Religion thread...

L.T. Fan

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Olsteen is a lot like many preachers. He has one main doctrine that he majors on and hammers it.

1. God loves you
2. the grace of God is for today
3. God wants you to be happy
4. Feel good about your day
5. Feel good about yourself

basically that is his message. Depression is an epidemic. People need encouragement. That's why so many flock to him...because he has an encouraging message. Personally I think he's missing more of the gospel in his message and prefer more theology but I honestly don't think he does much harm. Lots of people could use a smile on their face and a pep in their step.

Someone recently told me that one of his books made a huge impact on his life. Good for him and others that have had the same experience.
Actually it isn't what he peddles that chaffs people. It the fact that he is financially successful doing it. It's the money that burns their fannies. Some act like he is duping folks out of their life's savings. .
 

skidadl

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Actually it isn't what he peddles that chaffs people. It the fact that he is financially successful doing it. It's the money that burns their fannies. Some act like he is duping folks out of their life's savings. .
I realize that.


What I don't get is that I see 1000 other things for folks to be outraged at over people being taken advantage of legitimately yet the religious guy is the one who gets it.

He makes people feel at ease, hopeful and happy. In turn they'll send him $20 or buy one of his books. What's the big deal.

He stopped taking at $200,000 (which is modest for a church of 40,000) salary back in 2005 or something. He's a very successful motivational book writer.

Do the same people hate Zig Ziglar too?
 

Cotton

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I realize that.


What I don't get is that I see 1000 other things for folks to be outraged at over people being taken advantage of legitimately yet the religious guy is the one who gets it.

He makes people feel at ease, hopeful and happy. In turn they'll send him $20 or buy one of his books. What's the big deal.

He stopped taking at $200,000 (which is modest for a church of 40,000) salary back in 2005 or something. He's a very successful motivational book writer.

Do the same people hate Zig Ziglar too?
Yes, I can't say I am a fan of any conmen.
 

Cotton

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HA! Are you made at Harry Potter too for selling all of those books?
Harry Potter isn't using people's eternal emotions to sell his books.
 

L.T. Fan

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I realize that.


What I don't get is that I see 1000 other things for folks to be outraged at over people being taken advantage of legitimately yet the religious guy is the one who gets it.

He makes people feel at ease, hopeful and happy. In turn they'll send him $20 or buy one of his books. What's the big deal.

He stopped taking at $200,000 (which is modest for a church of 40,000) salary back in 2005 or something. He's a very successful motivational book writer.

Do the same people hate Zig Ziglar too?
I agree.
 

skidadl

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I don'y know the guy so I honestly don't know what kind of a guy he is. I do know he takes a ton of criticism for his big ass house. Which is funny coming from a preacher's kid who suffered from people criticizing him and his family when they had no clue what was really going on.
 

L.T. Fan

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Harry Potter isn't using people's eternal emotions to sell his books.
No just kids fantasies. Which by the way are highly emotional. People buy into why satisfies their emotions.
 

Cotton

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OK, so you hate Dr Drew and all of the self-help gurus then too?
I don't believe they are the same at all. One is selling what I consider false hope and promises, while the other is selling advice. But, to be specific, I think Dr. Drew is a conman, too.
 

Cotton

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No just kids fantasies. Which by the way are highly emotional. People buy into why satisfies their emotions.
It's not even close to the same as emotions that concern the eternal destination of your soul.
 

Cotton

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But you don't believe that. Do you?
Doesn't matter what I believe. What matters is he is selling the premise to others at great profit. On the same level as a snake oil salesman.
 

skidadl

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People have these imaginary sliding scale numbers in their head for successful preachers I guess.

How big of a house is too big? What if a really small church wants to give their modest pastor a little bit of on upgrade for a house because he is a fantastic pastor? Does that make people mad too?

I guess I just don't get what the limits are.

100 member church pastors get poverty

200 = 3 bdrm house max?

1000 = what? $250,000 max?

What if you have 40,000 in your church and happen to sell a ton of books? $1,000,000 is the cap? What would make everyone happy? Nothing would.

People just like bitching and pointing fingers. That's what it comes down to.
 

Cotton

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Dammit, I said I wasn't going to rehash this conversation and I'm not. I'm done.
 

L.T. Fan

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Doesn't matter what I believe. What matters is he is selling the premise to others at great profit. On the same level as a snake oil salesman.
I simply fail to see your logic. If you think it's snake oil then you don't buy it but if someone sees it as having worth then why condemn the process. This is the basis of free choice for all.
 

skidadl

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Doesn't matter what I believe. What matters is he is selling the premise to others at great profit. On the same level as a snake oil salesman.
I would venture to say that you haven't read one of his books or seen one of his sermons. Therefore you are simply speculating and are disqualified from making a sound judgment.

You see everything from the spectrum of what you remember in your own experience. Good ol Joel may have a completely different perspective all together.
 

skidadl

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Dammit, I said I wasn't going to rehash this conversation and I'm not. I'm done.
Hey, asswipe you're the one who started this thread. Good yourself in here and finish what you started.
 

Cotton

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Hey, asswipe you're the one who started this thread. Good yourself in here and finish what you started.
We can talk about religion all you want, but done talking about this crook. We've been over it before and none of us are going to sway the others opinion, so I'm done with this subject.
 

townsend

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I do have to wonder how much wealth you can acrew as a Christian, especially a preacher, and represent the faith.

It's one thing to live comfortably, but you have to ask if insulating yourself from humanity isn't opposed to everything Christ represented. After all he was a man who walked the streets and touched lepers, socialized with thieves, and told men to sell their belongings to follow him.

Christianity can't properly be practiced from a palatial estate. Even if Joel is a charitable guy, I think that he and Jesus would not see eye to eye at all on how much money he uses on himself.
 
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