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.
"class envy from FReepers is always fun to watch"
What's fun is watching the contest about who is poorer! Yet on other threads, everyone is driving an SUV!
btw, If Jesus were alive today would his followers let him fly in coach? :)
It's not the Osteen's fault that you are a loser.
"Cyndee, his instruction" should be, "Cyndee, his instructor," of course. Sorry. I wouldn't wan't to be accused of changing her words. [grin]
C'mon. What do normal people do in a situation like that? Answer: they work it out.
I assure you whatever happened they did not leave that plane voluntarily, or if they did she was out of her mind with indignant estrogen. They were almost certainly kicked off.
The truth here is obvious. Victoria made a butt out of herself, Joel suffered through it like many a husband would, and when either she stomped off or they asked them to deplane he was relieved.
I agree. It was good to include that. Anything beyond the intial report and her reply is a waste of bandwidth.
Don't we have better reasons to get into other people's business?
Merry Christmas "y'all".
"class envy from FReepers is always fun to watch"
Yea on this thread as well as the Wal Mart bashing threads. Oh and I forgot the outsourcing, free trade and defend GM/Ford threads too.
I have my problems with Olstein, but if his church has a board and they set his compensation without his input, so be it.
And because they didn't fly in a private jet, you berate them for mixing with the "little people." Interesting perspective.
Have you read my post? I have nothing against getting wealthy. I do have something against those who use the word of God for gain. You clearly haven't read your Bible.
I am not ready to condemn the man because he has money.
Neither am I, if you reread my post. I am ready to condemn him because of his means of acquiring it, though.
I don't think she ever forgot who she was married to. It was precisely her marital status that made her arrogant and pompous.
Considering there are hundreds churches in Houston, it is a bit dishonest to be talking about a monopoly.
His books are usually kept in the church book store and members are encouraged from the pulpit and other's to buy the books.
Most of his books are sold in bookstores, not at the church's bookstore. Joel does run commercials on his TV show to promote his book, but I don't think he does it from the pulpit. I would hope Joel uses some of his book sales to pay for the TV time, but I have no idea.
If joel really had the truth that helped christian's suceed at hliness or entering heaven, it would seem that by Christ's highest commandment, he would give the books away.
I would agree to some degree. However, poor pastors can't afford TV time. I don't see being prosperous itself as a sin. You do have to be careful that your prosperity does not lead to the love of money. Jesus preached about the difficulties of a rich man getting into heaven.
MY , what an ugly shade of green.
Contintental Airlines just laid an egg. That is the biggest Christian congregation in Houston with services that reach into every corner of the city. Houston is one of Continental's largest hubs.
It sounds like the minister and his wife are not going for their throats but they could. It sounds like the airline knows it and is trying to back off fast.
The airline employee should have made her a clean, dry seat to sit in. That is her job. I would not want to sit in a soda wet seat unless I was in my working jeans which I don't wear when I travel. In fact, if the airline tried to make a passenger near me sit in a soda wet seat, I would probably end up getting kicked off too because I would complain. The airline employees are getting puffy with their union protection combined with their "anti-terriorism" police powers.
Your class warfare whinning is worthy of the Dummy board. Waaahhh, they have more money than me. Why are you doing that?
Y'all, too. Like they say, "Too much mindin' other people's business around here."
I'm not talking about a monopoly of churches, but a monoply within his church. People go there because they think it is the right place to be, i.e. that it will help them with holiness or entering heaven. Therefore Joel has unlimited, unrestricted ability to sell his book w/o competition.
I'm sure his books are sold in bookstores, but It would be ridiculous to think that his own books are not sold in the church bookstore. Once again reinforcing in his members that they should buy his books and they will get them to heaven.
Uh, you ever been kicked off an airline flight? I've flown for 35 years, and I've never even SEEN it happen, nor do I know anybody that it's happened to.
Vicky can say all she wants to say, but getting cross-ways over a wet seat to the point of holding up a commercial flight is not something she should ever say another word about.
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