Osteen retracted his statements on Larry King

Remember Joel Osteen on Larry King and everyone praised him? Well go to his website. He retracts what he says.

"I believe with all my heart that it is only through Christ that we have hope in eternal life. I regret and sincerely apologize that I was unclear on the very thing in which I have dedicated my life......"I believe that Jesus Christ alone is the only way to salvation. However, it wasn't until I had the opportunity to review the transcript of the interview that I realize I had not clearly stated that having a personal relationship with Jesus is the only way to heaven. It's about the individual's choice to follow Him."

http://albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=137

beliefs. Still doesn't sound judgemental towards others.

But then, so many DU'ers hate Christians and jump at any chance to trash a preacher of just about any stripe.

"It's about the individual's choice to follow Him."

No, we hate the same people Jesus did, the hypocrites who wrap themselves in religion to hide their crimes.

it goes right by them.

he 'retracted' his statements.

But that went right by you, apparently.

Osteen isn't my cup of tea, but he's genuine and positive. Something in short supply. Even here on DU.

And if you haven't noticed the propensity for many DU'ers to hate Christians AND spiritiually minded people using no discrimination in making statements about them ... then you haven't been paying attention.

Many, many DU'ers talk about and condemn Religious and Spiritually inclined people with a damned broad brush. It's getting somewhat better then when I first joined years ago, but only by some degrees.

but thanks anyway.

Some people have a persecution complex around here, I believe.

Maybe you're just not reading the same posts that we are. It's very blatent. No, I don't feel persecuted, because I KNOW WHERE I STAND, but some folks around here act like bullies and know it alls. They take great pains to point out that we who believe are idiots! I usually don't even bother replying to their posts. Live and let live, but first...........DO NO HARM !

I look at that guy with his ridiculous pasted-on smile and glistening hair, preaching in his big ol' stadium church in his shiny striped suit, and think no way is that for real.

I've been reading this site for a long time and definitely have to agree with you. I see the Christian bashing and then total denial in the same vein as racists who spout racist crap all day then act shocked and in disbelief when someone calls them out on it.

Glad this thread brought you out of lurk mode into posting mode.

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

I saw this on a Christian message board where someone posted it and thought people here who were apart of that thread might want to know. I'm not bashing my own beliefs doy.

I apologize. I'm didn't mean to imply that I was bashing you or saying that you are a Christian hater or whatever. I was simply commenting on some things that I have read on this site at that particular moment. No offense meant.

They are all the same. I rarely if ever read any posts here bashing Christianity, only how certain "Christians" try and use their religion. Things people do in the name of religion are often commented upon here and usually the comments are not favorable but it is not the religion that is criticized but how the people use it...There seem to be a lot of people on these boards that are unable to make the distinction.

Perhaps I have interpreted things incorrectly here. I realize that religion has been misused in the past and will continue to be done so in the future. However, it seems to me that people on this site are insulting and degrading Christianity under the guise of pointing out hypocrisy of those who are obvious fake Christians. Such posts as "Let's destroy Christianity for ever," "Christians have no independent thought processes," "We're retrograde as a society because Americans believe in God," etc. Again, perhaps I'm misinterpreting people's meanings. I think that Democrats need to continue to be open to all ideas within reason and not hostile to those that are different.

...than a guy with a slick hairdo and designer suits, with a plastered-on telemarketer's grin, giving oh-so-earnest televised sermons to a stadium of 10,000 followers? Why, if I didn't know better, I'd think this display of humility was being put on by Christ himself!


Sure, Osteen deserves a bit of credit for not being an absolute thug like Pat Robertson.

Okay, so he's a feel-good con artist, but a con artist just the same.

:eyes:

So many DU'ers "hate Christians"? Please.

You poor, persucuted, discriminated against Christians. How can you ever survive, controlling everything in North America the way you do.

It's not like you're being fed to the lions.

Sid

Many of us who aren't Christian were Christian, and our families, friends, SOs still are. What we hate with a burning passion are hypocrisy and hate done in Jesus' name. Whether you believe he was the Christ, a prophet, or a rabbi (or even existed), he was a really great guy with a really great message. They have twisted and perverted it into one of hate, intolerance, and even evil. Frankly, they suck.

So, do I hate Christians? Of course not! What a crazy question... I do, however, dislike -- and even -- hate many "Christians."

On Edit: And, most of us who hate "Christians" are ourselves spiritual people: Deists, pagans, Buddhists, etc.... so we certainly don't hate ourselves. Geez.

http://www.joelosteen.com/site/PageServer .

Kind of like a Dr. Wayne Dyer, without the fun mystical slant, but upbeat philosophy with a Christian flavor, with an occasional ever-so-slight hint of conservative Southern Baptist theology.

They have a large following here. In fact, they reconstructed the Compaq Center (where the Rockets once played ballgames) to make it their new home.

I believe that's the same family. Joel followed in his father's footsteps.

I read on the original thread about him he lives in Houston. He his married but I dunno how many kids they have or anything (or if any). :shrug:

I think Mr. Osteen is a lot better than Falwell and his ilk. He has positive self-help books out a lot I believe. I saw one when I was at "Target" the other day.

i'm not sure i personally get offended by people believing in this.

my problem is usually with those who try to legislate according to their religious beliefs.

but some people just believe certain things like you need belief in Christ or Allah to get to heaven.

i don't even believe in heaven.

i grew up in a Hindu(though non religious) home. there was this indian/hindu festival we attended a few times when i was a kid. one of the "booths" was this Noah's ark thing where you go in and they tell you about sin and belief in Jesus and all that stuff. they would give people (mostly kids) free cookies and punch if they went in and listened to the stories.

when i got a little older i realized it was one of those christian activist missionary type things intended to try to convert people, especially with their aiming at children mostly. but most of the kids who went on did so just because the ark seemed fun and cool. and you get free cookies afterwards.

looking back at this i'm not sure i have much of a problem with this. i didn't find it dangerous or anything. like Osteen they didn't want to offend others but they wanted to get out the whole thing about Jesus being key to heaven or whatever. yeah, they probably think most of those attending were going to hell unless they can be saved. but if that's what they believe , that's just the way it is.

i guess what i'm saying is i have a bigger problem with those who try to legislate and those who spew hate against others more than those who do what Osteen does. i see a difference between doing things like this Noah's ark thing and someone out there spewing hate and telling everyone they will go to hell.

Hey Joel, stop pretending to read God's mind and go back to preaching something positive

that's why he is reluctant to say that anyone will go to hell.

instead he keeps it positive by speaking about what he believes will get people to heaven.

He is nicely saying, "Jesus or hell, you choose sinner." How is this postive in any way?

I haven't ever heard anything negative from him not like Jerry Falwell and James Dobson type.

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

On Larry King he said it wasn't his job to judge (and it isn't and is where I stand on such things) and than all these rightwing fundies started attacking him saying he was a false prophet and what not so he put out this message. Sad.

...who will burn in hell since they've yet to accept Jesus as their savior. :rolleyes:


And we all know how God hates folks who practice other religions than Christianity for stupid reasons like... THEY'VE BEEN RAISED THAT WAY FROM BIRTH! :rolleyes:

Would you really want to worship a deity that insists on sycophancy and has so little mercy? Even if I didn't think he was a load of bunk, I wouldn't worship such a capricious and neurotic deity.

What a compassionate religion...

and they told me God forgives all babies so they all go to heaven.

Apparently Andrea Yates knew it, and was trying to make the deadline when she drowned all her biblical-named tots...

but i assume it's anytime before they become conscious of "god" and have the ability to accept or reject it.

is because babies can't make up decisions about their beliefs and whatnot.

I shut up a fundie once when I asked her if God would turn away those born before Christ was. She didn't know what to say.

other beliefs. It makes no sense whatsoever that God would put all of us on earth and then make everyone who didn't have "a personal relationship with Jesus" burn in hell. That is just pure arrogance and hateful to boot, especially for people who are said to be following Jesus. (And I know he apparently "said" the only way to the father is through Me, or something similar, but I don't think Jesus himself was given the opportunity to write his own story.) I am a believer in and admirer of Jesus as the son of God, but I reject Christianity because of its misguided and I believe misconstrued notions of what following Jesus is really all about.

When I found out at age 7 or so that my church believed that unless we could hurry up and save them, pretty much everyone in Africa and Asia were going to hell, I was off the bandwagon. I mean, didn't we sing "red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world" every week? How do these things go together?

I think this very tenet of Christians' exclusive right to heaven is the one that is allowing the political climate of "we're right, you're wrong and we will make the laws." This is the exact thing our country's founders meant to escape. I'm sure they are looking down from Heaven in horror (assuming they all had a personal relationship with Jesus.)

Can you see God sending Gandhi to hell? Come ON.

I apologize in advance for offending anyone, but I have spent a lifetime being upset by what was for me, an impossible belief. It meant not having a church, something I always wanted to have.

as it is practiced by so many. I consider myself a Christian but I just can't believe this either. It doesn't make any sense for an all-loving God to behave this way. All the translations and parts cut out of the Bible throughout history....there's no way one can know for certain what Jesus really meant. I reject this idea that only Christians go to Heaven. What makes more sense to me is that Jesus meant that the path to Heaven was not so much through *him* but through what he was teaching: Love.

I took my daughter out of a religious pre-school when I found out that they were teaching this to the kids. I told them why too and they just looked at me slack-jawed.

Seriously -- great group of people. Or the United Church of Christ.

there. I think at this stage I may be past the desire for a church community. I'm kind of used to being my own church of one, and my beliefs are such that I'm not sure where I'd fit in exactly. But I'm really fine with it now. But I appreciate your thoughts! :)

commentators advance: Jesus died for the salvation of ALL mankind. Thus, salvations is technically "through" him, but belief in him is not necessarily a prerequisite.

God makes those decisions. Not Jerry Falwell, Joel Osteen, or even the Pope.

By the way, I'm Catholic.

it's important to not be so judgmental of other people. How do you know all these self-righteous people aren't going to hell because of how they behave and how they treat people? Only God knows.

aren't going to hell. And I doubt it would be much of an issue for me at all, except these are the very people who are trying to run the world and shove their hypocritical, judgmental beliefs on everyone else. That's the part that gets me so upset. Live and let live only works when everyone does it, ya know? :)

respectable.

He's no different from a "drug" dealer praying on the weak-minded.