Posted on 08/07/2008 6:37:04 AM PDT by tuffydoodle
HOUSTON -- As one of the leaders of Houston's popular Lakewood Church, Victoria Osteen, wife of nationally renown pastor Joel Osteen, is known for her charity and Christianity.
But a Continental Airlines flight attendant is accusing the co-pastor of one of the nation's most prominent megachurches of committing some very unchristian-like behavior.
Opening arguments were set for Thursday in a civil lawsuit that accuses Victoria Osteen of assaulting flight attendant Sharon Brown before the start of a 2005 flight from Houston to Vail, Colo.
Brown alleges in her suit that Victoria Osteen threw her against a bathroom door and elbowed her in the left breast during an angry outburst over a stain on her first-class seat.
Victoria Osteen "clearly was angry on this flight," said Brown's attorney, Reginald McKamie.
Brown wants an apology and punitive damages amounting to 10 percent of Victoria Osteen's net worth as part of her suit.
But Victoria Osteen's lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said his client didn't assault Brown.
"This is a very silly case," Hardin said.
The Osteens were expected to testify during the trial.
The jury of seven men and five women was chosen on Wednesday after a couple of hours of questioning of a jury pool of 130 people. The questioning touched on religious beliefs, celebrity and the public's perception of preachers and televangelists.
Many of those in the jury pool said they had been to Lakewood Church and admitted to holding the Osteens in high regard and being star-struck by them.
But other potential jurors said they didn't like preachers or televangelists and that ministers can lie.
The Federal Aviation Administration fined Victoria Osteen $3,000 for interfering with a crew member.
According to an FAA report, Victoria Osteen pushed and elbowed Brown in an attempt to get to the plane's cockpit after two other attendants had not cleaned a liquid on her first-class seat armrest.
Brown's suit claims the flight attendants asked to have Victoria Osteen removed from the plane. Hardin says Victoria Osteen and her family left voluntarily. The incident delayed the flight about 2 1/2 hours.
Brown had previously claimed she was attacked in another incident by an airport employee, according to a deposition she gave in the case.
Hardin asked that the FAA report's findings not be allowed in the trial, saying the agency's investigation was incomplete.
State District Judge Patricia Hancock said she would make a decision later on the report's fate.
According to court documents, Brown claims that she suffers from anxiety and hemorrhoids because of the incident and said her faith was affected. She is also suing Victoria Osteen for medical expenses for counseling.
Joel Osteen preaches at Lakewood, a megachurch where about 42,000 people flock each week. Services are held at a 16,000 seat facility that was formerly the Houston Rockets' basketball arena. His weekly television address is broadcast nationally and internationally.
If Victoria has been a woman of color the plaintiff would have never even thought of filing a law suit.
Wonder if the ‘’stain’’ was due to a mile high incident
LOL! Hemorroids? From getting poked in the ribs??/
I'm not a fan of money grubbers either. But I grew up with the Osteens. Joel was several years older than I, but I went to school with one of his sisters from 2nd to 12th grade. As far as I know, Joel is preaching the same message his father did, and if that makes him rich, so be it. I don't think its fair to put the Osteens in the same category as those who offer to heal the sick for a donation.
Since I don't read his books or follow his church, I don't know for sure, but isn't his message one that most here would agree with?
I can’t find a single picture of the plaintiff.
...about how one is saved? No.
I have one of Osteen’s books, and I listen to him sometimes. I like the man. His message is positive.
Naw, she doesn’t look like she’d try to shake a honky down for a few bucks...lmao
The only problem is it's Christian Lite The kind that tells everyone they're just fine and God is without Judgment
Osteen is a fraud. He preaches prosperity religion only - if you ever listen to his sermons the #1 word he speaks is “I”.
I am continually amazed that he gets 40,000+ sheep in his building each Sunday and sells the books he does. I am waiting for him to fall in public spectacularly.
Get that camera out of my face or I’ll have you in court next for giving me diabetes!
You just posted a thread that promise to be get a ton of response.
You have to provide popcorn as a result.
But this Christian pastor (who has never been to seminary) will not condemn abortion or same-sex marriage. He says he just doesn’t “go there.”
Once, playing paintball, Xena’s Guy shot me in the left hoot from about six feet away.
That was probably eight years ago.
I don’t have hemorrhoids, but now I wonder if I’m at risk. ;p
Exactly. If she got $10K it would be far in excess of the actual value of her injuries, and I'm sure Osteen has more than $100K to her name.
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