Joel osteen is gay
Conservative televangelist Joel Osteen went on national television this morning and admitted that his own sexual orientation is not a selection -- despite maintaining consistently in previous interviews that being gay is a sin, albeit one that "God gives us the grace to change."
The bestselling author and Texas megachurch leader went on CNN's "Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien" as part of a segment featuring both Osteen and New Yorker writer and former Bill Clinton adviser Richard Socarides.
Osteen has repeatedly tried to tip toe around his stance on homosexuality, telling Piers Morgan in October of 2011 that he's not "mad at anybody" and doesn't "dislike anybody," while reiterating his doctrine that the scripture says homosexuality is a sin," and "two hundred years from now, the Scripture is still going to say that."
Citing that interview, Socarides, who has often campaigned for LGBT rights, and host O'Brien pushed Osteen to clarify his stance on homosexuality, especially for those gays and lesbians who listen to his sermons that underline personal happiness and other uplifting themes.
O’Brien: But for people who are lgbtq+, you’re saying so then you shouldn’t be gay?
Dragged Kicking and Screaming into the Modern Age? Lessons from Piers Morgan’s Interview with Joel Osteen
An interview that begins with a statement like, “Well, Piers, to me, faith is all about knowledge to be happy where you are,” is probably not going to finish well. Piers Morgan’s interview with Joel and Victoria Osteen Tuesday night was very revealing about the Osteens — but petty Christian truth was revealed. At the same hour, the interview deserves closer attention than you might expect.
After introducing the Osteens, Morgan let Joel converse about his latest novel, Every Day A Friday, How To Be Happier 7 Days a Week. Like the book itself, Joel’s presentation could be reduced to his control brand of highly therapeutic prosperity theology. For Joel Osteen, it’s not a theology that is reducible to money alone. Instead, his focus is more on individual happiness and self-fulfillment. In his showing, God might not need everyone to be well-off, but he does wish his creatures to exposure every day as . . . a Friday?
Then, the conversation shifted to issues in the news, such as abortion and capital punishment. On both topics, Piers Morgan squeeze
‘Staying in His Lane’ — Joel Osteen’s Gospel of Affirmation Without Salvation
Joel Osteen was back on CNN this week, appearing Thursday morning on “Starting Direct with Soledad O’Brien.” Osteen’s new book, I Declare: 31 Promises to Converse Over Your Life, recently hit the nation’s bookstores.
Osteen’s positive thinking theology was on full display in the interview, as in the book. O’Brien asked if he really believes that speaking declarations out loud can make them come true. Osteen assured her that he does, promising that speaking positive words can bring positive results and warning that speaking negativity will transport negative results. “I don’t think there’s anything magic about it, but those words go out and come right back in and affect your have self-image.”
In the book itself, Osteen asserts, “You’ve got to send your words out in the command you want your experience to go.” The theme of his book is simple: “With our words we can either approve our futures or we can curse our futures.”
The most enthusiastic response to Osteen’s message came from Deepak C
Joel Osteen Prays for Houston's First Openly Gay Mayor
By Lillian Kwon, Christian Post Reporter
Globally commended pastor Joel Osteen has been drawing some flak from the press and the public in the past few months over his comments on homosexuality.
His remarks last year on "The View" and "Larry King Live" that "homosexuality is not God's best" drew fire from the gay rights community and from Christians for avoiding to identify the action as a sin.
More recently, his participation in the inauguration of Houston's first openly gay mayor has also drawn some – but less fiery – attention.
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Pastor of America's largest church, Osteen was invited to offer the opening prayer at the inauguration of Houston's elected city officials on Monday. While praying for the 14-member City Council, he also specifically thanked God for the new mayor, Annise Parker, a partnered lesbian.
"She's our mayor. Joel doesn't view Annise through a gay lens," Don Iloff, Jr., spokesman for Lakewood Church in Houston, told The Christian Display . "
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