Joel Osteen victim of elaborate internet hoax

[Batman]

This is a couple of days old, but haven't seen anything on it here.
Someone went to a lot of trouble -- to the point of creating a number of fake websites resembling reputable news outlets, a YouTube video, fake Twitter and Facebook pages, and even Osteen's own church -- to plant a story indicating the megachurch preacher had renounced Christianity and lost his faith.
It's all a hoax, of course. The guy who did all this, a Justin Tribble from Minneapolis, was interviewed by ABC and said he just "wanted Osteen to tone down the cliches" in his message.
Somehow, Osteen is taking it in stride. Certainly seems like he could sue Tribble into homelessness if he wants to.

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/man-joel-osteen-hoax-18928019

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Joel-Osteen-target-of-elaborate-Internet-hoax-4418266.php

 

[Norrin Radd]

 

[HanSenSE]

VERY well played.

 

[black dude with pompano]

Tone down the cliches? If he didn't have feel-good platitudes, Osteen would have nothing left at all.

That said, among the televangelist shyster community, Osteen has always seemed the most harmless and least offensive to me.

 

[Mark2010]

I know Osteen and several of his family members personally. Good people.

His style may not suit everyone, but you can't please all of the people, all of the time. There are lots of people out their who are very jealous.

Little known fact: Osteen never went to seminary.

 

[Moderator1]

I know Osteen and several of his family members personally. Good people.

His style may not suit everyone, but you can't please all of the people, all of the time. There are lots of people out their who are very jealous.

Little known fact: Osteen never went to seminary.

They're are indeed.

 

[The Big Ragu]

I wish I had perfect teeth and the ability to hypnotize people with trite platitudes into forking over hundreds of millions of dollars to fund my lavish lifestyle. Instead, I actually did go to seminary.

 

[Mark2010]

Ragu,

I'm sure you have plenty of talent and God-given gifts. It's easy to look at others with a sense of envy. I'm guilty of that, too. There are about 1,000 churches in Osteen's city and I suspect all of their pastors work just as hard.

Joel was a guy in the right place at the right time. His father, John Osteen, founded the church with just a couple dozen people back in the 1950s. Sort of like being Jack Buck's son was a huge advantage for Joe Buck.

 

[The Big Ragu]

My friends, I know the feeling of disappointment. Just last week, I tried to buy the Mona Lisa and despite my offer of $750 million and a percentage of the future earnings of everyone in the building today, they told me I couldn't have it.

Did I pout? I sure was tempted to.

But let me tell you a story.

A man was chased by a bear, and the bear cornered the man and the man prayed, "Dear god, please make this a Christian bear." So god did as the man asked, and the bear said, "Dear god, please bless this food I'm about to eat."

I tell this story because as the Book of Marshmallow says, Jesus spread his love among all of God's children, including Yogi Bear. And we all must trust that god has a plan for each of us.

So don't listen to the negative talk. Trust in god. When that collection agency calls, tell them they have the wrong number. Focus on only the positive. Ignore that court order. Only god can judge you!

Amen.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

My friends, I know the feeling of disappointment. Just last week, I tried to buy the Mona Lisa and despite my offer of $750 million and a percentage of the future earnings of everyone in the building today, they told me I couldn't have it.

Did I pout? I sure was tempted to.

But let me tell you a story.

A man was chased by a bear, and the bear cornered the man and the man prayed, "Dear god, please make this a Christian bear." So god did as the man asked, and the bear said, "Dear god, please bless this food I'm about to eat."

I tell this story because as the Book of Marshmallow says, Jesus spread his love among all of God's children, including Yogi Bear. And we all must trust that god has a plan for each of us.

So don't listen to the negative talk. Trust in god. When that collection agency calls, tell them they have the wrong number. Focus on only the positive. Ignore that court order. Only god can judge you!

Amen.

If somebody was intrigued by your ideas and wished to learn more, do you have a newsletter to which they might subscribe? For a love offering?

 

[KYSportsWriter]

My friends, I know the feeling of disappointment. Just last week, I tried to buy the Mona Lisa and despite my offer of $750 million and a percentage of the future earnings of everyone in the building today, they told me I couldn't have it.

Did I pout? I sure was tempted to.

But let me tell you a story.

A man was chased by a bear, and the bear cornered the man and the man prayed, "Dear god, please make this a Christian bear." So god did as the man asked, and the bear said, "Dear god, please bless this food I'm about to eat."

I tell this story because as the Book of Marshmallow says, Jesus spread his love among all of God's children, including Yogi Bear. And we all must trust that god has a plan for each of us.

So don't listen to the negative talk. Trust in god. When that collection agency calls, tell them they have the wrong number. Focus on only the positive. Ignore that court order. Only god can judge you!

Amen.

I'm going to hell for laughing so hard at this.

 

[Azrael]

Interesting thing to me about Mr. Osteen, and his popular contemporaries like Rick Warren, is the absence of "sin" or "damnation" as a rhetorical or motivational device.

Without which they (and Jesus) become life coaches more than anything.

 

[Ace]

I would be a nice guy, too, if folks were handing over millions of dollars for me to spend as I wished.

 

[zagoshe]

I think one thing should be made clear - Osteen does not take a salary from the ministry or the church. He is paid by his book deals and things of the such.

Not that it makes me like him any more -- he is mostly full of hot air and bull**** - but I do at least respect that while a lot of people may be getting rich out of the collection plate, he isn't one of them.

 

[dog eat dog world]

ah yeah, anyone who has a positive message is hot air......let's see, some don't like Christians who condemn, and now we're blasting one for being an encourager....

 

[zagoshe]

Sorry - Joel Osteen is the worst kind of preacher - he waters down the message so much so that he never offends anyone and gives people a bunch of feel-good smoke up their ass.

You know what - Christian preachers are SUPPOSED to be polarizing, they are supposed to be drawing a line in the sand and they are supposed to preach a message of fire and brimstone.

Those that don't are weak and hypocritical.

If you are not a Christian, or you are living a sinful life, you are SUPPOSED to cringe when a preacher talks about heaven and hell.

And the same goes for Muslim preachers and any other religion where the "good book" makes it clear you are either "with us or not with us".

There is no gray area in the bible in terms of salvation.

I know there are a bunch of weak, soft, hypocritical preachers who want to sing Kumbay-yah and tell everyone they are really trying their best so it is OK, but they are the problem as they are watering down and Americanizing a message that isn't supposed to be all-inclusive

 

[dooley_womack1]

There is no gray area in the bible in terms of salvation.

Bullcrap. Holy books have been interpreted and reinterpreted in thousands of different ways over the centuries. Catholics, Baptists and Jews interpret the same words differently. It's practically nothing but gray area.

 

[black dude with pompano]

See, this illustrates why I actually have a sort of sympathy for Osteen, despite the fact that he bathes in 100-dollar bills each night.

He takes it from both sides. The fundies can't stand him.

 

[dog eat dog world]

Sorry - Joel Osteen is the worst kind of preacher - he waters down the message so much so that he never offends anyone and gives people a bunch of feel-good smoke up their ass.

You know what - Christian preachers are SUPPOSED to be polarizing, they are supposed to be drawing a line in the sand and they are supposed to preach a message of fire and brimstone.

Those that don't are weak and hypocritical.

If you are not a Christian, or you are living a sinful life, you are SUPPOSED to cringe when a preacher talks about heaven and hell.

And the same goes for Muslim preachers and any other religion where the "good book" makes it clear you are either "with us or not with us".

There is no gray area in the bible in terms of salvation.

I know there are a bunch of weak, soft, hypocritical preachers who want to sing Kumbay-yah and tell everyone they are really trying their best so it is OK, but they are the problem as they are watering down and Americanizing a message that isn't supposed to be all-inclusive

You'd think the left in here would love him because of that. He just hasn't gone far enough, that is, embracing their politics.

 

[dog eat dog world]

See, this illustrates why I actually have a sort of sympathy for Osteen, despite the fact that h
e bathes in 100-dollar bills each night.

He takes it from both sides. The fundies can't stand him.

Well, whrn

There is no gray area in the bible in terms of salvation.

Bullcrap. Holy books have been interpreted and reinterpreted in thousands of different ways over the centuries. Catholics, Baptists and Jews interpret the same words differently. It's practically nothing but gray area.

Most of those divisions aren't scripture-based but politically motivated. Anyone can use the Bible for that.