Posted on 12/20/2005 4:08:06 PM PST by truthandlife
A dispute that involved the wife of Houston's most famous pastor, Joel Osteen, and a Continental Airlines flight attendant ended up delaying a flight for hours Monday. And now, Victoria Osteen's actions on that flight are in the spotlight. Also on ABC13.com: Send us a news tip | RSS feeds | ABC13 E-lert | Info mentioned on air Statements from Lakewood and Continental Following the incident on Continental flight 1602 Monday, both Lakewood Church and Continental Airlines released these statements. The Osteens run the largest church in the nation, so passengers on a Continental flight were shocked Monday when Mrs. Osteen was removed from that flight after a disturbance.
Taking time off from the high profile hustle and bustle of running a mega-church, Lakewood Church Pastor Joel Osteen and his family boarded Continental flight 1602 Monday morning at Houston's big airport. They were bound for the slopes in Colorado.
Their trip was delayed and so was the entire flight by almost two hours. Fellow passengers blame the popular Osteens, specifically Joel's wife, Victoria.
According to passenger accounts, the Osteens were sitting in first class. Soon after the plane's door was closed, the FBI says Victoria Osteen was removed following what Continental would call only a disturbance. The Osteens' spokesman confirms it involved a flight attendant, but that's all. However, one passenger tells Eyewitness News she was alerted to the front of the plane when she heard a commotion.
"She violently ran towards the cockpit, scaring everyone around her," said passenger Knicky Van Slyke. "Everyone was terrified about what was going on. And a bunch of flight attendants ran up and had to restrain her. She was banging on the door."
"Of the cockpit?" we asked.
"Yes."
Passengers say Victoria was removed first. Joel and the children followed. Meantime, everyone waited.
"They unloaded all the luggage to get their luggage and deplaned her, Joel, and the kids," said passenger Dawn Dixon.
Passenger Chad Clay said, "They kept telling us they were waiting on some passengers to find their luggage underneath in the plane, and it was going to be delayed for looking for that luggage."
According to the Transportation Security Administration, federal air marshals were never involved. Local authorities also know nothing of this event. Continental would not discuss details.
The Osteens' spokesman denies a physical altercation, denies Victoria ever banged on the cockpit door, and says she left on her own.
"The account of the event which has come to our attention is inaccurate and overblown. The misunderstanding was minor and was resolved when Victoria voluntarily removed herself from the situation," read the statement.
The FBI says it was not voluntary. Though agents are not investigating, they will review the incident as the Osteens enjoy their Colorado vacation.
The Osteens' spokesman says they took another flight to Colorado Monday.
Nobody has been charged. As for the FBI's involvement, we're told it's standard procedure for them to review all passenger removal incidents. According to Continental, this one is a closed case.
Pastor Joel Osteen preaches to an average of 40,000 people a week at Lakewood Church services. Lakewood opened in the former home of the Rockets, Compaq Center, back in July. It took $90 million and a year and a half of renovations. Osteen's ministry is taped and aired around the world.
Amen. Nothing need be added.
I like to watch Joel Osteen the same way I like to watch any other interesting inspirational program on television. I think he's very sincere in his desire to help people. I'm not making excuses but just giving my opinion.
I was wrong. The pic I posted was of a Catholic cathedral costing twice as much as Osteen's "mega" church.
But you are still right - it is an embarassing monstrosity. ;-)
Okay, I'm going to my room. :-)
I'm talking about the article that was posted claiming he preached to 40,000 people each sunday. My comments are intended to be a comment on the authors, not a comment on the young DR. Phil with a Bible.
So are the parishioners of that monstrosity.
Wait, I've got this bridge to sell you in Brooklyn...
Only if you think "Ye will not surely die." is the truth.
You realise, of course, that you are quoting a man who believes that the Holy Catholic Church is the "Whore of Babylon" and that the Papacy is the "Anti-Christ."
Yep, so I hear. I really feel sorry for them, given that there were so many possibilities for something of real beauty.
Osteen preaches the new modernized gospel that is increasing the number of tares and goats in the visible church. "It's the goodness of God that leads people to repentance," Osteen asserts carefully avoiding the dreaded word 'sin.'
snip
In keeping with the erroneous idea of using some positive thinking to get what you want in life, Osteen preaches the Kenneth Hagin/Charles Capps idea that we can get what we want from God by our faith-filled words. This entire sermon was on how as a child of God we should be receiving "preferential treatment" by everyone. He testified about how he had been pulled over a couple of times for speeding but when the officer saw his last name was Osteen, no ticket was issued. He said the same can happen for every Christian who wakes up declaring they have God’s favor. By following this method Osteen says he has been able to get the best parking spot in a crowded parking lot, a first class seat on a crowded airplane with no boarding pass, and priority seating at restaurants.
http://tinyurl.com/e2twg
Well.. their website says they have 4 services.
I heard a country preacher one time in a small church of 30 say, concerning big crowds, that he had preached to thousands...
20 or 30 at a time.
There is truth in what you say but it does not change the fact that you were horribly wrong and still are. If you are going to swear in capitol letters it would behoove you to at least go to Osteen's web site to see for yourself what the man supposedly believes. That is part of what this thread is about.
My own experience, BHOTR, is that the amount of an individuals' public bloviating about one's 'personal relationship to God' and 'WWJD' is in direct proportion to the level of hypocrisy in their own private lives....call me jaded, but hey, we all have to grow up some time...
ROFL!
Who would that be?
I don't find much problem with Osteen, as far as he goes. But he doesn't go far enough.
As I think I told you in person, he reminds me of a "churched-up" Tony Robbins.
I don't mind watching the show, he seems to have a positive message that's biblically based. But he's too glittery for me, and he only seems to do positive motivational stuff. I've never heard him speak about what God says we should NOT do, or where we have gone wrong (except as a brief aside on the way to telling us how good things are).
If the members of Joel O's congregation don't care if he's rich why should I care? Why should you care? He's written books and preached sermons that people want to read and hear. They pay for his knowledge and positive message. He earns the money. His wife had a hissy fit about something. So what?
His message and style are not my kind of religion but millions of people gravitate to it. It's what they like, it's what they need. Let em have it. It's a free country.
And if you were held up for two hours on that plane???!!!
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