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Novelist Lars Walker — a friend of this blog and an insightful reviewer of some of my own novels — makes a trenchant comment in the Elizabeth Smart post below. I know it’s trenchant because I was about to make basically the same comment but Lars beat me to it! In the comment, he makes a delightfully concise reference to “the Osteenian view that suffering is always a sign of God’s displeasure.” This, of course, refers to popular preacher Joel Osteen, who has been promoting his new book at the Blaze and other places. He basically preaches that God wants...

Megachurch pastor Rick Warren received criticism this week after posting a photo of a Chinese Red Guard on his Facebook page Monday. The photo....showed a smiling worker in uniform for the Cultural Revolution, which was a social-political movement in China from 1966 to 1976. Millions of people died due to the impact of the revolution. Along with the photo, Warren posted the caption, "The typical attitude of Saddleback Staff as they start work each day.” “People often miss irony on the Internet. It’s a joke people! If you take this seriously, you really shouldn’t be following me!” Warren posted as...

Full Title: Singapore megachurch founder on trial for 'stealing more than $40million to fund his wife's American pop star dream' A Christian evangelical pastor is on trial accused of stealing more than $40million from the megachurch he founded to fund his wife's dreams of being a pop star in the U.S. Kong Hee, 47, the pastor and founder of the 20,000-strong City Harvest Church in Singapore is gripped in the scandal along with five other officials for an alleged scheme of trying to siphon off almost $20million. They then allegedly spent another $20million trying to cover the embezzlement up. Known...

Steven Furtick, the pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC, is building a 16,000 square foot mansion - and according to Furtick an investigative reporter is asking questions about where the money came from. In the middle of his sermon on "suffering" last week, Furtick told his church how HE is suffering for the Lord: by having to endure an investigative reporter ask questions about the financing of his mansion. Wow, the pain and suffering of mega church pastors - how DO they endure such hardships? They must really love Jesus to suffer so much. Watch the excerpt below from...

(CNN) -- Joel Osteen is the senior pastor for the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. It's America's largest congregation. His wife, Victoria Osteen, is the co-pastor there. The Osteens, known for their optimistic outlook on life, visited "Larry King Live" Tuesday night for a wide-ranging interview that covered President Obama, same-sex marriage, the recent outbreak of mass shootings, the state of religion in America and more. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity: Larry King: Since you were last on, we have sworn in our first African-American president. What are your impressions [of Barack Obama]? Joel Osteen:...

If you've ever wanted to spice up your PTA meetings or work retreats with some clean jokes, a recently published collection of quips by Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen should help you out. According to Andrea Davis, a spokeswoman for Lakewood, the church did not sign off on "Joel Osteen Jokes" or publish the book. Davis said the church is reviewing the book to see if it is infringing on any of Lakewood's copyrights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXZsl1om8_E#sthash.9OjGv11g.dpuf Another great one, Joel discussing with Larry King how Jesus isn't the only way to be saved. Guess Pope Francis watched this one. Either way it's amazing watching these two mental heavyweights mock the atoning death of Jesus Christ, without which NO ONE would be saved. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwL1DThtxYg

“America loves success stories.” This is how a 1983 admiring profile of the famed Robert Harold Schuller began. And back in 1983 “Bob” Schuller, as his friends called him, was certainly successful. The son of pious Dutch Reformed parents, Schuller was born on a farm in Sioux County, Iowa, in 1926. That was one year before Sinclair Lewis published Elmer Gantry, a satirical novel about a ne’er-do-well preacher from Kansas. Though Schuller would match Gantry in exuberance and flamboyant style, he was no charlatan. Educated at his denomination’s flagship schools, Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, Schuller was already a...

Joel Osteen and Pope Francis August 27, 2013 By Fr. Dwight Longenecker 7 Comments Joel Osteen the prosperity preacher from Houston has just moved up from his $2m mansion to a $10m mansion. Here’s the news.This is one of the things that tickle me about American Protestantism. These are the folks who have traditionally beat the Catholics with a big stick about the Pope living in a palace surrounded by rich art works.The other thing is the way Protestants will beat up on Catholics for having a highly exalted infallible leader who is treated like a celebrity. Duh. The problem...

According to Joel Osteen – Pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, these first century apostles are wrong and outdated and he has come out boldly to infer indirectly that Apostles Paul, Peter, and John whom wrote much of the New Testament were wrong and need to be corrected and rebuked.When asked directly if people whom are openly practicing homosexuals are accepted into the Kingdom, Joel Osteen responded with “Absolutely, anybody is.�We all need to listen carefully to the words that this “man of God� speaks as he goes on interviews so we too can find the errors in the...

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. – The Rev. Robert H. Schuller, founder of Southern California's Crystal Cathedral megachurch and host of the "Hour of Power" televangelism broadcast, announced Sunday he will retire after 55 years in the pulpit and his daughter will take over. The 83-year-old Schuller told his congregation that Sheila Schuller Coleman will become sole lead pastor, after sharing that role with her father for the past year. Coleman previously served as principal of a private Christian school run by the cathedral and head of the Orange County church's family ministries division.

The Rev. Robert H. Schuller has been ousted from Crystal Cathedral Ministries, the Ocean County Register reports. Schuller, 84, who began his ministry in an Orange, Calif., drive-in theater more than 50 years ago, was voted off the board of the Crystal Ministries, which has been plagued by financial problems and familial discord, according to the paper. Schuller’s son, who was forced from the board three years ago, says his father wanted to enlarge the board, a move that did not sit well with others. "It's a very sad day and unfortunately, I know how that feels," the younger Schuller...

The Crystal Cathedral, Orange County’s landmark megachurch, now faces an online petition launched by senior members alleging nepotism and a doctrinal shift by founder Robert H. Schuller’s daughters. “It is time to rise up and take our church back!” says the petition, soliciting signatures of Crystal Cathedral members, former members, friends and viewers of Schuller’s Hour of Power weekly show. The petition, which had received over 330 signatures as of Sunday, seeks “a truly independent board,” meaning “no family member, no paid staff, and no paid contractors.” The board of trustees of the Crystal Cathedral currently includes salaried employees apart...

The Rev. Robert H. Schuller and his wife, Arvella, announced "with great sadness" their resignations Saturday from the Crystal Cathedral board of directors. "We cannot continue to serve on the Board in what has become an adversarial and negative atmosphere, especially since it now seems that it will not be ending anytime soon," Arvella Schuller was quoted as saying in a news release. Robert Schuller grew the ministry from a congregation that met in a drive-in theater in Orange in 1955 to a thriving megachurch that attracted thousands to its striking building in Garden Grove. Schuller's "Hour of Power" television...

GARDEN GROVE (CBS) — The Rev. Robert H. Schuller and his wife, Arvella, have resigned from the board of the Crystal Cathedral, the mega-church he founded more than 55 years ago. Their resignations, announced Saturday “with great sadness,” come less than a week after three of their relatives – including a daughter – were ousted amid ongoing financial squabbles, declining donations and suspension of production on the church’s signature television program, “Hour of Power.” “We cannot continue to serve on the board in what has become an adversarial and negative atmosphere, especially since it now seems that it will not...

On Sunday, the Hour of Power television show opened with characteristic optimism, encouraging people who needed a lift to watch the program. But when Senior Pastor Sheila Schuller Coleman began her sermon, she acknowledged that she doesn't always practice the positive thinking that she preaches. "For instance this past week, my attitude was a little down, a little negative," she told the congregation, "making life miserable for people around me, most of all moi, myself." Schuller Coleman is Robert Schuller's daughter, and she, along with the entire Schuller family, is cutting ties with the Crystal Cathedral. Robert Schuller founded the...

Angie Schuller Wyatt has issues. The granddaughter of Robert Schuller, the retired televangelist, the former pastor of the Crystal Cathedral, doesn’t like religion, doesn’t like socially conservative men and doesn’t much like her family. She says so in her new, provocatively titled book, “God and Boobs: Balancing Faith and Sexuality,” which, she complains, the small-minded Christian publishing community “refused to publish.” That’s because, the authoress asserts, hers “is the book about God that religious people don’t want you to read.” And why so? Well, says she, “Some argue it’s anti-God because of a cover that displays a woman’s bare back...

Crystal Cathedral founder and former televangelist the Rev. Robert H. Schuller has been diagnosed with cancer, his daughter said Thursday. Carol Schuller Milner told The Associated Press that Schuller, 86, has a fist-sized tumor in his esophagus that has spread to his lymph nodes. Schuller’s oncologists said the tumor was either at or near stage 4—the most serious cancer classification—but it has yet to reach his vital organs and he has been strong enough for treatment. …

Once the symbol of a congregation founded by Robert Schuller, the cathedral is now part of a church with rites and traditions that span centuries.Towering like the Emerald City, the cathedral formerly known as Crystal sits at what might be Orange County's nucleus, a trinity of confluencing freeways, the Angels and Ducks stadium and a glimpse of a sacred place of a different kind — Disneyland From that gleaming sanctuary, evangelist Robert Schuller delivered sermons that were beamed to television sets around the world. His ministry became synonymous with the megachurch, designed so the light and the breeze could stream...

An outbreak of measles tied to a Texas megachurch where ministers have questioned vaccination has sickened at least 21 people, including a 4-month-old infant -- and it’s expected to grow, state and federal health officials said. “There’s likely a lot more susceptible people,” said Dr. Jane Seward, the deputy director for the viral diseases division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sixteen people -- nine children and seven adults -- ranging in age from 4 months to 44 years had come down with the highly contagious virus in Tarrant County, Texas, as of Monday. Another five cases are...

If you’ve never had the pleasure of eating an In-N-Out Burger, you are missing out on one of the little, artery clogging,  pleasures of life.As for the name, it’s about as basic and simple as you could get.  You come in, get your burger, and go out.  Fast, easy, and well.. tasty.Inside of you is hunger, outside of you are tasty burgers for your enjoyment.  You go there, get one, and satisfy your hunger. There are no burgers inside of me, so I go out, where there are burgers.  Simple. Not exactly deep theology here.. right?Can you imagine the absurdity...

The Story: The prosperous lifestyles of six megachurch pastors in California will be the subject of a new reality show, "Preachers of L.A.," slated for the Oxygen network this fall. The Background: "The Bible says I wish above all things that you would prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. I believe that," declares Bishop Clarence McClendon, in the show's trailer. When challenged about this prosperity gospel, McClendon replies, "there is no other kind of Gospel." "P. Diddy, Jay-Z, they're not the only ones who should be driving Ferraris and living in large houses," says cast member...

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – When Rob Bell signed copies of his latest book March 10 at Schuler Books & Music, two Flint women who came out to see him said the Mars Hill Bible Church founder's teaching had opened their minds about God and made them question whether their same-sex relationship would damn them to hell. Bell, who followed his visit to Grand Rapids with other public promotions of "What We Talk About When We Talk About God," told an audience Sunday, March 17, in San Francisco that he supports same-sex marriage. You can hear it at about the 42:30-mark...

Former megachurch pastor Rob Bell, founder of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Mich., recently shared how his 2011 book, Love Wins, led to a fallout with the congregation and forced him on a "search for a more forgiving faith." Bell details this search in a recent interview with The New Yorker, and discusses his invitation to Christians interested in a different kind of church, "one that can keep pace with the rising 'waterline of culture.'" "Bell is now loosely aligned with a cohort of pastors worldwide who are searching for ways to move beyond old-fashioned worship," Kelefa Sanneh of...

One of these is unlike the others: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, niceness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. According to Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia, all but one of these is what he refers to as the fruit of the Spirit, which is to say, visible evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian. If you are a Christian, your life will necessarily be marked by this kind of character. But which one is foreign to the list? Niceness. Humans seem to be naturally drawn to niceness. Niceness is comfortable. To be nice...

A shooting at Creflo Dollar's World Changers Church International in Georgia left one man dead early Wednesday morning. Sources say a man dressed in a suit walked into a bible study session, opened fire, killing one man. The alleged gunman fled the scene prompting a large manhunt in College Park. Witnesses say a man walked into World Changers Church International chapel and began shooting. Authorities say the alleged shooter is described as an African American male in his 30s, dressed in a suit and tie. Pastor Creflo Dollar is said to not have been involved in the shooting at this...

COLORADO SPRINGS, October 22, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – Ted Haggard, the megachurch leader whose dalliances with a male prostitute toppled him from his church in 2006, has now endorsed same-sex “marriage.” “I don’t think the state has any role dictating or mandating” morality, he said. “Though we would oppose that in our churches, [same-sex weddings] should be allowed by the state.” Haggard, who founded the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, served as president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) until he admitted that he paid male prostitute Mike Jones for sex, used crystal meth, and viewed pornography featuring...

The son of author and speaker Brian McLaren, who is often identified as part of the controversial emergent church, married his same-sex partner this past weekend. Trevor Douglas McLaren, 28, wed Owen Patrick Ryan on Saturday in Washington, according to The New York Times. The marriage ceremony was officiated by a Universal Life minister, and his father, Brian McLaren, led a commitment ceremony with "traditional Christian elements" afterward. The elder McLaren recently recalled to NPR the time his son – one of four sons – came out to him. It had just been a couple of years when McLaren shifted...

WASHINGTON - Lakewood Church worship leader Israel Houghton says after working with Pastor Joel Osteen for more than 11 years he can testify that "he's the real deal." The Grammy award winning gospel singer says he knows that some Christians dismiss Osteen's preaching as little more than positive thinking. But Houghton says he's seen the changes God has worked in the lives of members of the nation's largest congregation. Houghton estimates that about three million people are faithful viewers of the many preachers on Christian television. But he says an additional seven million un-churched viewers watch Joel Osteen every Sunday....

Sarah Jakes, daughter of Bishop T.D. Jakes, announced in August that she would be divorcing her NFL linebacker husband Robert Henson, and is now speaking about how she is overcoming the tough times associated with the split. Jakes, 24-year-old who leads the Women's Ministry at The Potter's House in Dallas, first broke the news of her divorce on her personal blog, www.sarahdhenson.com. "I have built my ministry and identity around being the best wife and a mother I can be. For quite sometime I have tried to steer through some serious troubles at home," Henson wrote on her personal website,...

The former senior pastor of the Crystal Cathedral, Robert A. Schuller, has announced that he will default on his home in Laguna Beach, Calif., after unsuccessful attempts to sell the home before its Nov. 2 foreclosure date. "I'm short-selling my house. I have more loans than I can sell the house for," Schuller said in a recent interview with the Orange County Register. "The house will not go into foreclosure. It will be a short sale," Schuller said, adding: "I can't afford the house as I once could." Schuller, who is the son of the Crystal Cathedral's founder, the Rev....

Osteen denies Christ. (FR Thread) Osteen will not condem homosexuality.(FR Thread) But he does teach us not to eat pork! He of course appeals to the OT. I guess he has never read the following: "Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? (Mark 7:18) NIV Or Acts 10:9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour2 to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while...

The house lights go down. Spinning, multicolored lights sweep the auditorium. A rock band launches into a rousing opening song. "Ignore everyone else, this time is just about you and Jesus," proclaims the lead singer. The music changes to a slow dance tune, and the people sing about falling in love with Jesus. A guitarist sporting skinny jeans and a soul patch closes the worship set with a prayer, beginning, "Hey God …" The spotlight then falls on the speaker, who tells entertaining stories, cracks a few jokes, and assures everyone that "God is not mad at you. He loves...

The “Daniel Diet� launched by Pastor Rick Warren at Saddleback Community Church has a lot of people talking. About a month ago, a national paper asked me to comment on this latest plan from a passionately creative Christian leader. It was the health editor. Never talked to a health editor before, ever. I rarely talk to a health provider. So besides unwillingness to criticize a brother in public over a totally unimportant issue, about which I knew nothing except for what the editor told me, I declined in short order.Yet now here TIME magazine spotlights the “Daniel Diet�-and does...

Last Schullers Leave Crystal Cathedral Leadership by Steve Eastman, Faith Issues It was a possibility Dr. Robert Schuller may never thought of until recently. This past weekend he and his wife Arvella announced they were stepping down from the church's board. She put it this way, "We cannot continue to serve on the Board in what has become an adversarial and negative atmosphere, especially since it now seems that it will not be ending anytime soon." The two had been disputing with the board over alleged copyright infringement and back pay for services, tied to bankruptcy issues. This puts the...

APOPKA -- New Destiny Christian Center named its new leader Thursday, as a co-founder of the church filed a lawsuit in protest. Paula White, who heads up the Without Walls International Church in Tampa, was named New Destiny’s pastor Thursday. Protesters have been vocal though against installing White as the new pastor, replacing the late founder of the church, Pastor Zachery Tims. Zachery was found dead in a New York City hotel room Aug. 12. An autopsy was performed but how he died has not been released because family members are fighting to keep it sealed. “Now I also want...

Joel Osteen's recent interview with Sally Quinn of The Washington Post revealed some interesting things. Joel clearly conveyed a biblical position on whether or not he would officiate a same-sex wedding. He said he could not in "good faith" do such a thing. The Bible repeatedly identifies adultery, homosexual behavior, and sex before marriage as sinful practices. In this same interview, Joel was not so quick to draw a line in the sand regarding the religion of Mormonism. He said he doesn't know if it's "the purest form of Christianity." Well here is one of many ways Joel could find...

Bishop Eddie Long's wife has decided to go through with divorce after all. Vanessa Long and Eddie Long have already been living "in a bona fide state of separation" according to her divorce petition filed this week in DeKalb Superior Court in Georgia, where the couple lives. Vanessa Long's divorce filing comes months after lawsuits were settled by Bishop Eddie Long with four young men he was accused of coercing into sex. The young men previously were members of Eddie Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. After the lawsuits were settled in May, Bishop Eddie Long returned to the pulpit...

In his interview with Larry King (CNN, June 20, 2005), Joel Osteen said that he is not sure what happens to people who reject Christ. King followed up with the question about Jews, Moslems, and other non-Christians. “They’re wrong, aren’t they?” Osteen replied, “Well, I don’t know if I believe they’re wrong. I believe here’s what the Bible teaches and from the Christian faith this is what I believe. But I just think that only God will judge a person’s heart. I spent a lot of time in India with my father. I don’t know all about their religion. But...

Here we go again. Joel Osteen is in the news once again, this time for saying that Mormonism is just another form of Christianity. Osteen, pastor of “America’s largest church,” as the media repeat over and over, was speaking to The Washington Times in an interview that covered a variety of issues. It was the quintessential Joel on display. Speaking to the newspaper on Monday, Osteen said, “I see faith in America at an all-time high.” His comments came just as a major research project detailed a significant loss of vitality in America’s Christian congregations. That loss of vitality can...

Pastor Paula White broke her silence Thursday night, addressing all the scandals that she has been associated with since her divorce in 2007. "We’re letting our hair down," White told thousands at the 2011 Pastors and Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla. "I'm not here to look cute ... I came to let the devil know ... I'm stronger than I've ever been." Though the two-hour message began with shouts of encouragement and notes of affirmation for the participating leaders who may be facing challenges or opposition, by the end of the night it was apparent that the popular charismatic pastor...

Ted Haggard's recent profile in GQ magazine finds him seeking attention by getting graphic about his encounters with male escort Mike Jones -- hence his claim that masturbation isn't "sex sex" and speculation that a younger Ted might see himself as bisexual. But some of the comments he shares about restoration and celebrity in a video for Lifetree Cafe are at least as interesting as another trip around the massage table. See the clip below. In the interview, Haggard talks about other famous folks who've had their reputation rehabilitated in recent years by institutions such as TV networks and pro-sports...

Popular preacher Joel Osteen's recent affirmation that homosexuality is a sin has garnered reaction from both gay rights advocates and evangelicals alike. LGBT group the Human Rights Campaign called for an immediate apology, arguing that his statement "adds a burden to those already struggling to accept their sexual orientation or gender identity." "One would hope Mr. Osteen would use his pulpit, with an audience of over 7 million people, to tell all human beings that they are loved just the way they are," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "Instead he chose to send a dangerous and irresponsible message." Evangelical leader...

Rick Warren kicked off his weight loss Daniel Plan on January 15. He plans to lose 90 pounds in 2011. Three doctors helped him kick off the program. One of the doctors was Dr. Daniel Amen. Dr. Daniel Amen promotes false meditation and tantric sex. (In our first news release, "Rick Warren Teams up with Swedenborg Cult Follower Dr. Oz, [Seen on FR here]" we mistakenly said he promoted Reiki. That was an editing error.) From Dr. Amen's blog, he said, "My favorite form of meditation is called Kirtan Kriya...I'm going to shut my door and meditate. If you want...

On January 15, Rick Warren will kick-off a 52-week Daniel Plan to become healthier with Dr. Mehmet Oz, a follower of cult leader Emmanuel Swedenborg. According to Warren's website, his church will host a 52-week course to stress losing weight and becoming healthier. The kick-off event will include Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Daniel Amen, and Dr. Mark Hyman. All three have Eastern spiritual connections. Dr. Mehmert Oz is a follower of Emmanuel Swedenborg according to The New Church website. He has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show and is Professor of Cardiac Surgery at Columbia University. He is inspired by...

Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas is arguable the biggest congregation in the nation. The church is housed in the old Compaq Center which used to be the home of the Houston Rockets basketball team. On any given Sunday 40,000 people pack the church to listen to Osteen spew his version of the gospel. With a following like that one would expect Osteen to earn a hefty paycheck from the church but not a single penny of the church's money goes to Osteen. All his money comes from his books. His Wikipedia entry lists him as a best-selling...

“Too many churches have forgotten about saving souls. That's because the pastors and ministers are only thinking about how many women and men they can sleep with inside and outside of the church, and how much money they can steal from God's people," said Armstrong. He also pointed out that pastors and ministers are misleading their congregations by teaching more about prosperity (material things) than about having a personal relationship with God.Dallas, TX (PRWEB) November 16, 2009 -- National Talk Show Host Reuben Armstrong and Essence Magazine # 1 best selling author of “Snakes in the Pulpit” has put T.D....

If you ever want to see what Rick Warren's vision for Purpose-Driven Preaching looks like in practice, then all you would need to do is watch or listen to Saddleback's sermons on-line. Over the past couple of years the sermons preached at Saddleback have covered such topics as Knowing Your Purpose, Thirty Days to a No Regrets Life, Leaving a Legacy, Deepening Relationships that Matter, Setting Financial Goals, Managing Your Time, Learning the Ancient Secrets From God's Word for a Less Stressed, More Relaxed, and Lighter, Freer Lifestyle, The Secrets of Staying Power - How to Always Give Yourself Fully...

A new deposition could bolster the defense of Victoria Osteen. A flight attendant has sued the wife of the Lakewood Church pastor for assault. Sharon Brown says Osteen physically attacked her on a plane at Bush Intercontinental Airport. On Wednesday afternoon, a judge allowed Osteen's lawyer, Rusty Hardin, to introduce a deposition from one of Brown's former co-workers. Claudia Benz says she had a disagreement with Brown at an airport gate in 1995, and Brown filed a complaint accusing Benz of assault. Hardin says a lack of evidence forced Brown to drop that complaint. "(Brown) had testified that one of...

What a sad ordeal this Brown vs. Osteen trial is! Victoria Osteen appears to have behaved badly on the Continental plane in the December, 2005 incident. Sharon Brown, the flight attendant, claims that she endured physical, mental and even spiritual harm because of the incident. If indeed Sharon experienced all of the hurt she describes, she is to be pitied. Yet, did Sharon's treatment warrant a lawsuit against Victoria? I don't think so. This incident happened 2.5 years ago. In those thirty months, it seems that a mediator could have said something like this to both women: --"Victoria, a soft...