Posted on 07/06/2015 6:07:46 AM PDT by Gamecock
Talking about Christianity is now turning people off. Yea OKM Joel, how about you and your wife just being frauds who rake in millions.
I am not an Osteen apologist, never really watched the guy, don’t know much about him.
I did just read his church’s ‘statement of faith’. Seems decent to me, sounds like a ‘christian’ or ‘brethren’.
Since I don’t listen to him, I only see the threads here. Initially I read a couple of them to see if what was being presented was really what he said. More often than not, the quotes are out-of-context or misleading. Then I started reading thru the threads - wow. The amount of hatred towards him is over the top.
Joel says ‘he is not political’. Not good enough for many I guess.
We have a couple pastors at my church that share the pulpit. When one gets up to speak, I kinda know what I will hear, versus when the other is speaking. I like my church, I like the way it challenges me, and if it isn’t challenging me to become christ-like, then I would find another place that does (or I would ‘stand in the gap’ for my church - intercede to see it changed).
Instead of taking that attitude, people search out ‘controversial’ things that this guy says, post it as representative of him, and invite others to ‘harumph’ with them. To me, it sounds just like the disciples when they asked Jesus if they should ‘call down fire upon’ those that were outside ‘their circle’. Jesus said ‘you don’t know what spirit you are of’...
He say, “Ess no my yob.”
Joel is NOT a pastor he is a MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER, nothing more!!!!!
Notice how the Osteenbots really can’t defend him, so they attack those who show Osteen has no clothes.
Well he is on TV-radio all the time. I assure you he is NOT taken out of context.
$$$$$$$ and preaches with a sculpture of the world on stage.
Satanic.
The Catholic Church is the caretaker of many treasures of art and architecture, created all over the world by Christians to praise God. These goods are worth money, but they are really priceless, and by being in the hands of the Church who created them, they are available to all. Selling all the goods of the Church, all of which are in the hands of small congregations of Christians and are the patrimony from their ancestors, would bring in some money, of course, but it would take even more money to replace the buildings, and they would have no art to inspire.
The Church does not have much money (the Vatican was in the red recently), and most of what she collects she gives to the poor. She is the largest provider of social services. Henry VIII and Elizabeth had the same idea you did, so they closed down all the monasteries and seized their treasures. As a result, the entire social welfare and hospital system of England was shut down. (The monasteries were the entire social welfare and hospital system of England.) The result was a horrible misery, which lasted through the time of Dickens, who wrote about the mean-spirited non-Christian attitudes of the Protestant society that was excessively individualistic.
In addition, the treasures that were stolen from the Church were handed out to cronies and became the basis for an unjust class system. Usually when people want to despoil the Church to help the poor (when the Church does most of the helping of the poor to begin with), they really just want to despoil the Church.
As for the Vatican Library, it is open. Many items are ancient and delicate, most are in foreign languages, and some, I believe, still need cataloguing. Some things are secret, in the sense of confidential Church records. Suppose you were a king and wrote to a Pope confessing many misdeeds and asking that a Church be built. You would not want your letter to be make public.
I guess to sum up, it is right to say that the Church is the custodian of much great art created for the service and praise of God.
If this art were in the hands of private individuals, it would not be available for all, or it would be destroyed.
If it were in the hands of states, it would be seen intermittently, and subject to political turmoil and war.
It is not liquid wealth, and even if the Church wanted to sell it for the poor, there would be no one who could buy it!!!
I don’t fault Osteen for his income. He’s an entertainer, a showman. If that’s what his “flock” want, then let them be suckers and give him money. This is America. He is free to preach his crap and suckers are free to finance him.
It doesn’t cost the Catholic Church a dime to stand up in the “bully pulpit” and renounce queer marriage. Period.
“Is the Pope Catholic?” used to be a rhetorical question.
We can agree on that. Not sure what your point is.
As far as taken out of context, I seem to remember a thread a while back where the title had the 'money' quote. Something about 'being a blessing if poor'. His whole statement was something about being poor, discouraged/downtrodden, something like that. The 'money' was highlighted, yet his statement was spot-on. To your credit, you had the whole quote in your first post. But the title was certainly 'misleading', and the thread ran with it.
They are telling the truth. This guy is fake. He teaches a feel good “religion.” As far as I have seen and read, he never mentions God or Jesus or what it takes to be saved. Some just do not want to hear/talk Biblical truths.
Christianity is not his calling. Money is his calling.
Does you arm get sore after you sling a lot of rocks?
I am 71 years old and have gone to church all my life and have read my Bible since I learned how to read. I know when someone is not teaching the Bible. If that is throwing rocks, so be it. I really feel sorry for these people because they do no hear the Bible taught.
I would argue that we are not obligated to always be “kind and respectful.” Insert another offense: Terrorism, rape, murder, deceitfulness, embezzlement, ....on and on. There are crimes/sins that no one deems worthy of respect. Personally I do not respect homosexuality in the least. I especially do not respect those who push the idea as good onto school children. In order to voice opposition, I am sure they would label me unkind. I label them unkind and disrespectful of God and His creation, and of children and humanity and biology.
Christians need to get over their “be kind” disarmament and find a way to make solid statements/arguments effectively again. The world was looking to us on this issue. Once we laid down our arms with flowery “I love them” statements, the issue was lost. Frankly, I don’t respect that mushy stuff when real lives are being affected. I do not see my position as inconsistent with a Christian mind and heart.
Sometimes we must be strong.
There are no more men in the church. There are only women and cross-dresser.
Many people use that argument to be mean and hurtful to people they disapprove of. In the end that behavior most often does more to damage a situation than to help. Kind and respectful does not mean approving their behavior. Nor does it mean you can’t defend yourself if attacked.
Jesus died for their sins as well as yours & mine.
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