Joel Osteen Under Fire For Allegedly Refusing to Help Hurricane Victims (Reaction)
Hurricane Harvey which swept through the Houston area of America and took lives and displaced families has also placed Lakewood Church head pastor Joel Osteen at the center of a social media crisis.
The 54 year old Preacher with the 'perpetual smile' came under fire when he refused to admit displaced persons into his facility which houses 54, 000 persons a week for services. Claims of being unable to do so due to flooding and counter claims of deception began to float through the social mediascape causing the author of Your Best Life Now to trend on twitter and not in a good way. Even though the latest reports say the Church may finally be opening it's doors, twitter is still not pleased. As one detractor states below
It is fascinating to watch how the world (Christians included) pounces on a public figure after he makes a real (or imagined) mistake. The twitter mob was up early today ready to burn the Preacher at the stake, citing him as a fraud, a false prophet and a prosperity gospel preacher. One can only imagine if similar thoughts did not cross the mind of Mary, Martha and Christ's disciples when He stalled after hearing the news of Lazarus's death. It is curious how trust quickly goes out the window for someone who has in the past expressed his desire to help. Why his hesitation or refusal will be deemed dubious is nothing short of sinister. It requires quite a stretch of the imagination to think that a man who leads 50, 000 people in a lifestyle characterised by charity would display such selfishness. And even if he did, shouldn't it be the reverse of a serial killer saving someone's life? Treated sparingly?
Now this in no way suggesting that men of God are above criticism. It is simply stating the obvious that when a person has built decades of goodwill capital, we must be generous enough to afford them the benefit of doubt.
Even Pastors rather than reaching out personally and finding out what's really going on are pointing the acussory finger. Over 2,000 years later and we still haven't banished the impulse to scream 'crucify him!'
The 54 year old Preacher with the 'perpetual smile' came under fire when he refused to admit displaced persons into his facility which houses 54, 000 persons a week for services. Claims of being unable to do so due to flooding and counter claims of deception began to float through the social mediascape causing the author of Your Best Life Now to trend on twitter and not in a good way. Even though the latest reports say the Church may finally be opening it's doors, twitter is still not pleased. As one detractor states below
It is fascinating to watch how the world (Christians included) pounces on a public figure after he makes a real (or imagined) mistake. The twitter mob was up early today ready to burn the Preacher at the stake, citing him as a fraud, a false prophet and a prosperity gospel preacher. One can only imagine if similar thoughts did not cross the mind of Mary, Martha and Christ's disciples when He stalled after hearing the news of Lazarus's death. It is curious how trust quickly goes out the window for someone who has in the past expressed his desire to help. Why his hesitation or refusal will be deemed dubious is nothing short of sinister. It requires quite a stretch of the imagination to think that a man who leads 50, 000 people in a lifestyle characterised by charity would display such selfishness. And even if he did, shouldn't it be the reverse of a serial killer saving someone's life? Treated sparingly?
 |
| Lakewood Church Houston in Texas. Picture: Wikipedia Commons Source: Supplied |
Now this in no way suggesting that men of God are above criticism. It is simply stating the obvious that when a person has built decades of goodwill capital, we must be generous enough to afford them the benefit of doubt.
Even Pastors rather than reaching out personally and finding out what's really going on are pointing the acussory finger. Over 2,000 years later and we still haven't banished the impulse to scream 'crucify him!'
Comments
Post a Comment