(April 9, 2019 at 4:30 pm)Gae Bolga Wrote: I disagree. Joel Osteen is the very picture of a typically boring person. If he offered me money to listen to him talk, rather than his usual grift of taking money, I'd decline.
joel is an entertainer for one big reason is he is selling the prosperity gospel. Do good god will let you have anything you believe is rightfully yours. do bad God takes stuff from you. Do real bad and he will strike you down with illness or financial ruin.
While I do teach God blesses I also teach God sends the wind and rain to test your faith despite how 'good' you think you are. in fact I teach non are good and yet God still blesses us, that trials is apart of building and learning while joel has taught that pain and suffering of any kind is a lack of faith.
As these are not biblical principles these teaching are little more than a form of entertainment, the reason it works is because we can never obtain the lifestyle joel claims is within our reach (being a good person) therefore no one can honesty claim the goods he says we are entitled to.
also aside from his sermon there are plays and skits performed in worship service along with a band/concert type of worship. it's hard to worship when the act is centered only on stage.
