I think I should expand my Celebitchy portfolio to more coverage of hypocritical televangelists and their shady dealings. I enjoyed writing yesterday’s story on Joel Osteen, the wealthy “man of God” who refused to open his Houston megachurch to Hurricane Harvey evacuees. Osteen was widely shamed and mocked on Twitter on Monday, with congregants and critics alike all slamming him for doing so little for Houston residents. Osteen has taken millions of dollars in tithes from those same residents, but apparently Prosperity Jesus doesn’t want pastors to get in the habit of sheltering the homeless, aiding the infirm or helping the needy. You’d think there would be some Bible verse about all of that, but Joel Osteen never heard of it.
The few Osteen-defenders out there claimed that the Houston church had been flooded too, and provided evidence in the form of photos of the temporarily flooded underground parking lot. By all accounts, the actual stadium-seating church was unscathed, and despite shady reports to the contrary, there were cars parked in the church’s mostly dry parking lot on Monday. Finally, the social media shaming got to Joel Osteen, and he finally opened up Lakewood Church to evacuees on Tuesday:
Joel Osteen’s church finally opened to Houston evacuees Tuesday morning, but several videos make it seem like they could have provided relief much earlier. A local resident shot a video Monday at 7 AM inside one of Lakewood Church’s underground parking areas … and it’s damn near bone-dry. The resident acknowledges the lot was flooded over the weekend when Hurricane Harvey was at its worst.
On Monday, Lakewood officials said the church was closed due to severe flooding — but fact is there was no outside evidence of that more than 24 hours ago. Plus, witnesses tell us church staffers and security were on the grounds Monday. The church released photos showing flooding on Sunday evening into Monday morning … near the lower level entrances of the building. The question: why the delay in opening the doors? In any event, the first evacuees started arriving at Lakewood Tuesday around 12:30 PM local time.
For let he who has not been shamed on the internet cast the first stone. Honestly though, I didn’t do the chronology correctly: before Osteen finally deigned to allow evacuees into Lakewood, the church issued this statement on Tuesday morning: “We are prepared to shelter people once the cities and county shelters reach capacity. Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of this storm in helping our fellow citizens rebuild their lives.” That statement got even more backlash, because it made it sound like Osteen would only help out at the last possible moment, after all of the taxpayer-funded remedies had been exhausted. Keep in mind, Joel Osteen’s church has a tax exemption. He doesn’t pay taxes. So, yeah. I guess the only way Joel Osteen could show his face in Houston again was if he just opened up the f–king doors of his church.
Evacuees arrive at Lakewood Church after its pastor, Joel Osteen, received criticism for initial #Harvey response https://t.co/SCGPSqr8Jq pic.twitter.com/MM7YuqquoB
— ABC News (@ABC) August 29, 2017
Photos courtesy of Getty.
filthy garbage
it’s no wonder we cant move forward when there are so many people embracing whatever the heck this mess is
Seriously. My loathing for him is coming close in intensity to my feelings for Trump.
Me too. If I could bitch slap him I would. He is a horrible person.
This dirt bag is accepting donations to the flood victims. Wonder how much he’s keeping for “admin fees”? His sheep are blind to his fangs.
My basement flooded in Hurricane Sandy. Guess what? We still were a revolving door for people who were worse off. AND we pay taxes.
Garbage. I hate televangicals and megachurches. Also the double tree across the street had its doors open and at capacity from the moment the flood hit. So he’s full of s*it. But idiot Houston people will pour money into his church next week. Just like deplorables will still love trump even though he canceled flood protections just last week so good luck with federal aid of any kind
The most despicable thing? On Lakewood’s website they posted the addresses of the local shelters and OMITTED THE 21 MOSQUES that were open and providing aid. That tells me all I need to know about these clowns.
I think those lists are only official Red Cross shelters. The Chronicle has an article saying the mosques are open 24 hours for people of all faiths, but doesn’t include them on their running list. I haven’t seen the mosques included on the scrolls at the bottom of the local news channels either.
I know of at least two Catholic shelters that aren’t included on the main lists or scrolls, and I’ve heard of Mormon meetinghouses opening up as shelters and they’re not on any of the lists either.
The mosques showed up as shelters on the official lists provided by the TV and radio stations long before Lakewood was open. Maybe it is an innocent oversight on Lakewood’s part, but somehow I doubt it. After all, there is a small mosque only a few blocks away from the “church” that is open and offering shelter and food.
Televangicals and megachurches turn me off so much, I can’t even fully explain it (and I consider myself a Christian…though I’m Eastern Orthodox, so maybe it’s just that I don’t identify with the evangelical movement at all? IDK). I find it reprehensible that a supposed “man of God” would happily take money from thousands of people, live in a house that’s big enough to hold dozens, and yet have to be PUBLICLY SHAMED into doing what so many other people did instinctively i.e. open your doors and offer to help.
I guess Osteen just plum forgot about the Golden Rule. Either that or he was too busy counting his money to actually act like a Christian instead of just talking like one.
He said nobody “asked” him. Like a drowning person has to “ask” for help or you just don’t know what to do.
Strange man. There are no crosses in his church. He says God wants you to be rich – so give Osteen your money. I really don’t see any Christianity in there at all – just platitudes about “you can do anything,” which if you’re poor and now homeless, you can’t.
Yes to everything you said, LadyMTL. I have often been shamed by friends/family for not bringing my kids up with much of a religious background. I grew up Catholic and tried early on to get my kids involved in learning about faith but the hypocrisy I saw regarding so many things made me realize I couldn’t do it. I’m now really happy that my kids don’t feel that they have to look to organized religion for guidance on how to be good people — because churches like these are the last places to exemplify charity and compassion. They are fine young men regardless.
The behavior that these televangelist show is horrible . I said this yesterday , but I grew up in this bullshit . It’s so disgusting . The greed, during each sermon they would pass around the plate and people who could not give, gave their let cent. For me, the last straw was when a pastor spent his entire sermon time on the importance of giving to the church . Not helping your fellow man , mercy, compassion . Nope it boiled down to money. So I have a huge problem with them and organize religion. They are the worst snake oil salesman around . Anytime someone drains your bank account dry, and then try to control your life, I don’t care how you dress it up, that’s a cult.
AIMS,
My mom and dad attend a local Methodist church, and even it has gotten THAT bad. I also grew up in the church. I stopped going willingly a long time ago, but I went back one Sunday a several months ago (to make my mom happy). The ENTIRE sermon was just as you said– fundamentally about giving money to the church. It solidified every conviction I’ve come to hold about the southern Christian church and why I want no part of it. After the sermon, I told my parents, “If I had decided to come to church for the first time in a long time, or if that was my first time in church, I would never want to go back again.” Some job they’re doing spreading the message of Jesus.
He said nobody “asked” him.
OMG. Wow. No one should have to ask. The church should have been ready and waiting to help the minute it was needed.
I don’t attend anymore, but I grew up going to a church that really did teach helping others, being of service, the Golden Rule, etc. It was never about money, or discrimination, or shaming, or any of the rather unChristian things so many seem to push now. It’s really sad.
@Belle Epoch: Of course, there’s always OFFERING to help, but where’s the money in that? Surely not part of God’s plan to help you get rich.
Whatever you may think of Christianity, please know that this man is NOT a Christian in any true sense of the word.
This behavior makes me furious. Not as a Christian. As a person. As someone with a grasp on right and wrong. Even as a pr move. Even as a way to pat himself on the back. Why keep those doors closed for this long?
It’s too damn late for redemption. Yes. Good there is now another shelter. I hope the accommodations are suitable. I hope the volunteers are sympathetic without their noses in the air. But, waiting until there’s crowding? Claiming they can’t help? There is no kindness, no God in his heart. He’s a good example of how a message of love and acceptance gets twisted by greed. He can… do things I can’t type here.
I’m still furious about this, he’s only a Christian when people are looking. To hide from the community who you take millions from, who provide for your private planes and lifestyle, whose faith you exploited and monetize, it’s disgusting. I live in San Antonio and volunteered at our food bank yesterday. We were at capacity with volunteers. This is from people who don’t have the resources and connection to Houston that he does. What a fucking greedy hypocrite.
From what I’ve seen and read he’s for profit. All motives for cash. Not God. Not helping. Selfish 100%
Evil.
Just read in an article that he wears expensive shoes (think it was shoes) because God wants him to be wealthy. Also just read on DM (yeah, I know it’s DM) that Mexico has offered help and “The U.S. government will ‘evaluate’ Mexico’s offer of hurricane relief, according to U.S. officials weighing the offer of assistance.” How do you turn away help of any kind?
Swak,
The fact that Mexico has even offered to help us after the way they’ve been insulted over and over and over by our jackass-in-chief is nothing short of remarkable. We should be sending them candy and flowers, begging for their forgiveness.
@Shambles – totally agree.
@ Shambles: I wish I could hug all of Mexico right now! A poor(er) country, moved by the plight of its neighbors, offering assistance — and this, after all the crap and abuse it’s put up with from the buffoon in the White House (who, as far as I know, hasn’t even responded to Mexico’s offer).
If any Celebitches from Mexico are reading right now, ¡MUCHAS GRACIAS! and bless you all!
Did you hear the statements from his father in law, the communications director for this PoS organization? He said the people talking about it were ‘haters’ and ‘haters gonna hate.’ the Chief Comms officer literally said that as a response to this outrageous PR and moral offense. These greedy hypocrites can F off.
Speechless
Now they are claiming that the city didn’t ask them to be a shelter and the doors were always open: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.buzzfeed.com/amphtml/albertsamaha/joel-osteens-megachurch-says-it-didnt-open-its-doors-to
You know who else the city didn’t ask to open a shelter? Mattress Mack, yet he has 400 people sleeping in his furniture stores after he posted on Facebook and gave out his personal cell phone number and sent delivery trucks to pick up the stranded. The city didn’t ask him because they didn’t have to.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2017/08/30/us/gallery-furniture-store-houston-shelter/index.html
Thank you for the Mattress Mack comparison. True compassion that warmed my cold heart
Mattress Mack for mayor, governor, or president! ❤️❤️❤️
I honestly teared up yesterday reading about Mattress Mack. There are genuinely good people out there and it’s nice to be reminded of that.
Mattress Mac is a Catholic who takes his faith seriously. He walks the walk every day. And Gallery Furniture SAVES YOU MONEY!
Plus as the county moved people out of his stores, he took MORE people in starting last night. God bless this angel among us!
Without wanting to argue or upset, why is his being a Catholic relevant to the discussion? Non-religious people take basic decency towards others seriously every day of the week.
Can we not just call him a lovely, decent human being and leave religion out of this?
Most especially in a thread that calls out the disgusting hypocrisy of so-called religion.
I only mentioned it because it magnifies the hypocrisy of Osteen – an alleged Christian and pastor of a huge church. Mattress Mac is not a minister. He does not have a flock of parishioners. But he truly lives his faith (he has talked about it before in interviews), offers real, tangible help to people in need, and pays for it freely out of his own pocket instead of soliciting donations or offering mere thoughts and prayers.
Ok, and I see that, but there’s still something about the idea of a person’s religion being pertinent to his/her decency that is continuing to rub me up the wrong way.
But, hey. I can also see that we’re solidly on the same side of good so I’ll just end by again loving the innate goodness and decency of Mattress Mack and all those other people out there who just instinctively rise up and care for people in need without needing any god or religion to guide them.
Religion shouldn’t have anything to do with it Skylark, but the fact is Osteen is theoretically head of a church (ha!) which did not open its doors to refugees. Mattress Mack has a faith he takes seriously, and he did exactly what Osteen — the pastor — should have but didn’t. So religion didn’t enter into it for Mack; he just lived his values.
By the way, Osteen was also blocking people on twitter who criticised him on Monday.
Hope that helps.
By the way, after this, I would hope IRS seriously investigates Osteen’s “church” credentials.
That Mattress Mac story is so lovely. <3
I left a bunch of comments on Mattress Mack’s FB page. He’s awesome. Pastor Joel? Utter hypocrite and Botoxed d-bag. If you believe in an afterlife, Joel is headed downstairs. Hopefully G-d punches him first.
While Mattress Mac does not do this for the publicity (he is famous enough in Houston), I am so glad people are telling him thanks. He is a true role model.
No clue about afterlife. I believe in the science of us being energy and energy just changes form. And I personally hope that’s in the same sense of caterpillars and butterflies. That the butterfly remembers the pain it had as a caterpillar…. that’s a very summed up version.
And I was told if you’re an ahole you go to purgatory where you get to live out the pain you inflicted on others through their eyes and bodies. You can play the victim, you can change for worse or better. Up to you.
I hope that’s what’s waiting for him. Mfer.
Saw an awesome tweet that said Osteen was really going to be confused at all the flames when he gets to heaven. 😀
@ Carol, Brilliant! Your comparison uses simple logic which apparently isn’t used by Osteen or his supporters.
Lies! They kept the doors shut claiming it was flooded and unsafe, and then when people started posting photos of it NOT being flooded, and the collective internet began to shame them, then suddenly the story has changed. Lying liars who lie.
The Mattress Mack story is circulating widely now. What an awesome thing to do. Truly kind hearts there.
Mattress Mack ~ will you marry me? 💗
Love matress Mack! This is a truly selfless thing he and his stores did. As an aside…we bought a bedroom set from his store a few years ago. Seriously one of the best furniture buying experiences I’ve ever had.
Wow, that article bought tears to my eyes, that is really some first class generosity.
As for Osteen waiting to be “asked”, who was he waiting to ask him, stranded people busy saving their own lives? Government officials working 24/7 to save their city? Who did he think had 5 minutes to spare to ring and ask him? Ugh. First class jerk.
Osteen was probably waiting for a “sign” from God. 😛
Tmz showed a picture of the church and a hotel cross the street. The street was clear and the hotel filled to capacity. This guy is a joke and it painfully obvious that he only did something after being shamed. Please do more stories on these asshats…hope they are exposed for the greedy jerks that they are
I hate TMZ, but I love how much they’re going in on him with pictures and proof the place wasn’t flooded lol
They are good for something then! Mattress Mac vs Joel O. no comparison over who is the man of God.
And the sun is shining upon us… hallelujah.
….its not worth it seeing how they are all hypocrites & all plain greedy…but ….showbiz is much the same…think of all the cr*p LA cops close their eyes to if it involves an A lister ….
Thank you to everyone who helped shame this creature into doing the right thing. I am a follower of Christ, not Joel osteen
Amen to this.
This Texas Monthly article has a pretty good break down too. Enjoy! http://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/social-media-pressure-joel-osteen-opens-doors-harvey-victims/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Web+Social&utm_content=Osteen+Church
“Christianity”
Motherf*cker, you shouldn’t have to wait to be asked or told by the city officials or anyone else to offer charitable aid to those in desperate need. Especially as church leader – like, don’t you assh*les have a direct line to God himself? Because I’m pretty sure he isn’t telling you to help “but only if someone explicitly and directly asks you for it, and then only if all other options have been exhausted because you don’t want to dirty up the mega church from which you spout your home spun hypocrisy every Sunday. The one that was funded by undeserved tax exemptions and the rubes you are trying to prohibit from entering”
F*ck this guy. Seriously.
Yeah, I don’t think the city asked the little church down the street from me to open as a shelter, they just figured out a way to do it.
The Texas news is a gazillion stories of neighbor helping neighbor or just stories of any guy with a boat or big truck out looking for people or pets. No one is waiting for a call from city officials for the go ahead. Ridiculous. And I doubt they’re out there discussing political affiliations either.
Add these hypocrites to the Celebitchy portfolio.
When Osteen came to my town, the reporter conducting the interview commented on Osteen’s incredibly expensive Italian shoes. Osteen reiterated his shtick — God wants him to have the trappings of prosperity.
He needs to be called out as a con artist.
Of course he opened up the doors to his church. Continuing to refuse to do so was a PR disaster, so.
Fraud.
F*ck this guy.
His face makes my skin crawl. He kinda looks like Lucifer, IMO.
YES!!!
you’ve seen lucifer?
He needs to re-read the Gospels. The Good Samaritan parable is a good one although clearly one that doesn’t apply to Joel Epstein. How about the statement that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven. Odious character!
True enough. In the parable, Samaria was an area that “good people” shunned because it was supposedly filled with evil people who disobeyed God. It reminds me of all the white nationalists and Trump fans who badmouth all muslims. But there are dozens of mosques in Houston willing to help people of all faiths.
When they first opened their doors to the local press it was just volunteers sorting donations, and every single one that they interviewed was like “Lakewood is a pillar of the community and just like after Tropical Storm Allison they’re here to help the city of Houston! They’re so important to this community! I’m so happy to help their efforts!”
It was so obvious the people were just paid Lakewood staffers. They all brought up Allison and they all said Lakewood was important to the community. Normal volunteers hadn’t even shown up yet.
Then they had some other Osteen and they asked him where Joel was and he said something to the effect of “He’s not about getting the glory and attention.” Cut to Joel on every station possible last night and today.
Tropical Storm Allison was long before Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike. Lakewood was largely MIA during those storms. Their response to Harvey is nothing new for them.
I thought it was odd that they kept bringing up Allison given how many hurricanes we’ve had since, not to mention the Memorial Day 2015 and Tax Day 2016 floods.
I noticed that too – the initial “volunteers” tripping all over themselves to talk about Lakewood.
Watched this POS give an interview to a local news station last night. He tried his best to look humble and God-fearing, but his freshly-waxed brows and shiny Botox forehead were v distracting.
Please donate to local orgs like food banks and the Greater Houston Community Fund!
Why do you think he wanted to keep people out? It seems so self destructive.
Can’t have “the poor” trampling in his million dollar money pit.
Can’t have “the poors” crapping up his shrine to the almighty dollar!
He’s running a business disguised as a church. These evacuees are not bringing in the money. Paying customers only. Simple as that.
This is why religion is utter nonsense sometimes. Obviously his church was never about being like Jesus and helping his fellow man. It’s only about making a shit ton of money…. What bad people.
His is a church in name only. Not a real church, not a real religion.
I’ve never seen this guy before but he looks like Petyr Baelish with one too many facelift. And the same moral code by the sounds of it.
Now that you mention it, I am seeing Joel and Little Finger as one and the same. Yikes.
He also looks like a coked up Tim the Tool Man Tailor :p
I want to know why people are focusing on Lakewood when we have dozens of Mega churches in Houston who didn’t set up a shelter.Lakewood may be the largest buy they sure as hell aren’t the only one.Personally I would never go to a mega church because I want my minister to know me,to know if he hasn’t seen me in church for awhile 😂
On another topic I am getting sick of people from outside of Houston saying BS like “Why didnt you evacuate?” WTF would we evacuate for a rain “storm” the hurricane did not come to Houston.We were told days before that the hurricane would not hit Houston.We were told to shelter in place.We have dealt with many hurricanes and storms.We evacuated for Rita and that was a deadly disaster.You can not evacuate 4 million people.This flooding affected every part of the Houston area North,South East and West.Over 80 percent of the people affected don’t have flood insurance because they have never experienced flooding.
This was a 800 year old flood so I wish people would stop acting like this was to be expected.
BTW I can’t stand Osten but I say criticize all of them not just him.
All of the big money churches want to be “staging areas” where they can feed cops and collect donations but not have to take in any of the icky people.
Joel Osteen is just too famous to get away with what those other grifters are getting away with.
ETA: I know The Woodlands Church has now opened up as a shelter. What about Second Baptist? New Light Church? Are they flooded? Because they can also hold thousands of people.
Everyone of those “churches” should be called out, I agree. But the way Joel was making the rounds on the morning shows this morning trying to turn the tides, so to speak, he knows he’s in trouble. When Gale King, Oprah’s BFF and supporter of Osteen, gives you crap…you know you’re in deep do-do.
Last I heard both the Katy and main campuses of Second Baptist were flooded. I could be wrong on that, but they are both located in flood-prone areas so they are probably inaccessible or damaged.
Second Baptist folk usually walk the walk though. They were one of the first churches in Houston to open up for Katrina victims and organize their flocks to volunteer. And they do not preach prosperity doctrine at least.
Horrible, horrible man who certainly doesn’t deserve a title of a man of God. True men of God were everywhere though: the police risking their lives to give aid, neighbors helping neighbors, the many Texans who brought their boats to rescue flood victims, the Cajun Navy who mobilized and came to help, and the hundreds of volunteers. Joel Osteen with his frozen hair and his rictus of a smile showed exactly how shallow his humanity is. Evidently his “prosperity gospel ” doesn’t include getting his coiffure or his feet wet. I hope everyone in Houston remembers how he reacted before being shamed into opening his huge facility.
This is very personal for me. I have two sons in Houston and other loved ones. My sons’ homes have been okay so far, although it looks like one will get flooded today with the water still rising. One son has been volunteering from the beginning of the storm, and has taken evacuees into his home. The other brought his wife and baby to safety with us, then went back. He is a Veterinarian and has been volunteering to help take care of the many displaced pets. I’m very proud of them both, even while I have worried for their safety. We have other family members and many friends who have been seriously affected, but every one of them is grateful that their loved ones are okay. They are the lucky ones with family who can take them in.
Joel Osteen showed us who he is, and I hope no one forgets.
@Giddy, Bless your family. Hoping everything will turn out okay for them and the rest of Texas. I live in Florida and had small flooding last year with Hurricane Matthew, I just can’t even comprehend Harvey.
you should be very proud of your kids. good work mom.
Bless your son for going back to help. As I’m reading your note, I’m curled up on the couch with my little Katrina kitty who came to us as an orphan of that storm. I think we’ll be finding room for another soon.
Our family was evacuated out of Sugarland, they are waiting to go home. Prayers to everyone, please stay safe. A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE HELPING, thank you all so much
Your sons sound awesome, Giddy. I’m so glad they are ok and helping others.
Matthew 7:16:By their fruit you will recognize them. In this case, the fruit from Lakewood is rotten.
For the scope of his business, it is really shocking how badly this PR nightmare was bungled. No one will forget what happened, it will haunt him in every single interview and article going forward, no matter the topic.
I will never understand why people continue to support the Joel O’Steens of the world. His church is basically a tax-sheltered venue for his stage show.
it’s just Osteen. he’s not Irish
He is repulsive. It’s stunning that so many people buy his bullshit.
Pick a narrative Joel. He was on Good Morning America this morning saying his church has been helping people from day one. Then a few sentences later said the church was too flooded for the first few days to help. Uhhmmm…..again pick a narrative Joel!
Either your church was too flooded to assist (which we know is B.S) or you assisted people from the beginning (again B.S).
Bottom Line: Osteen’s actions speak so loud, no one hears a word he says!!! Hypocrite.
I think it’s more about the LIE versus just being real. It’s wasn’t flooded, it wasn’t open, and he flat out lied about it. If you don’t want to open up your church, be real about it.
The city and even those in other cities have been extremely kind and helpful to each other. Now isn’t the time to lie and bs. We all have been taking care of each other and anyone along our paths. Mattress Mac doesn’t do it out of religion but because it’s the right thing to do. People, if they can, are volunteering anything and everything because it is the right thing to do and many are doing this on their own.
Good lives in all of us, you don’t have to believe in God to do the right thing, to be honest. Osteen has always been a dick but cloaks it under his version of Christianity.
This horrible man, his Botox, and his hair helmet can go away. I can’t stand these phony televangelists and my husband has cousins like this. There was a Chris Rock standup that said something about the kinds of people you don’t like will always end up in your family, and he’s 100% right.
Thank you to the mosques, stores (looking at you Mattress Mack, you have been consistently amazing throughout disasters in the area and you rock!!), real churches (Osteen runs a scam, let’s be real) and people who have opened their doors, donated their time, money, material items and physical power to helping those in need. My husband’s family is in Houston and we’ve been checking in. They are all fine, thank goodness, and in a position to help others. They’ve faced flooding in their own homes and they’re still doing more for the people in the area than Osteen has so far.
So glad your family is okay, Sunshine! I grew up in Dickinson and have family in Galveston, Houston, and Sugar Land. All miraculously are safe and dry. Yesterday was the first day they could really get out, and my sister and brother-in-law immediately donated stuff and took the 4 am volunteer shift at a local shelter. Didn’t have to be shamed or publicly called out or anything. Joel could learn a lot from them.
The next time some Freedom Caucus asshole spouts the line about churches stepping up to take the place of government services, they need to be reminded of this.
The pics of people arriving for shelter really made me sad. They were waiting for a safe haven and only when shamed did this “man of god” decide to help. When he could have from the start. Disgusting.
I saw him for a brief moment today on TV and had to turn it off. Complete snake oil salesman and glad it was called out the hotel across from his ‘church’s was open and full since Saturday.
My heart goes out to all the people and animals affected and sending what money I can. If I lived on TX my home would be open…..without asking. And would be shopping at Mattress Mack – what a gem he is!
I hope this brings an end to his ‘ministry for millions (of dollars)’
Snake oil is good. cured me
“Get Out” movie voice “No. No. no no no no.”
See Joel, at first, I gave you a pass with the photos of the church being flooded. But this line about waiting until the shelters are full FIRST before you will open up the church that those Houston church goers helped build…tsk…tsk…tsk. Joel was trying to pull a Noah during The Great Flood.
He should have just apologized for the delay and left it at that as oppose to saying that. That line was like saying let other people help first then maybe…just maybe I’ll let the riff raff in.
I hope the dog in the picture craps in his fancy church. As for Joel, he could hand out fish and loaves 24/7 now to no avail, I think people have ‘ seen the light ‘ !
Hey, remember after the 2004 election when a church in California was threatened with losing its tax-exempt status after a sermon opposing the Iraq War and Bush’s policy of preemptive war?
Tell me again how that was not OK and this is OK.
Holy sh*t I totally forgot about that.
And yeah…well-made point.
Too late. (And, churches should be taxed. Asap.)
I hope he loses some members over this. I hope people remember this forever about him too.
Look at how thrilled he is to be helping people!
https://twitter.com/telbreezy305/status/902858364941688832
That says it all. My god that’s awful.
OMG…the comments are GOLD.
I saw an interview with him once where he was asked why a “church” that earns $90 million a year does have a single penny going to charity – Joel’s response was that it was expensive to run a church that size. WHAT? He is the least charitable Houstonian.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Osteen was a psychopath. He has that air about him.
At this point I’d honestly be more surprised if he isn’t a psychopath. It takes a special sort of lack of compassion and empathy to act as he does.
In some ways, I think he might be worse than pre-Dicktator Trump. At least Trump isn’t hiding his greed behind a facade of religion.
I’m not an Osteen apologist but my brother is very familiar with the area around the church and uses their parking garage for work as he works in a building next to the church. He said that he doesn’t know about the condition inside the church but the first floor of that garage floods frequently so maybe the garage at least is not safe. That said, he doesn’t know why they wouldn’t open the church and keep the garage closed.
It’s hard to imagine Osteen being such a blatant hypocrite. (I’d have expected him to be undercover about it.) I guess these events bring out the worst in some and the best in others!
Satan is going to open Hell for Osteen a lot faster than he opened his McChurch for the needy. Enjoy your $10 mil mansion bud, your next residence is going to be really ugly. And ironically, there will be no water in sight.