From Jeff Turner

[Samantha14]

There's a video that's been floating around Facebook of Victoria Osteen saying something akin to "the reason we're obedient is because God wants us to be happy, and obedience to God's will makes us happy, so let's be obedient for our sake, not God's." Now that's definitely a condensed, and even perhaps cleaned up version of what she said, but I believe that to encapsulate her intent. Honestly, while Lakewood-typical, it did nothing to offend me or turn my spiritual stomach. However, the video going around concludes with a clip of Bill Cosby saying, "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard"! The captions added by the posters of this video typically say things like, "What heresy!", or, "Victoria Osteen is a false teacher!", etc...

OK, I get it, you are fans of the modern, Western Gospel of "anything that makes you happy makes God angry", and you see Lakewood as the center of Satan's activity on earth, and Joel and Victoria as the Beast and the Whore of Babylon, respectively. I'll admit, Lakewood Church, and most mega churches in general, are not bastions of theological wisdom, but is that *REALLY* the dumbest thing you've ever heard uttered from a pulpit? How about evangelical hero, David Platt (author of the popular book, Radical) regurgitating Augustinian/Calvinistic rhetoric in stating that God *literally* hates the unbeliever? Or how about fallen angel, Mark Driscoll, saying in essence the same thing, albeit in a more bully-ish manner? Or how about reformed hero, John Piper, stating that it is good and right for God to kill and murder men, women, and children, because anything commanded by him automatically becomes good? Or how about when he claims that the sacrifice of Jesus acts as our "asbestos shield" which keeps us safe from the "white hot wrath of God"? Or how about John Hagee's teachings on "blood moons", or the numerous false rapture predictions that have been trumpeted, not by the Harold Campings of Christendom, but by mainstream, TBN occupiers?

I'm not one to name names, really I'm not, but I do so here simply to ask a question - why is it that the much more dangerous teachings of these men are ignored, or, worse yet, assimilated into our belief systems, but the off the cuff words of Joel Osteen's wife are "the dumbest thing" you've ever heard? Is it because she's a woman? Is it because she's Joel Osteen's wife? Or is it because the idea of God actually wanting you to be happy is such an affront to your angry God theology that you just can't stomach it?

Sure, Victoria Osteen's words might not be the most brilliant bit of theological insight ever shared, but neither is it the "dumbest thing" coming out of mainstream Christianity. It seems to me though that we have a bias against teachings that suggest God wants you happy, and feel safer when we're being told He wants us miserable, or, at the very least, suffering a little bit. We seem to think that the harsher we make God the closer to truth we probably are and that the stricter and angrier the preacher, the more likely he/she is to be right. Both the word of faith, Mr. money bags, plastic smile god, and the angry, your-happiness-makes-me-angry god are imbalances, but we seem to feel safer with the angrier one.

If we're going to critique stupidity, let's be consistent and not just address the things that go against our naturally tendencies to be self-loathing, but also those that play into that same desire.

Just something to think on.
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^^ Discuss.

[SirWhit]

I really don't see anything wrong with that statement.

[Wakko]

WE: Are you a fan of Joel and Victoria?

[SirWhit]

I meant I see nothing wrong with don't focus on the little thing if there's a bigger thing straight in your face. Probably should have made that clearer.

And I'm not a fan. Prosperity gospel isn't the way to go.

[Eleventh Doctor]

Isn't focusing on our own happiness little compared to God?

[Blitz]

It isn't the worst thing ever said, neither is it the best. We should be obedient to God even if we aren't going to like the effects. Basically what she was saying was to be obedient to God only when you benefit in your opinion. If you believe that you aren't going to die for you faith.
Anyway, it is true that Joel Olsteen and prosperity preachers are shunned every time they speak by most Christians, but they also have one of the most effective Christianity damaging effect. They devastate Africa's Christianity especially.