Did you hear Joel Osteen/Pentecostal pastor make fun of the Catholic Baptism?

[Cat_Herder]

When Paul was asked what it takes to get to heaven, he said:

“If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be saved, and if those in your house believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, then they will be saved too.” Acts 16:31

Don’t see needing to go to confession mentioned anywhere.

Because you refuse to turn the page and see what else God has to say. Instead you take one verse and run with it. Do you not realize that all Scripture is inspired by God, and is useful for teaching, reproof and correction?

When it comes to confession of sin, believers are told in 1 John 1:9 to confess their sins to God.

Turn the page.

[BIBLEDRB]1 John 5:16-17[/BIBLEDRB]

The sin “unto death” is a “deadly sin” or a “mortal sin.” Check your own Bible. We cannot pray for the forgiveness of our neighbor’s, or our, mortal sins. We need additional help for the forgiveness of these.

Jesus’ promise was specifically directed to the apostles. The New Testament nowhere states that the apostles would even have successors to their apostolic authority.

Sorry.

[BIBLEDRB]Acts 1:20[/BIBLEDRB]
[BIBLEDRB]Acts 20:28[/BIBLEDRB]
[BIBLEDRB]Acts 14:22[/BIBLEDRB]
[BIBLEDRB]Titus 1:5[/BIBLEDRB]

Catholics point to Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 (binding and loosing) as evidence for the Catholic Church’s authority to forgive sins. The same three above points apply equally to these Scriptures.

Again, the concept of confession of sin to a priest is nowhere taught in Scripture. We are to confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9). We do not need mediators between us and God. We can go to God directly because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

Not if we have cut ourselves off from Him.

[BIBLEDRB]Hebrews 10:26[/BIBLEDRB]

Notice: the Catholic responses have been with SCRIPTURE, and your responses have been with human teaching.

 

[bkayw]

“1 John 20:23 nowhere mentions confession of sin. 1 John 20:23 nowhere promises that the authority to forgive sins would be passed on to the successors of the apostles. Jesus’ promise was specifically directed to the apostles. The New Testament nowhere states that the apostles would even have successors to their apostolic authority.”

Where is Jesus in John 20:23 and to whom is He speaking to?

John 19: 11-23

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

When He had said this, He showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

(Jesus) said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

“Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Note: This was prior to the Ascension and Pentecost

 

[bkayw]

“1 John 20:23 nowhere mentions confession of sin. 1 John 20:23 nowhere promises that the authority to forgive sins would be passed on to the successors of the apostles. Jesus’ promise was specifically directed to the apostles. The New Testament nowhere states that the apostles would even have successors to their apostolic authority.”

God the Father had generational successors to the Levitical priesthood for at least a 1,000 years. Jesus said He came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it.

The Apostles in Acts laid their hands on their disciples who became bishops and priests and deacons in Christ’s Church.

Why were they doing that? What was the point if the Apostles’ had nothing to transfer. No power from the Holy Spirit to forgive sins.

The main reason God became human was for the forgiveness of sin. You can not absolve yourself of your mortal sin. Jesus gave that power to His Church through His priests.

You are telling us, that you don’t need to confess your sins, that your sins are forgiven as you are committing them. Scripture doesn’t support this sin relationship that you profess.

 

[Robert_in_SD]

Go one YouTube or his website and actually listen to what was said before you judge.

Here is the joke he said:

*A Baptist lived in a neighborhood that was filled with Catholics. On Fridays, this man likes to barbecue steak on the grill in his backyard. The neighbors didn’t like this because they could eat only fish on Fridays. The neighbors worked real hard over the next few months to convert him to be a Catholic. It worked and the man was baptized. During his Baptism, the priest sprinkled water over him and said “You were born a Baptist, you were raised a Baptist, and now you are Catholic.”

The next Friday everyone to their surprise could smell a steak being cooked on the barbecue. The man was sprinkling salt over the steak, saying “You were born a cow, you were raised a cow, now you are a fish.”*

It is a joke. It is not anti-Catholicism.

I heard a similar joke about an ScotsIrish protestat who becomes a Catholic, and it just doesn’t sink in, so the priest tells him to keep repeating to himself “I’m a Catholic - I’m not a protestant.” And so he walks away muttering this over and over. The next Friday the priest stops by and walks into the mans home and he has a big steak on the grill and he’s repeating over and over “you’re a trout, you’re not a steak.” It’s just a joke. It’s not bashing of anyone. Just a chuckle over human nature.

Peace,
Robert

 

[JustaServant]

Joel Osteen might be a nice guy and I am not planning on saying anything else. That is about as far as I can be nice about it. He is not a good preacher or author. He is leading people astray!

He is an embarrassment. He uses a translation that is so off, that he has verses in there that are double the length and he goes ahead and tells people that if they believe enough and pray enough they are going to be given health and wealth by God. That is not how it works.

He is proclaiming a prosperity gospel that makes it even harder for anybody to reach those who fell for it and then got disappointed. God doesn’t promise us health, wealth, many friends, power and an absolutely positive life. The only promises that we receive are trials, tribulations, persecution and eternal life.

Joel Osteen does not preach the word. He preaches to those who have itching ears, who accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires. Osteen promotes elevation of self, not denial of self, taking up one’s cross and following Him.
He is distorting the gospel of Christ!
He is not a pastor! He is a motivational speaker who doesn’t care for the gospel. All he does is making people feel good, but that is not what truth is all about!

PS:
Please forgive me my little rant. I cannot look at the teachings of this man without getting slightly irate. It makes me upset to see how far this man distorts the gospel and how many people he is reaching with that.

No need to apologize. You hit the nail and drove it right through the lumber. The Prosperity heresy is a scam by televangelists to have a neverending supply of money. They learned their lessons from the Jim Bakker fiasco back in the 80s. If you make your scam part of your “theology”, the government can’t touch them.

His ‘joke’ about Baptism shows:

1. Why he’s not making a living as a stand-up comic.
2. How little he knows about the subject, showing his need for further education.

 

[Zooey]

It doesn’t matter that John the Baptist poured water over Jesus? Hum… Interesting.

Do they have Scripture to stop the water baptism?

No. They don’t. There isn’t any such Scripture.
Not that I have ever heard. They talk all around it, & up & down, & in circles, & when they get through, they are just as unscriptural as they were when they started out talking.

Joel Osteen might be a nice guy and I am not planning on saying anything else. That is about as far as I can be nice about it. He is not a good preacher or author. He is leading people astray!

He is an embarrassment. He uses a translation that is so off, that he has verses in there that are double the length and he goes ahead and tells people that if they believe enough and pray enough they are going to be given health and wealth by God. That is not how it works.

He is proclaiming a prosperity gospel that makes it even harder for anybody to reach those who fell for it and then got disappointed. God doesn’t promise us health, wealth, many friends, power and an absolutely positive life. The only promises that we receive are trials, tribulations, persecution and eternal life.

Joel Osteen does not preach the word. He preaches to those who have itching ears, who accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires. Osteen promotes elevation of self, not denial of self, taking up one’s cross and following Him.
He is distorting the gospel of Christ!
He is not a pastor! He is a motivational speaker who doesn’t care for the gospel. All he does is making people feel good, but that is not what truth is all about!

PS:
Please forgive me my little rant. I cannot look at the teachings of this man without getting slightly irate. It makes me upset to see how far this man distorts the gospel and how many people he is reaching with that.

Amen to that!

Here are three verses that prove my point. Unlike what you are posting, they are NOT open to interpretation.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" John 3:1)

John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Acts 4:12 , Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

I don’t know how to break this to you, laddie, but** the Bible is somewhat longer than three verses,** and the rest of them are just as inspired as the three that you happen to like.

 

[Farsight001]

I heard a similar joke about an ScotsIrish protestat who becomes a Catholic, and it just doesn’t sink in, so the priest tells him to keep repeating to himself “I’m a Catholic - I’m not a protestant.” And so he walks away muttering this over and over. The next Friday the priest stops by and walks into the mans home and he has a big steak on the grill and he’s repeating over and over “you’re a trout, you’re not a steak.” It’s just a joke. It’s not bashing of anyone. Just a chuckle over human nature.

Peace,
Robert

While similar in punchline, your joke was innocent. His was filled with subtle stabs at Catholicism.

 

[estesbob]

I don’t know how to break this to you, laddie, but** the Bible is somewhat longer than three verses,** and the rest of them are just as inspired as the three that you happen to like.

It is true that Protestants tend to base their theology on ahandful of Scripture verses, all taken out of context and none from the Old Testament…

 

[Todd520]

Zooey,
I might suggest we all live in glass houses . . . and . . . don’t Catholics base an enourmous amount on just one verse, which does have alternate interpretations?

**“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it,” **

I don’t know how to break this to you, laddie, but** the Bible is somewhat longer than three verses,** and the rest of them are just as inspired as the three that you happen to like.

 

[Todd520]

Hey, I’m not fighting anything. Simply suggesting we don’t throw stones just because the number of supporting verses is inadequate ( what is the min number for something to be valid anyway?).

 

[estesbob]

Hey, I’m not fighting anything. Simply suggesting we don’t throw stones just because the number of supporting verses is inadequate ( what is the min number for something to be valid anyway?).

But your statement that Catholics put a lot of stock in one Scripture verses is a not correct. Catholic views on the papacy are formed by Scripture, tradition, and the teachings of the magisterium.

 

[Todd520]

I made a valid comparison, which appeared to touch a nerve

Let’s not derail on a laundry list of verses and interpretations specific to justification of the RCC

But your statement that Catholics put a lot of stock in one Scripture verses is a not correct. Catholic views on the papacy are formed by Scripture, tradition, and the teachings of the magisterium.

 

[Eric_Hilbert]

Please return to the topic of the OP

 

[Roy5]

I’ve heard the Osteen joke a dozen times here and there, even shared once by a Catholic priest who also is a personal friend. As indicated already, it has several versions.

One might argue that it is in questionable taste when told from a pulpit, but it seems a bit extreme to assail it as anti-Catholic, especially since Osteen is always telling jokes and most often they appear directed at Baptists. Actually, I'm going by what I hear as I have watched him only occasionally. 

I've heard some really offensive anti-Catholic jokes, and also those directed at various Protestant groups, plus Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, Jews, Muslims, etc. Is this healthy or unhealthy, right or wrong? Not sure, but this is America and we treasure freedom of speech. Maybe we should laugh more and get angry less. 

 If you're watching 'God in America' on PBS these three nights (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday of this week), you realize that just about all faiths in the USA have been subjected to prejudice at one time or another. We're all lucky to live here and practice our religion openly. Let's minimize our paranoia and maximize our gratitude for religious freedom established by our forefathers (and mothers)!

 

[Tamsulosin]

You are missing the point.
It has nothing to do with freedom of religion or freedom of speech.
Nobody is challenging the right to practice your faith here,or the right to legitimaly explain the flock why one faith is better than the other,or explain the differences.
I am sure his speech is not spontaneous.He probably plans very well what he is going to say.Getting people to laugh about our sacraments and beliefs IN A SUBTLE WAY,
he may have found it is an effective tool to make us look like fools.Not nice.
Mr Osteen strikes one as a likable person,very resourceful and clever,and elicits joy,all good things,but the “creed” he makes his
crowd recite each time makes no sense, and his message WITH EMPHASIS in accumulating wealth is not the Christian message as I understand it.
He is not a Saint Francis!

 

[Zosimas]

The punch-line of the joke seems to be based on the assumption that a Christian is a Christian, regardless of their denomination.

Just as a cow cannot be ‘turned into’ a fish, so a Baptist cannot be ‘turned into’ a Catholic. The essence of a cow is not that of a fish; and the essence of a Baptist is the same essence as that of a Catholic.

If my interpretation of this joke is correct, then perhaps it is unwise to view Olsteen as being someone who is spreading hatred subtly. He may, in point of fact, be behaving in a positively ecumenical manner.

 

[Cat_Herder]

The punch-line of the joke seems to be based on the assumption that a Christian is a Christian, regardless of their denomination.

Just as a cow cannot be ‘turned into’ a fish, so a Baptist cannot be ‘turned into’ a Catholic. The essence of a cow is not that of a fish; and the essence of a Baptist is the same essence as that of a Catholic.

If my interpretation of this joke is correct, then perhaps it is unwise to view Olsteen as being someone who is spreading hatred subtly. He may, in point of fact, be behaving in a positively ecumenical manner.

The essence of the Baptist faith is non-sacramental. The essence of the Catholic faith is sacramental. That’s not ecumenism, that’s Olsteen saying that there are no sacraments.

 

[reteeks21]

You are missing the point.
It has nothing to do with freedom of religion or freedom of speech.
Nobody is challenging the right to practice your faith here,or the right to legitimaly explain the flock why one faith is better than the other,or explain the differences.
I am sure his speech is not spontaneous.He probably plans very well what he is going to say.Getting people to laugh about our sacraments and beliefs IN A SUBTLE WAY,
he may have found it is an effective tool to make us look like fools.Not nice.
Mr Osteen strikes one as a likable person,very resourceful and clever,and elicits joy,all good things,but the “creed” he makes his
crowd recite each time makes no sense, and his message WITH EMPHASIS in accumulating wealth is not the Christian message as I understand it.
He is not a Saint Francis!

This is my Bible.
I am what it says I am.
I have what it says I have.
I can do what it says I can do.
Today I will be taught the Word of God.
I boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive.
I will never be the same.
I am about to receive the incorruptible, indestructible, ever-living seed of the Word of God.
I will never be the same.
Never, never, never.
I will never be the same. In Jesus name.
Amen*.

How does that not make sense, and please point out where Joel has ever said accumulating wealth is the Christian message.

 

[Cat_Herder]

How does that not make sense, and please point out where Joel has ever said accumulating wealth is the Christian message.

Olsteen is not another Jim Bakker. He is, however, teaching an easy-believe salvation (“Let’s all pray the Sinner’s Prayer … Now, we believe you just got saved”) to his audience.

 

[reteeks21]

Olsteen is not another Jim Bakker. He is, however, teaching an easy-believe salvation (“Let’s all pray the Sinner’s Prayer … Now, we believe you just got saved”) to his audience.

I will grant you that some of his theology may be off, but half the time people put him through the ringer they have no idea what they are talking about. By the way, I am not implying that about you.