Joel Osteen: 'Homosexuality Is A Sin'

[Michael]

Joel Osteen: 'Homosexuality Is A Sin'

Osteen was interviewed on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight [interview will air Wed] and was pressed on the topic of homosexuality. Not only was I surprised by his public acknowledgement of of homosexuality as a sin, but even more so at his reason why he believes it to be so.

Why are they sinners in your eyes?" he asked. Osteen's response:

Well, it's strictly back to what the scripture says. I mean, I can't grab one part and say God wants you to be blessed and live an abundant life, and not grab the other part that says, you know what? You know, live that kind of life. So it comes back to the scripture. I'm not the judge. You know, God didn't tell me to go around judging everybody.

Of course we all know of Osteen's failures in faithfully presenting the gospel and I'm sure some would be quick to single out the flaws in the above quote. But at a certain point I think we should all take pause and praise God for using him to denounce this pervasively accepted lifestyle by the authority of Scripture.

 

[JonathanHunt]

What was most frustrating was his failure to counter Morgan's question about judgment by pointing out that everybody judges, and about calling particular people sinners by pointing out that 'all have sinned'. He sits there simpering and admits he doesn't know very much. Which is a sad indictment on his followers. I expected a couple of QUOTES from someone who has suddenly (it seems) decided to go with what scripture says!

Maybe it is a sign of some better thinking that he has spoken this way and held a line (however wobbly his defence was). We can but pray so.

 

[jogri17]

ohh come Rev. Hunt. He gave a good apologetic. There was no need to challenge Morgan, Christian's are called to defend not attack.

 

[SRoper]

Good to see that he sometimes teaches "law heavy" instead of "law light" all the time. Hopefully, he'll start including the gospel, too!

 

[goodnews]

While I appreciate his motto of "being for people" I can't help but be grieved by his lack of agility on a subject that is central to the modern American psyche. O'Steen's biggest failure was in his incessant assertion that "homosexuals are good people" when the key to discussing the subject is to point out that no one is good (Romans 3). That point can be easily made Biblically and logically. The notion that any of us has the right to anything is a farce. If we insist upon letting interviewers like Morgan (who didn't seem terribly adept either) dictate the presuppositions of a debate, then we're bound to look foolish (as O'Steen did) in all debate. I'm not one who needs to believe that homosexuals don't have a more natural tendency toward that sin, I tend to believe they may. But, that's not the point is it? I have a natural propensity toward many kinds of sins. Does that mean I have the right, logically, to indulge them? Morgan's only basis of thinking Christians have a problem on our hands, regarding homosexuality, was just that kind of shallow logic/morality. O'Steen did, commendably, stick to his guns that homosexually is a sin b/c the Bible says it is. But, his defense was non-existant otherwise and it made the Bible seem like a hollow document that makes assertions w/o good reason or authority.

 

[Fly Caster]

What I heard was "Yes, scripture clearly says it a sinbut..."



CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News

 

[itsreed]

Heavy law without the is not what were called to proclaim. Osteen's "defense" in this regards amounts to greater support for legalism. This should be no comfort to us.

Pray for the man to get the gospel and do a whole lotta repenting himself, or stop preaching.

Written by one who has done a whole lotta of repenting for giving comfort to legalism for many years.

---------- Post added at 09:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:55 AM ----------

Oops! First sentence should begin: Heavy law without the gospel

 

[saintandsinner77]

Osteen was right in saying "I'm not the judge. You know, God didn't tell me to go around judging everybody," since the Bible states, 1 Corinthians 5:12
For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

Too many Christians want to judge unbelievers, whether they be homosexuals or drunkards, or whatever, but they fail to see that it's the Lord's job to judge them. It is our responsibility to judge ourselves and our brothers in Christian love when they are straying from God. Many Christians want the world to be cleaned up, but don't deal with their own sins and do not address sin in the church. God used repentance with reference to His people in the Bible more than toward unbelievers.