Flight Attendant says Ms Osteen caused hemorrhoidal flare up

Well, I apologize for my poor choice of words. I type without thinking.

I had meant that I figured that the attendant in question wasn't white based on what I've heard about Victoria prior this incident.

I didn't mean anything by this.

Carry on.

 

The main thing i believe is that it is every person's duty to read the Bible for themselves and do their own interpretation. I've been to Lakewood, I preferred John Osteen better but their main objective is to get people to receive the word of God. Its meant to attract those who NEED to hear something good about God to get them to start understanding Jesus Christ for themselves. I know many people who would have never gotten back into church if it wasn't for Lakewood's open doors. Almost every church i've been to has preached prosperity gospel to some degree and most do it only during a certain time of the service to get what they want.

I believe he does distort the Bible, to a degree, to put things in terms that HIS congregation (made up of plenty of people who wouldn't otherwise be in church) can understand. I just don't see what makes him worse than many of the other televangelists out there.

And, everyone comes down hard on him but there are churches making much less money than Lakewood and their Pastor's rolling around in Bentleys and Helicopters. I don't mind that they put all that money back into the church and much more to advertise and produce their show. People could be doing much worse.

I've learned that the best thing about coming church is to be around people who truly believe and the love you feel for being there. I'm sure there are some quality churches but i just don't feel someone else can do a better job of pointing me in the right direction than the word of God itself.

 

It's an American issue, really. The church around the world doesn't look this way. Look, the New Testament is pretty anti-establishment...ideas of building up wealth for yourself is frowned apart...Americans including me really struggle with that. When the authors of the Bible talk about Rome and Babylon they talk about empires and cultures that have a ton materially...that's where the US is, so when the church gets too swallowed up by culture it has a very difficult time reflecting those ideas.

But the mega church model is a corporate consumeristic model that Americans have gone to in virtually everything...it's the Wal Mart approach, basically.

On the other hand...many of these churches do wonderful things for other people....they serve community. But to the extent ANY church is more about itself than it is about people outside its walls...then in my understanding of who God is...the church has lost its way. It then more closely resembles a country club with membership benefits. That makes me very very uncomfortable, and I'm sad to say that many many churches look that way.

 

I'm not very religious, so my ex tried to get me to go to church with her. And it was exactly like you said...it reminded me of a social club. The fact that they were trying to be so "personal" with all of these weird activities unrelated to their faith made God seem so impersonal.

I went to a wedding at a Catholic church a bit back and after listening to the father it was a totally different experience for me. It seemed like a "real" church, and for once, the idea of going regularly to a church was not dreadful. It was kind of strange though, because the stricter aspects of religion are what I would've said I cared for least about church.

 

I'm not very religious, either. If you're in Houston I can recommend churches where you might feel that sense of intimacy, as well....or where I do, at least. But places where the people are on mission with one another to serve the world...not just to put more butts in the seats.

 

This post and your other one are very solid.

 

All churches do this. Big and small. What's the deal?

 

By the way, according to the Bible, you are suppose to give 10% of your tides to the church.

 

Those who profit from the word of our father, have no place in our father's kingdom. Liberation theology is the only way to go, but in this world, liberation theology is often viewed as a threat to 'democracy'.
God
family
social justice



Ps: señora osteen has a nice everything. =)

 

the teachings of Jesus promote a life like His, anyone who teaches anything different is arrogant and doesn't really understand the message... having turned from the truth they suppose that gaining financial wealth is a type of godliness, but true godliness is to be completely content with what you have that is truth for a Christian. Remember we brought nothing into this world and we can't take anything with us when we leave it.

taken from Paul's first letter he wrote to Timothy in the bible the 6th chapter


beware of false teachers who say what makes you feel good

the desire for money is not a blessing. because of our coveteousness and materialism in america we can't hear Jesus words- "he that does not forsake all he has cannot be my disciple."

 

I've never been to Lakewood Church but I've seen the telecasts and I've read both of Osteen's books "Your Best Life Now" and "Become a Better you." Besides the books being mind-numbingly repetitive, there is virtually no basis in scripture. Any Christian themes or divine wisdom touched upon have the word taken completely out of context. I'm not a big fan of Joel because I grew up as part of a church that told me if I did this this and this, life will be easy and my faith will be able to move mountains. I've ventured away from God and have come back because I've been lovingly shown the truth -- that true faith in God can be hard, that maybe I won't be rich and successful, but even more important: is it really wealth and "the favor of God all over me" to find that great parking space - IS that what's really important?

I don't think it's that terrible for me to want to find a church in between the prosperity preaching of Joel Osteen and the fire-and-brimstone of someone like John Hagee. I know my pastor well. He prays with me. We send facebook messages to each other. He doesn't try to be cool or sugar-coat anything, he has had an up-and-down life just like most of us and he TELLS us that we will have struggles. Isn't that what Paul says?

I don't know, I guess it's just my perception. Everyone is spiritually fulfilled by different things.

 

ahh!!! you found a church!!! which?

 

Why did you read the second book?

 

Well Jesus did go ape**** on that Church that one time. He tore it up.

 

he reserved his real anger for religious leaders, that's true!

 

Considering hemorrhoids are prevalent in about half the population and can come on for a myriad of reasons, I would say that is going to be a tough one to prove that the exact cause was a loss of faith and anxiety from an encounter with Ms Osteen. My judgement is some anal cream for the hemmorhoids and a new bible. Case closed.

 

Without a doubt, but the issue is not them having opportunities to make money that way. As long as they aren't scamming their parishioners out of millions and saying they are building or doing something to benefit the church aka Benny Hinn, then I got no problem. Like I said, I bet most of their income is through the outside activities, its not like their pilfering the church's coffers to buy a jBentley or private Jet.

 

I'm Catholic and despite a lot of Catholic Churches being smaller than Lakewood for example, I feel a better connection with people at Lakewood than I've felt in any Catholic Church and I've lived on 3 continents and too many cities to even remember how many Catholic churches I've been to.
There is such a fake vibe(Like one gets from seating in the lower seats with the Cocaine and boob job crowd at Dallas Mavericks games) at a lot of Catholic churches.
Maybe it has to do with denomination because at the larger non-denominational, baptist, presbyterian churches, I feel people are a lot warmer than they are at Catholic churches.

 

I agree completely. It's like these people don't know anything about Job, or Jesus expelling the money changers from the temple. Reducing it all to some kind of four leaf clover, or rabbit's foot is the most shallow, shameful thing.