First and foremost, I like Joel Osteen and the message he preaches. Instead of slamming those who are posting their disdain that his church received 4.4 million in PPP aid, it's their page, so they are entitled to their opinion as am I.
How many actually know the origins of Lakewood Church? If you don't, then do some research. Joel didn't fond the church, his father did in an abandoned feed store decades ago. Joe didn't acquire the former Compact Center, his father did. Joel handled the broadcasting/media end of the church.
He attended ORU for one year then came home when his mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer to help her and his father with her care. He never intended to become a minister. At his father's urging, he gave his first sermon one week before his father died of a heart attack. He had a choice, attempt to continue his father’s work or shut down the church. What would you do? In regards to his lifestyle, which is under attack again, he doesn't make his money from the church, but from investments and his book/media sales and it has made him wealthy. I guess that is outrageous and unacceptable in today's world.
Now, before anyone gets excited and talks about "Harvey," remember this, Houston was under water, just like NO was after Katrina. No one way, no way out. No supplies, food or goods coming in and yet here came two clowns with their cameras wanting to know why he hadn't opened the church. Anyone remember what happened at the Super Dome after Katrina? Yeah, that worked out well.
While it is easy to turn the spotlight on the wealthy, which is the norm today, if you have a large venue how would you handle the situation? How would you handle the following for one to five thousand people: feeding, housing, sanitation, medical, laundry, child care, security, staffing, etc. That is a monumental task and doesn't happen overnight. Oh, yeah, those who are going to provide the care have to be able to reach the building. With that said, I found a good article from the Hill that is unbias and accurate. Before I post it, the people I see posting their disgust with Lakewood Church have been mostly silent on the 5,000 colleges that received CARES money. I knew of Columbia and Harvard, but until this morning, I had no idea how many in higher education received money. This pisses me off since, colleges went to on line learning with no tuition cuts. Where's the outrage over that?!?!?
If you don’t like Joel and want to run him down, that’s fine and your prerogative, but you won’t do it on this page. Here are the links
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