Friday, January 8, 2010

Joel Osteen blesses Houston's new (gay) mayor Annise Parker

http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/faith-and-reason/2010/01/05/Parkerx-large.jpg
(USA Today) - Annise Parker, the newly-elected happens-to-be-lesbian mayor of Houston was sworn in Monday and the opening prayer was given by ... Rev. Joel Osteen.

Is your head spinning? Osteen heads the nation's most mega of evangelical non-denominational megachurches, Lakewood Church in Houston where about 45,000 people cycle through a revamped sports stadium for services every weekend.

Osteen has been all over telling folks (Larry King, Whoopi Goldberg) for years that homosexuality is not "God's best." I presume he means "God's best choice" because otherwise I'm lost in the dropped or implied rest of the sentence. But "God's best" is phrase Osteen never finishes so I'm just guessing.

Yet, Osteen hasn't joined the more strident wing of the religious right in damning gays. Indeed, Osteen takes heat from other evangelicals who condemn him for not laying down a line of fire about sin of any kind. That's not his style, says the preacher known for his broad smile and sermons that God wants you to be happy. Osteen's best seller was titled, Your Best Life Now.

By Jessica Kourkounis, AP
Now (hat tip to Mark Silk for pointing me to the Box Turtle Bulletin) writer Timothy Kincaid suggests to his gay readership that they look at Osteen more fully and fairly. Kincaid's post (which carries a disclaimer that others on the staff of the webzine don't necessarily agreed) says:

I think it would be useful for our community to adopt a more nuanced view of religious leaders. By doing so, we might find ourselves with unexpected allies.

Joel Osteen does not agree with my understanding of Scripture; but his disagreement does not make him a hater or a bigot. And I recognize the value in having a lesbian politician -- elected despite her opponent's religion-based homophobic campaign -- being given blessing by the pastor of the largest congregation in the nation.

Does this change your idea of Osteen? For better or for worse?

5 comments:

Pablo the Mexican said...

The Freemason seeds of satanism are in bloom in Texas.

Texas is the only state in America whose State Constitution notes their hatred of Mexicans and the Priesthood.

Just as the Jews settled into the Cuidad de Nuestra Senora Santa Maria de Los Angeles and laid out their long range plans, such as L.A. is the pornography capital of the world, and Hollywood, that cranks out filth daily, there is much more satanic activity that can be expected from the satan star state.

In America, we are on the Titanic looking at the tip of an iceberg.

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Terry Nelson said...

I find homosexuals to be rather queer.

Joel just wants everyone to 'be happy' - feel good.

Cathy_of_Alex said...

My opinion of Rev Osteen was not high to begin with so this doesn't make me like him more. However, I find it bizarre.

I agree with Terry. However, I'd add that I think Rev Osteen just wants to be liked. Much sin and error has been perpetuated by folks who did it to be liked, to fit in, to go along.

Pablo the Mexican said...

Joel Osteen is no better than the two bit carpet baggers that wandered the South after the Civil War. People flocked to the Carpetbaggers to buy the cheap cr** they were selling that had been stolen from the wealth of the South.

Roman Catholicism holds anyone collecting money for the Church and using it for Protestant purposes or purposes other than that of Holy Mother Church, are guilty of raping Holy Mother Church. The stealing of souls from Holy Mother Church is full scale rape.

In America punks like this are held in high esteem, and the modernists Catholics put them on equal if not higher authority than the Catholic Priesthood.

Joel Osteen is not doing anything Satan has not directed and financed. Much of the time Osteen stands before a huge globe of the world; it is not Olsteen’s world, it is Satan’s one world church. Mr. Olsteen and ‘religious’ people of his ilk only hunger for Satan’s approval. They burn for him.

The Houston Mayor and her girl are mocking God. Texas rejected Mexico and its Roman Catholicism.

It is getting exactly what it asked for. There is much more to come.

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belinda said...

Today my mother was telling me about how much she loves her capuchin priest and how poor he is. I said, "well that gives him credibility !

I have a profound respect for a man who will give up everything to follow Christ. The prosperity gospel is a bunch of crap and I can't believe that people go as far as to finance it.
I think ; If your not suffering your faith then your a joke. (harsh, I know)

Does the prosperity gospel mean that Christ doesn't love you if your poor?

Reason # 316 why I could never be a pro-testant again.