after watching a few of his services, and reading up a little about him, I'm convinced he's more of a counseling people advocate than a 'preacher'.... his message is upbeat, and psychologically great for people to hear, since it's more about you getting yourself what you need than 'god' handing it to you for good works.... he's really got it down to a science, that of telling folks what makes them feel good about themselves.... even going so far as telling women to shop at Victoria's Secret to help their marriages be happier!....
he's different..... is he the next BillyG?
I'm not a believer, but I do like the way his messages uplift PEOPLE.....
2007-11-21 01:38:09 · 16 answers · asked by meanolmaw 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
as I said, I'm not a believer, but I was trained in psychology, so I like what his stuff does to uplift folks....just want to know what the Christian folks think of him....
2007-11-21 01:48:48 · update #1
I only meant to compare Joel with BillyG insofar as the crowd he can pull in a stadium... I know the messages they each give are vastly different.....
2007-11-21 07:42:08 · update #2
Lots of cheerleading for Jesus. I don't think Jesus needs more cheerleaders. He needs more prophets.
2007-11-21 01:42:30 · answer #1 · answered by WhiteDove 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Joel Olsteen very seldom speaks God's words in his message. He is really just a motivational speaker who uplifts people and has them believe that they can become prosperous with or without God. He has made a lot of money doing this and I have never heard him give God the honor nor praise for his successes as he believes he is the reason he is successful.
And no He is not nor will he be the next Billy G. He would be a great spokesperson at an Amway Convention. Olsteen uses a proven method to bilk much money from those poor folks who need to have their ears tickled with good messages and these same folks are too lazy or do not want to read or listen to the qualifiers for the blessings that God has spoke. I recommend you always read the verse before and after the verse about how God will bless you. Then you will know what God's requirements really are to receive those blessings. Most of us couldn't qualify without some major changes in our life. Please read on
Within the Christian movement there is something called the "doctrine of prosperity." It is also known as positive confession and is a movement designed it to elevate the Christian's position before society by stating that God has promised to the believer financial and physical prosperity. In other words, what they are saying is that we are not supposed to be poor or sick. Some positive confession teachers even go so far as to say that if you are sick or poor, it is because of sin in your life. The problem is that they are wrong. Got often allows sickness and poverty to overtake us in order to teach us things that we could not learn otherwise. The cross of Christ was not for the purpose of bringing money to us or making us healthy. It was for the purpose of redeeming our souls.
So, I would say that be careful of what you are taught regarding the doctrine of prosperity particularly if it has to do with what I've described above.
2007-11-21 02:02:40 · answer #2 · answered by Charlotte 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Joel Osteen has a message that appeals to the masses. He is an uplifting preacher; although, he oversimplifies the concept of being Born Again.
This style of preaching is known as the Prosperity Gospel. He is the most popular today of this line of preachers. Others include Creflo Dollar, Don Stewart and Peter Popoff.
Billy Graham had a completely different type of message in his time...one of repentence because the day of the Lord was at hand.
2007-11-21 01:44:40 · answer #3 · answered by Digital Age 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Joel Osteen is great, but I think many of his messages sound the same. I can only take so much of him. He is helping people live better lives based on the principles of God. He is making it understandable in plain contemporary English. He is not a counselor or life coach as some accuse. He simply makes the Bible relevant and understandable for this generation. I am not saying the Bible tells you to go to Victoria's secret, but it does advocate pleasing your husband and having a good marriage. (see Song of Solomon).
You are not a "believer"....but the messages grab your attention. Maybe you should investigate Christianity more. My life totally changed for the better when I believed. No joke.
I personally like Greg Laurie at Harvest ministries and Chip Ingram at Walk through the Bible.
Good question.
2007-11-21 01:45:59 · answer #4 · answered by epsilon_theta 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Olsteen is an efficient fake. he's have been given it right down to a technological know-how, on a similar time as him and his spouse rake interior the money! No scripture interior the Bible potential that a spouse could gown like a whore. Neither does procuring at Victoria's secret save a marriage happy. If something, dressing like a whore cheapens the courting. I agree that his message is upbeat, even though it relatively is the international view of God, meaning that's designed to confuse the depraved. real believers do no longer purchase into Olsteen's hype.
2016-12-16 15:12:40 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm a hardcore atheist, but I completely agree with you. I adore Joel Osteen and admire his message. I saw him for the first time shortly after the 9/11/01 attacks and he was telling his congregation to not squabble with people over the fine details in the bible. He said the no one knows for sure what the exact truth is and we should love each other, not bicker of this type of stuff. I find that if I just mentally cross off the god stuff and end up finding the remainder inspiring and quite valuable.
2007-11-21 02:31:55 · answer #6 · answered by oldernwiser 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best con artists are the ones that know exactly what people want to hear and exactly how to deliver that to them. Joel Olsteen is no different than the old snake oil salesmen of the 1800s.
2007-11-21 01:58:57 · answer #7 · answered by ndmagicman 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, I am glad to say that I am a believer in God and Jesus Christ. Joel O. is an excellent communicator and interpreter of the word of God. Many people, including me, have a hard time translating what is told in the Bible to everyday actions. Joel helps immensely in that process.
If read with faith, the Bible is up beat and no where in the Bible does it tell you to sit back and wait for God to hand things to you. You have to follow his laws and do do do.
2007-11-21 01:51:14 · answer #8 · answered by straightshooter 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
His "message" is a conflation of the American self-help culture and a vague form of protestant evangelicalism. Other than a few superficial similarities in style and strategy, it has nothing at all to do with the mission or message of Billy Grahm.
2007-11-21 01:49:44 · answer #9 · answered by Timaeus 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Like the other prosperity teachers he is teaching humanism rather than Christianity. He and others teach a god that serves them instead of us serving God. My only argument with him and others is that they use Christianity as a marketing tool instead of preaching the true Gospel.
In Christ
Fr. Joseph
2007-11-21 01:59:53 · answer #10 · answered by cristoiglesia 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have much respect for Joel as preach and a man of God and I really enjoy listen to his messages.
2007-11-21 02:33:15 · answer #11 · answered by jennifer.silver70 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋