"Consider the ways the Lord works in the life of the Osteens, as recounted in Joel's book Your Best Life Now, which has sold four million copies and is graced by a back cover photo of the smiling couple. Acting through Victoria, who kept 'speaking words of faith and victory' on the subject, Joel was led to build the family 'an elegant home.' On other occasions, God intervened to save Joel from a speeding ticket and to get him not only a good parking spot but 'the premier spot in that parking lot.' Why God did not swoop down with a sponge and clean up the offending stain on the armrest remains a mystery, because Osteen's deity is less the Master of the Universe than an obliging factotum.
Plenty of Christians have already made the point that the positive thinking of Christianity Light is demeaning to God, and I leave them to pursue this critique. More importantly, from a secular point of view, it's dismissive of other humans, and not only flight attendants. If a person is speeding, shouldn't he get a ticket to deter him from endangering others? And if Osteen gets the premier parking spot, what about all the other people consigned to the remote fringes of the lot? Christianity, at best, is about a sacrificial love for others, not about getting to the head of the line."
These people drive me nuts, and I know that I am not alone here. This is not Christianity, and it is a shame that they represent the faith to so many people. We all know that most Christians are not like this, and make a positive contribution to their community and their world.
21 comments:
I try to avoid conversations about theology, but just from a psychological perspective, it seems like the best response to someone feeling defeated and completely irrelevant isn't to say "It's not true that nothing is about you--everything is about you." It only substitutes one dysfunctional view of our place in the world with another.
Streak, for once I totally agree with you.
I dont know much about Joel or his wife, but the "health and wealth" gospel does have extremely damaging ramifications theologically and socially.
FP,
I think I will weigh in here because even though you and I hail from similar theological traditions, we seem to find little common ground. Thankfully, we find some here.
The prosperity gospel has far-reaching societal ramifications. It cultivates a shallow faith, devoid of understanding of the true human condition. It fails to address those things that are important socially; particularly poverty. To follow the logical outworking of what the Osteens believe, then that poverty-stricken person just does not have the "faith" it takes to be wealthy.
Yet the odious Osteens make their money in the ministry off the backs of such as those, those willing to send their "last dollar" in to support their "world-wide" ministry when it is nothing but a ministry of self-aggrandizement. Does Osteen enjoy the favor of God, as he proclaimed from the witness stand last week? In his mind, you better believe he does; and it doesn't matter who he steps on to show that he has that "favor", be it a flight attendant, a clerk at McDonalds or the person he just cut off to get the best parking space up front near the door (of course, that is reaching too far; the Osteens have people who go to the store for them).
I despise prosperity teachings because they have misled more Christians than any other heresy. It warps the true Gospel of sacrifice and turns it into a gospel of convenience, entitlement, and self-approval--all purely antithetical to the teachings of the NT.
There. Mini rant off. :)
A MIRACLE OCCURRED HERE.
True. I didn't even realize. Harmonious accord.
Tony, I think that the health and the wealth has a few more serious "error" in it that what you have already mentioned.
1. Idolatry...we misrepresent God one way or the other. I dont get wealth it is God's fault. I get wealth it is because of "my faith" or more appropriately "my works."
2. God never intended anyone to be wealthy for the sake of being wealthy. If wealth for the sake of wealth becomes the focus the poor, widows, and orphans are not the center point... in other words we dont have Biblical Prosperity (I am using prosperity differently than that doctrine).
Ultimately I believe God does desire for us to be "prosperous" so that we can serve the poor and downtrodden. ALL BLESSINGS ARE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, not for my own lust or comfort.
FP, I think what you meant to say was, "Tony--well-said."
sorry, tony...well said...I agree with you...
Is that ok streak :)
If you don't like people being blessed, then that is your problem. Money is sometimes the only thing that reaches people in this snooty society because it is a social status symbol. But they are not snooty, and God knows their hearts. What's wrong with prosperity? Aren't God's streets made of gold?
I am not saying that they are perfect people, but if God be for them, who dare be against them? I don't see anything wrong with positive preaching, would you rather hear that he preaches negatively? That would be appalling.
Yes, Anonymous, those are our only choices--prosperity preaching that justifies wealth, or negative preaching. Oh, and by negative preaching, do you mean suggesting sacrifice or mentioning sins like greed?
The fact is, Anonymous, people being blessed isn't the problem. The problem is when nitwits like Joel Osteen use their wealth as a cudgel against those who aren't wealthy like them.
And btw, just how do you know that God is "for" the likes of Osteen? The fact that he's rich? If that is your justification, then you have a serious theological deficit.
It's not greed as long as God allows them to control the money and they do what He says. They have to give an account if they do something distrustful. Don't think being a preacher is smooth sailing. Just as the High Priests of the old covenant, who were called through the line of Aaron, and only his line (because all Cohen's are Levy's, but not all Levy's are Cohen's), were trusted with the animal sacrifices and had to do exactly what they were told or they would be killed because of the holiness of God's word, anybody has to give an account if they mishandle His ministries or anything of God's.
I meant negative breaching in the sense that people say that 'God is going to kill you' because unfortunately many preachers said this but God wants people to live.
There is no need for sacrifice anymore because the old covenant is a foreshadowing of Jesus' new covenant. And I think God is for the Osteen's because He wouldn't allowed Victoria to be not guilty unless she is. Ok?
Well, golly gee willikers, I guess the Chinese gangsters who control the heroin import route from Hong Kong to Vancouver to the U.S. are blessed by God too as long as God allows them to control their money. (Though the RHKP, Canadian police, DHS and Vietnamese gangs seem to have a little more direct control over their finances than God does.)
I think you are right, Leighton. The way we know that the Osteens are listening to God is that God hasn't killed them yet. Ergo, any wealthy person who hasn't been smited (or is it "smoten") is also doing what God says.
"Golly gee wilikers?"
:)
I think you're right, "wilikers" does seem to have only 1 'l' in various citations. Oh well.
Yes, corrupt things happen in the world, but there are no drugs involved with that church. And nothing about what you stated has to do with God because the Chinese gangsters and others you listed don't follow His kingdom. God is foolishness to those who don't believe. You obviously do not understand the holiness of God's word. Victoria was found not guilty, so that's that.
yeah, duh, tony, preaching is hard? doncha know?
verily i say unto thee, we know good folks based on their wealth, which is evidence of God's blessings. osama bin laden is incredibly wealthy. therefore, obl is among the elect because he has been so richly blessed by God. right?
Victoria was found not guilty, so that's that. Divine retribution at its best. Like I said before Anonymous, you suffer from a severe theological deficit.
Just because Victoria was proven "not guilty" is not conclusive proof the favor of God rests upon her. I did not have indigestion at all today. The favor of God must rest upon me, huh?
The favor of God is contingent upon obedience to Him, following the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and loving others--not because someone is "faring well" instead of "on welfare."
ubub,
Well...yeah. Like, duh. Ya know?
Yep, Anon. Everything that happens proves your point.
Except it doesn't.
Cheering for the Osteen's means never having to think for yourself.
And nothing about what you stated has to do with God because the Chinese gangsters and others you listed don't follow His kingdom.
What do you mean, the Department of Homeland Security doesn't follow the kingdom of God? What are you, some sort of hippie anarchist fascist communist?
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