Courtesy of Newsweek:
A televangelist whose church closed its doors during Hurricane Harvey claims that he is the victim of “misinformation” and told flood victims not to have a “poor me” attitude.
In his Sunday sermon, multimillionaire pastor Joel Osteen addressed the criticism that has been directed at him after his 16,000 seat Houston megachurch initially closed its doors during the storm, in which thousands of people were left homeless and 40 were killed.
Pictures and video posted on social media showed the church apparently undamaged by the storm, and Osteen initially claimed he had not opened its doors because he had not been asked to by the state. The church re-opened Tuesday, as floodwaters began to recede.
“You know I really believe in these times of difficulty it's, for me, certainly not the time to question your faith but to turn to your faith because God is the one that gives you the strength to make it through the difficult times," he said in a video of Sunday's sermon posted on YouTube.
“We are not going to understand everything that happens but, you know, having a 'poor old me' mentality or 'look what I lost' or 'why did this happen', that's just going to pull you down. Like we've been talking about all night, you just got to turn it over and say 'God you're still on the throne'.”
Yeah don't get a "poor old me" attitude just because your home was swept away by the flood and you lost everything. After all on the bright side Joel Osteen's church was completely untouched and he is still a very, very wealthy man.
However as bad as this completely out of touch sentiment was, it was not the worst of it.
On Saturday, the day before Osteen made his comments, his sister led a service.
Courtesy of Nova Magazine:
In a video from a Saturday service at Lakewood Church, his sister Lisa Osteen Comes asks for the Hurricane Harvey survivors to stand up so that people could “touch” and “lay hands” on them. Before she does that though, she sends the ushers into the auditorium to start passing around collection plates. As they do, she throws out false words of comfort and carefully avoids ever telling these poor people that the church would help them. Instead, she keeps saying that God will.
“All these people who stood tonight, they have needs, and financial needs, and you know, I just feel like we should pray for them that God is going to bless them with unprecedented favor in the next coming days and the next coming weeks and the next coming months because you know they have a lot of calls to make, they have a lot of work to get done, and their lives were so interrupted, but you know what we can trust God that it will go smoother than anyone could ever imagine.”
Comes then called for the congregation to “touch them, hold hands with them…let’s touch them, let’s just let them know we’re praying for them and let’s believe right now that God is going to move supernaturally in their favor.”
So yes this woman actually sent out ushers to ask for donations from the people who had just lost EVERYTHING.
Comes actually went a little further than that and suggested that the flooding might turn out to be a good thing as God will likely reward them with better homes and more prosperity.
That is the trick that these people use to convince morons to give them their last nickle in the belief that God will reward their generosity with great wealth, health, and happiness.
It's really too bad that I don't believe in Hell, because if ever there were people who deserved a standing reservation in that place it is these slimy pieces of shit.
Doesn't it say somewhere in the Bible that women should sit down, shut up, and be nothing more than chattle baby making machines? Asking for a friend.
ReplyDeleteAre you talking about his sister? That woman has never ever seen a dick in her life, let alone get pregnant from one.
DeleteThis woman is an example of why I left organized religion at the age of twelve.
ReplyDeleteThat's what "prosperity" religion is all about - passing the collection plate while telling people in the congregation that the more they give the richer they will become themselves. Are the congregants going to become richer while living on earth or when they get to heaven? Part of the con is to convince people that they'll get rich during their lifetimes and that will guarantee their wealth in heaven. I don't think that's what the Sermon on the Mount is all about . . . .
ReplyDeleteIt's a lot like the trailer park Trump voting woman who said last fall on television no less that she supported Trump because he was a rich businessman and she would also get rich if he were president. I wonder how she's doing today?
Beaglemom
I do agree that Trump gained more support promising he would deliver wealth and middle class. They just needed to vote for the candidate dangling higher wages, delivering massive amount of jobs to their towns without them getting job training, education or moving to where jobs are. Oh, BTW, increase wealth for the richest with big tax breaks uh no falsely promising to reduce tax for the lowest income people.
DeleteIt is similar to give me money and God or Trump will deliver wealth to you.
They voted for empty promises not for a Democrat speaking in reality proposing reduced cost of education, programs for new skills, hard work to invest self for future prosperity.
Mormons-10 percent of your income builds magnificent churches and temples.
ReplyDeleteSarah palin should take good notes on how the scam is played. Her plan just sucks badly
ReplyDeleteI've come to the conclusion that these TV Evangelicals do not believe in God at all. Not even a little bit. Otherwise, how could they be so vile?
ReplyDelete$ is their god.
DeleteGeorgiaPeach
These grifters (osteen,comes,Robertson, liberty?)
ReplyDeleteThey are disgusting thieves, low of the lowest.They prey on the hopeless, poor,ignorant, unsuspecting people.
Wake up folks! You don't have to pay $ to be a good person. There is no god!
I will bs you for free. No charge.
A rich man will not get into heaven it is said in the book. So Joel, Victoria, Joyce, Pat, Donald, enjoy your' riches here.
ReplyDeleteAnd any dumbass that wants to send their last twenty dollars to these fools, that's on you.
A rich man and a poor man stood in line at the pearly gates. The rich man entered first and there's a big party for him. Poor man goes thru the pearly gates and hes welcomed,but there's no big party for him. He turns to ask St Peter why the big party for the rich guy but not for him? St Peter says,we get poor people a like you all the time....
DeleteThe punch line is: "We get poor people all the time but we don't see very many rich people."
DeleteSame,same. Depends on who's telling it. Get over yourself, m.You're turning into the blog nazi.
DeleteIf nothing else good comes from that storm, exposing these disgusting people for what they are makes me feel fine! Even tho Joel's sister there can't move her face for all the botox in it.
ReplyDeleteSquinty eyes and fake smile all the way to the bank it!
DeleteI did read that his church does not have ideal facilities as a shelter for bathing, refrigeration and food perpetration for volunteers and provide for those in need.
ReplyDeleteIt's a former pro sports arena. It has all that and more. Multiple locker rooms with showers. Multiple restroom facilities. Multiple food service prep and serving areas. Even medical facilities for athletes and public emergencies.
Deletehttp://www.thedailybeast.com/the-insane-gifts-saudi-arabia-gave-president-trump
ReplyDeletetinydjt Idolize$ tchotch·ke$
"Osteen initially claimed he had not opened its doors because he had not been asked to by the state." I want to save that drowning baby but the state never asked me.
ReplyDeleteNo. FIRST they claimed it wasn't safe because of flooding. When that proved a lie, THEN they claimed they hadn't been asked.
DeleteAnd Trump got people to vote for him using the same conman methods.
ReplyDelete