Joel Osteen and The Matt Walsh Blog

While we were living in Kingwood, a suburb of Houston, I ran into a young lady at the local toy store.  She was there with two very young siblings.  I was there with my very young dames.  We got to talking about various things.  She told me she was the oldest of eight homeschooled siblings and that her family attended services at Lakewood Church.  It was my first introduction to Joel Osteen.

Matt Walsh wrote a blog post about the Osteens, in particular, an unfortunate remark that Victoria made to the Lakewood congregation.  A part of me wanted to stand up and applaud while reading.  I especially enjoyed Matt's comments about the fact that the prosperity message leaves no room for suffering and no hope for those who suffer literally unto death.  "Every Day a Friday" is attractive to the person who lives for the weekend, not one for whom every single day is a challenge.  Having worked for a hospice for awhile, I know those faces well.  

Still, I felt that Matt's message left out a few things.

First, people are attracted to Truth and there is some truth in what the Osteens say.  Take what Victoria Osteen said that attracted attention.  She preached that we serve God and come to worship Him for ourselves.  This is true in a way.  God gave us His laws for our happiness not for His.  God is infinite and unchangeable.  What we do or do not do does not change Him.  We worship Him because He told us to but in the process, it is good for us.  How many of us go to Mass on an occasional Sunday not motivated in that particular moment by love and respect for God but by guilt?  Ideally, we do what we do for the perfect and right reason.  In reality, we struggle to do any good at all.  The problem with what Victoria Osteen said is not that it was wrong but that it was not completely true.  Which leads me to my next point.

Sometimes half truths are as bad as lies.  Half truths on the way to full truth are good.  They are a part of growing and learning, a kind of slow dawning of the sun in our own lives.  However, when people who know better hold back instead of giving the whole picture, evil enters in.  This is because we are all attracted to truth not lies.  And using the truth to mislead is the worst kind of lie.  It is what Satan did in the garden of Eden.  It is what Hitler did.  It is what someone in your life probably does.

It is true that God wants our happiness.  It is true that God wants us to come to Church and worship on the sabbath.  It is also true that God is in charge.  He is our creator.  He has authority over us and makes demands on us not unlike those He made of His only Son.  Victoria Osteen's comments were false because they left out the most important part.  But Matt Walsh's comments did the same.  As a devout Catholic, he is perfectly positioned to educate on the fullness of the Truth.  Let's face it--protestants aren't, whether their last name is Osteen or not.  But Matt focused on finger pointing rather than countering with the positive and ended his post with the statement that "someone should tell that to the Osteens".  Perhaps it should be him?

At this point in our history, we should be clear on what happens when we take down existing leaders without raising up better ones.  The problem isn't just that the Osteens are watered down christians but that many--most?--Catholics are as well.  The same accusation that Mr. Walsh leveled at the Osteens can be made of most catholic pastors.  It's the church of nice everywhere these days.  But really--who will be held more accountable in the end?  I believe the best of the best can be found in the catholic church along with the worst of the worst.  It was the same way with Jesus' own apostles.     

My point is that while it is good to highlight the fact that the Osteens are motivational speakers marauding as pastors, it is important to ask why so many people follow them.  Of course people want wealth and health and good things for their families and for themselves!  Of course!  So did Job.  So did St Thomas More.  But of course, he joyfully chose poverty and ultimately death when the only other option was denial of Truth.

And what is more attractive than true joy?  Catholics have a more direct road map to joy than anyone!  Which is what I would like to hear MW talk more about.  The Catholic Way.  Undo harm with the Truth.

Throw the wet blanket but end with H-O-P-E.  His name is JESUS.