Joel Osteen's church theft opens can of worms: Jaws drop as folks do the math

Jiggyfly

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Joel Osteen's church theft opens can of worms: Jaws drop as folks do the math

7:40 AM MST

Joel Osteen recently reported the theft of $600,000 from the safe in his church, but the theft wasn’t the only information of interest revealed. After finding out that this large chunk of money was from just one weekend of Osteen’s collected church donations, jaws dropped around the nation.


According to News Max on March 18, it didn’t take long for folks on the outside to do the math. Based on Osteen’s reported amount of money in this theft, it appears his Lakewood Church takes in an estimated $32 million a year, but some say that is a very low estimate. Calculator keys were punched around the nation taking the $600,000 for Olsteen's weekend donation collection and multiplying this by the 52 weeks in a year.

Many consider this a conservative estimate of donations this church receives, as March is just an average month with no holidays for the church. The spirit of giving around the Christmas holidays has to net this church more than the average week. Then there’s Easter and other holidays, not to mention the weekdays. The amount reported taken from the church was only for their take over a weekend.

Osteen’s church released a statement at the time of the theft last week saying:

"It is important to note this was not an electronic data breach, but was instead limited to donations made in the services on March 8 and 9, 2014. You were not affected if you put your offering in a drop box, you gave online or through other electronic means, or you made a bookstore purchase."

If you combine the stolen money with what Osteen’s church rakes in from “other electronic means” and from the folks who give “online,” this amount must be astronomical. The "electronic" and "online" donations were an undisclosed amount of money that wasn’t included in the money stolen. Putting all this together you are more than likely talking about a substantial amount of money, much more than the estimate of $32 million each year.

With Osteen’s best selling books, his TV work and the tours around the world, Osteen and his church are more than likely reaping rewards that are unimaginable.

If you think about it, this heist got the sum of money that you’d expect to hear was raked in from a casino heist! It seems that the reported theft of the money in Osteen’s church last week opened a new can of worms. It’s the church's astronomical donations that should really be the headlines here. What happened to the days of the poor boxes filled with change?
 

E_D_Guapo

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This is not related to Osteen specifically, but it shines a light on some of these con artists.

 

Cotton

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Doing the good work. People like this really piss me off. Leaving the religious part of it out, this is tantamount to theft. My dad used to make pennies preaching because he loved it. He wasn't in it for the money. This fool is only doing it for the money. Just not right that he can get away with it.
 

E_D_Guapo

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Doing the good work. People like this really piss me off. Leaving the religious part of it out, this is tantamount to theft. My dad used to make pennies preaching because he loved it. He wasn't in it for the money. This fool is only doing it for the money. Just not right that he can get away with it.
You're really going to be mad after you watch that John Oliver piece. If you haven't already seen it, that is. It is sickening. My friends and I used to watch Robert Tilton back in the late 80s/early 90s and laugh our asses off. Unfortunately the reality is that they con people who can not afford it to send in all their money.
 

Cotton

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You're really going to be mad after you watch that John Oliver piece. If you haven't already seen it, that is. It is sickening. My friends and I used to watch Robert Tilton back in the late 80s/early 90s and laugh our asses off. Unfortunately the reality is that they con people who can not afford it to send in all their money.
Yeah, I've seen it. Sickening is the best way to describe it.
 

skidadl

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I don't have a problem with wealthy ministers. That is not the sin. The sin is the lies, the scams, the power hungry, the idiots...

These televangelist are such joke. So damn sad.
 

skidadl

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You're really going to be mad after you watch that John Oliver piece. If you haven't already seen it, that is. It is sickening. My friends and I used to watch Robert Tilton back in the late 80s/early 90s and laugh our asses off. Unfortunately the reality is that they con people who can not afford it to send in all their money.
Robert Tilton while smoking weed is the best.
 

Clay_Allison

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Osteen to me is just like Tim Robbins or any successful motivational speaker. I don't watch his act but I don't think he does that "promising faith healing if you send enough cash" nonsense. It's annoying that a little bit of charisma and playing to an audience of suckers is enough to get you paid like a rockstar, but that's the case inside and outside of religion.
 

skidadl

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Osteen to me is just like Tim Robbins or any successful motivational speaker. I don't watch his act but I don't think he does that "promising faith healing if you send enough cash" nonsense. It's annoying that a little bit of charisma and playing to an audience of suckers is enough to get you paid like a rockstar, but that's the case inside and outside of religion.
You are right about Olsteen. He is pretty harmless. If people want to send him money because he makes them feel good then go for it.
 

Cotton

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Just because he isn't promising some holy shit in return doesn't mean he isn't a lowlife scumbag. Which he is.
 

L.T. Fan

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You are right about Olsteen. He is pretty harmless. If people want to send him money because he makes them feel good then go for it.
Yep not only that but government officials rip off the taxpayers to the tune of millions even billions and we keep reelecting these clowns. The preachers at least deal with volunteered money from the private sector from people who are willing to give. The government officials just strip it from taxpayers who would never condone some of the expenditures. Both may be wrong but which one is the most egregious?
 

skidadl

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Just because he isn't promising some holy shit in return doesn't mean he isn't a lowlife scumbag. Which he is.
I'm not getting that at all. Let me first say that I don't know much about him, so I shouldn't be qualified to really defend him. I am just defending the general idea.

So why exactly is he scum? Because you were poor growing up?
 

skidadl

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Jerry Jones sells you hope that we will win something every year. Iamtdg buys it up every year. Except for when you are "boycotting"...
 

Cotton

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I'm not getting that at all. Let me first say that I don't know much about him, so I shouldn't be qualified to really defend him. I am just defending the general idea.

So why exactly is he scum? Because you were poor growing up?
Maybe it's more that the people that give to him are stupid. Or maybe a little of both. He is feeding (literally) off of people that send him money because he asks for it under the premise that they are tithing to a church. It's one thing to preach at a big church and make more money than a preacher of a smaller church. It's an entirely different thing for a preacher to get ridiculously wealthy off of the "tithes" given to the church. Below is his house. A real humble servant of the lord this guy is.

 

Cotton

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Jerry Jones sells you hope that we will win something every year. Iamtdg buys it up every year. Except for when you are "boycotting"...
And, I don't send him money. What exactly is your point? Or is this just you "stirring things up" again?
 

Genghis Khan

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I'm not getting that at all. Let me first say that I don't know much about him, so I shouldn't be qualified to really defend him. I am just defending the general idea.

So why exactly is he scum? Because you were poor growing up?
Because doing it under the guise of religion is inherently deceptive.
 

Cotton

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Because doing it under the guise of religion is inherently deceptive.
Hey, he is just taking their money because it makes them feel good. Whatta great guy he is, no?
 

L.T. Fan

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Just because he isn't promising some holy shit in return doesn't mean he isn't a lowlife scumbag. Which he is.
You and a lot of folks are getting ripped of by the cell phone manufacturers for the price they charge but still you are willing to pay the price rather than getting a cheaper one. It's a matter of your choice as to whether you pay a little or a lot. It's isn't much difference with church goers. Some pay a lot for various reasons but it's their choice. That doesn't make a recipient a scumbag, necessarily.
 
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