only 8% of Americans admit to watching Christian television regularly--I'll bet the demographics here are interesting. Probably older women with blue hair, who live below the Mason-Dixon line, and east of Mississippi.

24% watch Christian TV "sometimes," 27% "rarely," and 40% "never."

Christian radio fares a tad worse. 10% listen "regularly," 17% "sometimes," 19% "rarely," 52% "never."

Podcast numbers are low (the media is new). 4% "regularly," 10% "sometimes," 11% "rarely," 72% "never."

The numbers also show that

67 percent of Americans never or rarely watch Christian-based programming on television. Those who do watch at least sometimes are overwhelmingly self-identified evangelicals (69 percent) and weekly churchgoers (62 percent).

71 percent never or rarely listen to Christian radio. Those who do are similar to the Christian TV crowd — 67 percent are evangelicals and 57 percent are weekly churchgoers.

84 percent of Americans never or rarely listen to Christian-themed podcasts. Books and movies fared slightly better: 33 percent said they at least sometimes read Christian-based books. And 40 percent report seeing a Christian movie in the last year.

[Gamecock]

Probably older women with blue hair, who live below the Mason-Dixon line, and east of Mississippi.

Fits my mother.

[Gamecock]

Me?

Watch Christian TV: Very Rare

Christian radio: Never

Podcast: Sometimes

[willywill]

i don’t know anything about the guy except for the tv commercial where he says “there is a power in you greater than anything that comes against you”.
ok, maybe its just me, but, its not very catchy, and it sort of doesnt make sense. there’s lots of things more powerful than you. and that “comes against you” is just straining of the english language.

[BipolarBob]

He has the “feel good” speech without all of the the repentance/guilt and give/live our all for Jesus. It’s Gospel-lite.

[CyberAnt]

I believe watching or listening to Christian anything .. is called FREEDOM OF CHOICE.

What do you care if somebody or nobody watches or listens to anything Christian ..??

[BipolarBob]

he says “there is a power in you greater than anything that comes against you”.

Evidently Joel hasn't played chicken with a speeding semi truck before.

[left that other site]

TV-no
Podcasts-no
Christian Radio-Moody Radio, The Good News Station, and WAY-FM, nearly all day long while driving to various jobs.

My hair is NOT Blue, but I do live south of the M/D Line, east of the Mississippi.

I also play bass, ride a Harley, and fly antique aircraft.

[.45 Long Colt]

Christian television - rarely, but only to make fun

Christian radio - rarely (20 years ago I listened daily)

Podcast - daily, presuming downloaded programs and YouTube videos are considered podcasts

[Gamecock]

Flip side of course is why do you care what I post?

[Snickering Hound]

Hasn't been a televangelist worth watching since Gene Scott. That was entertainment.

[CyberAnt]

Well then .. I guess I don’t.

[BwanaNdege]

Podcast - daily, presuming downloaded programs and YouTube videos are considered podcasts

Amazingly good Christian stuff on YouTube! Chuck Swindoll, David Jeremiah, John Lennox, Ravi Zacharias, Veritas Forum, Socrates in the City, 100 Huntley street.

Hoover Institute, especially Peter Robinson's "Uncommon Knowledge" interviews with Thomas Sowell, et al. are great. Did you know that Robinson wrote Reagan's "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that Wall" speech?

Christian TV? Sunday mornings before church I watch Charles Stanley's In Touch sermon on local TV channels.

[Leaning Right]

For what it’s worth, I came across Charles Stanley awhile back while flipping channels. He doesn’t seem at all like those oily “prosperity” preachers one sees so often.

If you haven’t seen Stanley, I’d recommend a look.

[GBA]

I watch him on Sunday and listen to him when I'm driving.

I like how I think and feel about God when I listen to him and follow his advice and I find his sermons inspirational and helpful for my maintaining a thankful conversation with my Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

I think his very unlikely rise to such prominence after his father's death seems to be yet another example of God raising the least among us as an example of His Power, Grace and Glory.

I am fascinated by his critics' reactions to him and also by his reactions to them.

[JennysCool]

Ha! Thanks for that! Dr. Scott needs to be in a Hall of Fame of ... Something! :)

[tflabo]

When Joel comes on I can watch him or not.
When the over-inflated property tax bill arrives I’m forced to fork over the extortion.
Who do you think I like better?

[fatnotlazy]

I've watched Joel Osteen a few times. Not bad. I guess some people don't care for his chronic cheeriness, but I'd rather have a more positive uplifting message than the hellfire and brimstone types. Many of the latter are way too negative. Being told you're a screwup all the time gets wearing.

[Elsiejay]

Too many of those “Christian” broadcasters seem not to have read, contemplated and inwardly digested the central truth of Christianity, so concisely stated in Ephesians 2:8-10.

[workerbee]

Can't hear the word "TV evangelist" without thinking of ol' Ernest Angley.