Posted on 12/23/2005 4:39:24 AM PST by truthandlife
Victoria Osteen, the wife of Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen, said an incident that delayed a Continental Airlines flight for two hours earlier this week was "a minor misunderstanding."
Osteen posted a "Letter from Victoria" on the church's official Web site Wednesday, saying the Monday incident resulted from her choice "to remove myself from the situation."
Osteen left the plane, Continental Flight 1602, with her husband and their two children. The family took another flight to Vail, Colo., where they are taking a ski vacation.
A church spokesman said the family left the plane voluntarily.
However, FBI Special Agent Luz Garcia has said that the Osteens were asked to leave the jetliner after "an altercation."
Garcia also said that Victoria Osteen "failed to comply" with instructions from a flight attendant.
The FBI said the airline contacted the agency about the incident. The agency decided not to investigate.
Continental Airlines spokeswoman Julie King declined any further comment about the incident Thursday.
"There have been various accounts of an incident that occurred on one of our flights, and I have issued earlier statements about that," King said. "We can confirm that there are no remaining issues between Continental and those passengers. ... Both parties feel no further comment is necessary."
King declined to comment on Victoria Osteen's explanation of the incident.
In her letter, which can be read at at www.lakewood.cc, Osteen stated:
"Regardless of how some have portrayed the situation, please know that it was truly a minor misunderstanding and did not escalate into what you saw or read in the news. Contrary to those reports, it was my choice to remove myself from the situation. Nonetheless, it was a most unfortunate event and I truly regret that it happened."
Osteen's letter continued, "The last thing I would ever want to do is let any of you down. And I promise you that I did not act in any way that would cast a bad light on you, my family, Lakewood Church or our Lord Jesus Christ. I value the position that God has placed me in and I can assure you that I will always walk in love and integrity. While I am not perfect, I will always seek to be a peacemaker and seek the high road."
The incident apparently stemmed from a spilled liquid on Osteen's seat in the first class section of the airplane. A church spokesman said the spill was not cleaned up to Osteen's satisfaction, and the family left the plane voluntarily.
Joel Osteen is a nationally known author of self-help books, including the best-selling Your Best Life Now. He became pastor of Lakewood Church in 1999. The church, in the former Compaq Center, is one of the nation's largest with more than 30,000 weekly participants in church services.
Give me a break...and what do these threads make FR and FReepers look like?
I see that we here will do everything to defend our scumbag celebrities, as the DUmmies would to defend their scumbag celebrities. 'Cept I didn't realize until now that some hustler on the motivational speaker circuit who cynically uses the Bible as his textbook, is one of ours. At least the DUmmies main squeeze Brbra can sing (or some would say so.)
bump
That statement would apply to all recognized religions then. The Pope ain't living in the ghetto.
But the LDS church leads people to hell with it heretical teachings that rail against the Truth of the Bible. That - by definition - is not good. Recall how Egon, in Ghostbusters, said "crossing the streams would be bad"? That's how lies presented as Christ's Gospel are. Bad.
Check out this site for an examination of the LDS deception:
http://www.mazeministry.com/
I mentioned it to the stewardess and she gave me a dirty look, as if "anothe idiot can't do his seat right", and came over and tried to move it. She couldn't move it either so she moved me to another seat. Still looked P.O's that I had bothered her. My wife was really irritated although neither of us said anything.
A lot of Freepers on here have to learn to "beware of the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees." (very judgemental)as Jesus said. Many seem to have become infected with the same disease.
She was no terrorist; however, she was certainly an inconsiderate, pompous, and pampered brat who used her husband's name/fame to delay a flight for 2 hours. How would you have felt if you were a co-passenger and had to catch a connecting flight but could not do so?
Mighty un-Christian of Her Majesty Mrs. Osteen if you ask me.
Some of us are sooo self-righteous!
Also - It takes at least an hour or so to get the luggage all out of an airplane when your're looking for a specific one (yes, I have relatives in aviation).
But what is unusual is that - if the captain of the plane asked them to disembark, he should have known how long it would take to do that...there might have been a better way to everyone to handle this!
A discussion site with people having discussions.
Depends on how he presents his book. For example, Hank Hannegraaf states that his books are essential if you truly want to understand the bible and be a strong Christian. If his books are essential to obtain a full understanding of Christ (his claim, not mine), then it is immoral for him to profit on it. It's no different than selling indulgences, IMO.
Now, if Hank wants to have a basic book for cost, and a fancy book for a profit, that's fine; that's the way Bibles work. You CAN spend a lot for a Bible, you don't HAVE to.
It's the same with Osteen, he basically leverages his special relationship with Jesus (I'm a preacher, you're the sheep) to sell books. I just have a real problem with that.
"C'mon. What do normal people do in a situation like that? Answer: they work it out. "
Yup. I had a seat that someone had spilled on on a recent flight. Did I yell at the flight attendant? Did I make a scene? Nope. I got a blanket from the overhead bin and put it on the seat, all folded up. Problem solved.
You don't get thrown off planes for complaining about a wet seat. You get thrown off planes for doing outrageous stuff.
"Some of us are sooo self-righteous!"
I don't think Mrs. Osteen is posting on this thread. /sarc
BTW - If I created a fuss and the captain asked me to disembark, I can guarantee you that the airline would send would send my luggage to my house the next day (after it returned from the original destination). And unless you are Mrs. Osteen, I think they'll treat you the same way.
I don't think this was about a spilt soda on the seat. I have travelled on airlines too....and first class a couple of times (as a frequent flier courtesy from the airline). Airlines have no incentive to treat first class passengers badly. Mrs. Osteen tried to bluster her way through; it didn't work this time around.
Sure, but they didn't make money from their preaching. You have just as much influence among those who respect you as Abraham did among those who respected him. He just happened to have a larger sphere of respect.
I've never been fond of the idea of preachers and pastors anyway; the very position lends itself to pride, IMO. In my church, sermons are given by members of the congregation.
"You don't get thrown off planes for complaining about a wet seat. You get thrown off planes for doing outrageous stuff."
I agree 100%...see post 154.
The ones I've delt with are like managers dealing with an up-rising by their indentured servants, they always close ranks and protect each other. So of course those in a position to know how the seat got wet "Knooooo Nuting".
Absolutely agreed. Our ward cooperates regularly with the local Lutheran congregation on providing meals to MUST Ministries. We can cooperate joyfully on areas where we share common interests and desires.
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