Joel Osteen and the Happiness Gospel

[TJ in Oregon]

Joel Osteen's wife recently said (here's a response to it from Albert Mohler of the SBC):

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What say you Atlas Forum about this strain of Christianity? Does God want us to have earthly success? Does our self-esteem matter?

Edit: Now I know how to spell Osteen

[TJ in Oregon]

I don't believe in prosperity theology, but I don't believe we should live miserably and starve ourselves either. The sinful power of human greed can be harnessed to do great things. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a good example of this.

The point of mortification is not to be miserable or starve, it's to remind ourselves we love Christ more than the thing we're giving up. Part of the point is to do something that would normally make us miserable and then to not be miserable about it.

This is was written better than I ever could in the Imitation of Christ by St. Thomas à Kempis (one of the best Christian books ever written and one I'd recommend reading sometime):

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[TJ in Oregon]

I agree with Bushie too. What the Osteens believe flies in the face of what the Bible teaches about suffering in the book of Job and Psalms 22, the latter of which was quoted in part by Jesus during his crucifixion. Joel and Victoria would be well served to evaluate their unsound views.

Every time I see this I can't help but think about the Crucifixion.