Posted on 12/20/2005 4:08:06 PM PST by truthandlife
A dispute that involved the wife of Houston's most famous pastor, Joel Osteen, and a Continental Airlines flight attendant ended up delaying a flight for hours Monday. And now, Victoria Osteen's actions on that flight are in the spotlight. Also on ABC13.com: Send us a news tip | RSS feeds | ABC13 E-lert | Info mentioned on air Statements from Lakewood and Continental Following the incident on Continental flight 1602 Monday, both Lakewood Church and Continental Airlines released these statements. The Osteens run the largest church in the nation, so passengers on a Continental flight were shocked Monday when Mrs. Osteen was removed from that flight after a disturbance.
Taking time off from the high profile hustle and bustle of running a mega-church, Lakewood Church Pastor Joel Osteen and his family boarded Continental flight 1602 Monday morning at Houston's big airport. They were bound for the slopes in Colorado.
Their trip was delayed and so was the entire flight by almost two hours. Fellow passengers blame the popular Osteens, specifically Joel's wife, Victoria.
According to passenger accounts, the Osteens were sitting in first class. Soon after the plane's door was closed, the FBI says Victoria Osteen was removed following what Continental would call only a disturbance. The Osteens' spokesman confirms it involved a flight attendant, but that's all. However, one passenger tells Eyewitness News she was alerted to the front of the plane when she heard a commotion.
"She violently ran towards the cockpit, scaring everyone around her," said passenger Knicky Van Slyke. "Everyone was terrified about what was going on. And a bunch of flight attendants ran up and had to restrain her. She was banging on the door."
"Of the cockpit?" we asked.
"Yes."
Passengers say Victoria was removed first. Joel and the children followed. Meantime, everyone waited.
"They unloaded all the luggage to get their luggage and deplaned her, Joel, and the kids," said passenger Dawn Dixon.
Passenger Chad Clay said, "They kept telling us they were waiting on some passengers to find their luggage underneath in the plane, and it was going to be delayed for looking for that luggage."
According to the Transportation Security Administration, federal air marshals were never involved. Local authorities also know nothing of this event. Continental would not discuss details.
The Osteens' spokesman denies a physical altercation, denies Victoria ever banged on the cockpit door, and says she left on her own.
"The account of the event which has come to our attention is inaccurate and overblown. The misunderstanding was minor and was resolved when Victoria voluntarily removed herself from the situation," read the statement.
The FBI says it was not voluntary. Though agents are not investigating, they will review the incident as the Osteens enjoy their Colorado vacation.
The Osteens' spokesman says they took another flight to Colorado Monday.
Nobody has been charged. As for the FBI's involvement, we're told it's standard procedure for them to review all passenger removal incidents. According to Continental, this one is a closed case.
Pastor Joel Osteen preaches to an average of 40,000 people a week at Lakewood Church services. Lakewood opened in the former home of the Rockets, Compaq Center, back in July. It took $90 million and a year and a half of renovations. Osteen's ministry is taped and aired around the world.
It turns out that Missus "One of the top preachers in the nation" was merely practicing her Shake Your Moneymaker routine in anticipation of the Aspen Charity Drive the family was rushing to attend.
My understanding of that verse is that it was being used in the context of explaining that He was "not of this world". He most certainly had a home with His mother... but that wasn't what Jesus was trying to imply, IMO.
As far as the seamless garment....it is my understanding that this was only typical of high priests and Jesus wore it as "The High Priest", to represent His authority. There are many websites of historical value which describe this... and you can Google it. John 12:6 reveals that Judas was the treasurer for His ministry. No mistaking that. We are not to love money or put our faith in it... but there is no sin in being wealthy.
Most of you Yankees probably haven't been to a Southern Megachurch. Some of them are like small cities.
My own church, Second Baptist of Houston is starting an 86 milllion dollar program. One of our satellite churches in katy Texas will build 200,000 square feet of additional space, primarily for our children. And we will be adding four churches in the Houston area. The main church on Woodway will buy a small shopping center for additional space, plus an additional area for parking, which is in very short supply.
We also will be establishing new churches in several major cities around the nation and space has been made available for us to start new churches in other countries.
As an aside, we have built 225 churches in Latin America over the last 25 years. And by that I mean that our members have landed with tools and supplies and constructed them with their own hands.
There is a very strong revival in the South and it shows in the attendance patterns that are developing.
"She had an attitude" with the a flight attendent?
Listen, once I was on the plane with my sweet husband and two sons. It was a long flight and the kids were young. Our hope was that they would sleep through the trip. Blankets and pillows are short and I gave my husband the missin of securing blankets and pillows for the kids.
An Asian flight attendent came up to us and made fun of him for "hoarding" blankets for his family. She made some white male slurs. Since she, being Asian with a 'tude, I chalked it up to minority racism... I egged her on...I wanted her to show her true colors and she did. She thought anti-white male racism was so funny. We laughed AT her total ignorance, but we could have gotten into the opposition mode.
She thought it was so funny until I dropped the punch line that she was an asshole and to move along before I slapped her silly for being such as an asshole to my husband. I told her my husband is a Christian and that he would not put a racist in her place; rather trust that life would help out with justice.
But I warned her, don't try her racial superiority number on a man of Hispanic or African decent, because they would probably kick her ass.
So...we need more to this story. Was the flight attendent targeting this couple because they knew they were Christians? I would not doubt it. Flight attendents are Union members filled with obnoxious Left wingnut slogans.
"First of all, using acronyms that may or may not mean what you think they mean is not swearing, but adding emphasis to a (rather) exasperated reply to something that strikes you as offensively stupid."
I didn't get off the turnip truck yesterday. I know what the initials stand for and so do you.
No need for anymore explanations from you. I have taken your measure.
You may be on to something. In reading this one thing in particular makes no sense: every distrubance I've ever heard of ends up in an arrest, especially now. They may arrest them and drop charges later, but they will arrest you. The fact that she wasn't arrested means something happened that was a misunderstanding or overreaction.
I put my faith in NO MINISTRY or human being... I'll let Jesus take that priority in my life. *chuckle* With that said, I like Joel's messages.....as I do others.... on occasion. I enjoy thought-provoking, biblical teachings. Like you... I don't watch much TV anymore... since life and work seems to get in the way.
Actually, I am not a brain dead dumbass who has to get salvation from a overly made up coiffed snake oil salesman on TV with a bunch of shiney sets and crappy ass music. I'm sure you like old Paul Crouch (just try to block out the fact that he gave blow jobs to his chauffeuer and paid him to keep silent.) Why do you hate Catholics?
Even though it was Victoria who caused the commotion, I'm seeing alot of unwarranted venom directed at Joel on this thread.
Just a convenient thread to bash him on, I suppose.
Some if it is just a distaste for Megachurches that normally appears on FR. Nothing to worry about.
>About the only TV preachers that I think aren't after big bucks are James Robison and Charles Stanley.<
Charles Stanley has a private plane.
LOL! I sat on Houston's runway for 2 hours in June on a Continental flight. Yes, I was LIVID.
yep.....
just a bunch of stupidity and silliness....
I guess a few are jealous of him. Some others are probably hitting the "enriched" eggnog and some are hidden socialists who are hinting at class warfare on FR.....
One article said she left on her own accord and one said she charged the cockpit door. As we all know, news articles do fabricate to make a story.
Even if it were you, don-o, I'd give you the same courtesy as waiting for the truth. I don't rely on the press to be factual. If one has not learned that by not, they never will.
Well, Jan's hair's not purple in that picture, at least (what the hey, it's Christmas and I'm feeling charitable).
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