Group Calls on Networks to Reject Reality Show Featuring Anti-Gay Televangelist Joel Osteen

[MarkCharles]

BURLINGTON, Vt - Truth Wins Out strongly urged all broadcast and cable networks today to pass on a proposed reality television show featuring televangelist Joel Osteen, who preaches at a Houston megachurch. Osteen has made a number of demeaning comments about LGBT people over the years and is most notorious for saying ''I don't believe homosexuality is God's best."

"We strongly urge all television networks to act responsibly and soundly reject giving a platform to an anti-gay preacher like Joel Osteen," said Truth Wins Out's Executive Director Wayne Besen. "A show featuring someone who dehumanizes LGBT people is clearly not TV's best"



Joel Osteen and his wife Victoria are co-pastors of Lakewood Church, which is the largest congregation in the nation. Each episode of their reality show would feature the Osteens and several hundred church members flying to different parts of the country on miniature mission trips. Don Iloff, an Osteen family spokesman, explained: "We do these projects without the cameras rolling. But Jesus said, 'Let your light shine. Don't hide it under a bushel.'"

"With his huge multimedia empire of bestselling books, podcasts, and televised religious services, Joel Osteen is hardly 'hiding under a bushel,'" said TWO's Becker. "Further amplification of his already booming voice would be a slap in the face to LGBT people and is completely unacceptable."

[Iggo]

1. I hate his stupid face.

[northoftheborder]

2. Watching that man makes me actually nauseous.

[Newest Reality]

3. One might want to

cultivate and have some spiritual light to shine before talking about talking about hiding or revealing it.

Compassion, love and kindness are in the spectrum of that light, not the dark clouds of hatred, anger, prejudice and judgments of others with self-justification, proselytizing and "saving" souls as the primary excuses for disrespect.

[saras]

4. Jesus said, 'Let your light shine. Don't hide it under a bushel.

[applegrove]

5. He is teaching hate around the world. He refuses to put down the death penalty.

[MarkCharles]

6. Typical Christian supremacist....always willing to subjugate other human beings in order to..

make his own life so much richer.

[NMMNG]

7. Barf

Each episode of their reality show would feature the Osteens and several hundred church members flying to different parts of the country on miniature mission trips.

Spreading their bile around the world. :puke: It's not like they'd do anything useful with all their millions.

[MarkCharles]

8. YES! I'm glad you caught that. Somehow, I think this kind of stuff goes

over the heads of Republicans and Teahadists. Somehow, I think a few posters here don't catch the irony of this, either.

Somehow, I think a few believers here will defend this guy's right to get on planes and fly his missions to other unsuspecting Americans, and don't see the irony in all of this.

[LARED]

11. I don't like Joel Olsteen, but I will defend his right

to get on a plane and fly where he pleases.

Are you OK with infringing on his 1st Amendment rights?

[edhopper]

12. And we are allowed

to criticize his use of that right and question the validity of what he is doing. That is OUR right.

[LARED]

13. Agree 100%. Nt

[beam me up scottie]

9. This guy would make even Betty Bowers cringe.

Our local CBS affiliate airs their bible humping circus on Sundays.

They remind me of a much younger Jim and Tammy Faye.

:puke:

[piratefish08]

10. he also said "go pray in your closet".