From his television sermons that reach millions across the country, to his podcasts and his bestselling books, Joel Osteen is trying to bring his ministry to homes around the world.
Osteen is one of the most recognizable faces of Christianity in America today and he's recently added a new book to his repertoire, "I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life."
In the book, Osteen lists a declaration a day for 31 days to help the reader set the tone for his/her day and explore his/her personal relationship with God.
Osteen sits down with Soledad O'Brien and the "Starting Point" team today to explain why he thinks that daily affirmations can have a positive affect on people's lives. The pastor also discusses the church's position on homosexuality.
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One more comment: to think that I am better than them is arrogant and a sin. To show hatred toward them is sin. I am called to love my brother and sister. I absolutely believe that we all choose what we do. We are not helpless puppets. Dogs act on impulse and instinct. Human are called every day to deny our impulses. Example: if I shoot a guy for harming my family, we call it revenge or retribution. If a mountain lion kills a jogger because she has cubs nearby, we call it her nature. The rules for humans are different because we have the ability to recognize wrong from right and change course. That doesn't make it easy sailing but we do have that ability. Should we excuse prostitution because the women say they were born that way? Should we excuse male promiscuity because men are born that way? It goes on and on.
You fail to understand the difference between behavior and sexual orientation. The fact that you are heterosexual doesn't mean that you cheat on your wife. One is your orientation, the other is your behavior. There's nothing unnatural about being homosexual. It exists across nature. There are no "rules" from above. There is a set of laws created by humans in the interest of being able to live together. The Old Testament was written by people over 2000 years ago who did not have a modern world view or understand many human conditions. They said many things in their writings that no one would support today. Jesus did not mention homosexuality because this was not an important issue to him. You should take your cue from Jesus' basic teaching – love thy neighbor as thyself. You are not judge and jury.
Same-sex marriage does not affect your life in any way other than in your imagination. By the way, it's interesting that you would mention prostitution. No one says they were born that way. It's a way for some women to survive.
The bible speaks of loving our neighbors. We are not here to judge or condemn anyone. However, we are responsible for the blood of someone else when we fail to tell them the truth. SEE EZE 3:18-21. When we fail to warn someone of their wrong, their blood is on our hands. And vice-versa.
The bible talks about homosexuality as a sin. There is no deny in that. See Gen 19, Lev 19, etc. We have a choice if we will indulge in our lust or not. In fact, bc we are evil, bc we disregard God and His Word, He gave us over to our lust, see Rom 1:24. Clearly, if i want to cheat and lie, i can do so bc i have the choice. The fact that a homosexual couple cannot reproduce is counter to our first commandment given by God in the beginning: Be fruitful and multiply, see Gen 1:26-28, Gen 1:9. How can reproduction continue in a same sex marriage? It cannot!
We have to understand that although sin affects us physically, emotionally, and physically. Someone may consider themselves to be born homosexual-well the truth is we are all born in sin and shaped in iniquity. Whether you think you were born that way, once you have come into the realization of God and His word, and study it daily, He will show you the nature of your sin and help you to get on the right path-His path. And He will take that desire from you; just ask Him
"I Declare" you're an ignorant puppet Mark. There is a stark difference between orientation and behavior as John Willow pointed out. It's impossible for someone to understand this unless they've gone through it. It's been my experience that those strongly opposed and crusading against homosexuality do so because they are afraid of their own feelings...Osteen sounds a lot like Ted Haggard...and we know how that turned out.
Soledad, we are all sinners. There is not one person that is not a sinner. Joe Osteen is a sinner. "Christian" means follower of Christ. If you follow Christ, you believe in the Scriptures. If you take the original Hebrew and Greek texts and translate them directly, you will have the most accurate translation. If that translation says it is a sin and you say you are a Christian, would you believe what the Scripture says? Rather than take one mans interpretation, research it yourself. If you don't believe the Scriptures in their original text are the word of God, then you should question your faith. I admit that I have questions on this topic that really confuse me and I admit I do not have all the answers. For example, what about persons that are born with two opposite sets of organs? How are they supposed to live? But until I have deeper understanding, I have to believe the Scriptures. Those churches that remove parts of the Scriptures to fit their desires are absolutely wrong.