Joel Osteen

=== Prosperity gospel ===
Osteen's sermons and writings are sometimes criticized for promoting [[prosperity theology]], or the prosperity gospel, a belief that the reward of material gain is the will of God for all pious Christians.<ref name=blumenthal /><ref name=lite /><ref>Sources:
*{{cite book |author = Stephen Brooks |author-link = Stephen Brooks (academic) |title = American Exceptionalism in the Age of Obama |year = 2013 |page = 51 |isbn = 978-0-415-63641-4 |publisher=Routledge |quote = ... Joel Osteen and T. D. Jakes, the most prominent contemporary messengers of the prosperity gospel ...|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=r8fqsvHcRAcC&q=Osteen+PROSPERITY+GOSPEL&pg=PA51 }}
*{{cite magazine |title = Does God Want You To Be Rich? |url = https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1533448,00.html |last1=Van Biema |first1=David |last2=Chu |first2=Jeff |quote = 'Does God want us to be rich?' [Osteen] asks. 'When I hear that word rich, I think people say, 'Well, he's preaching that everybody's going to be a millionaire.' I don't think that's it.' Rather, [Osteen] explains, 'I preach that anybody can improve their lives. I think God wants us to be prosperous. I think he wants us to be happy. To me, you need to have money to pay your bills. I think God wants us to send our kids to college. I think he wants us to be a blessing to other people. But I don't think I'd say God wants us to be rich. It's all relative, isn't it?' ...|magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date = September 10, 2006 |access-date = March 19, 2015 }}
*{{cite web|date=May 23, 2005|title=Online Extra: Meet the Prosperity Preacher|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/2005-05-22/online-extra-meet-the-prosperity-preacher|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327214424/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2005-05-22/online-extra-meet-the-prosperity-preacher|archive-date=March 27, 2020|access-date=March 19, 2015|work=[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]|quote=Osteen is also a leading proponent of what is sometimes called the 'prosperity gospel', which teaches that God wants people to prosper in all areas of their lives—including material success.}}
*{{cite web |last=Burton |first=Tara Isabella |title=The prosperity gospel, explained: Why Joel Osteen believes that prayer can make you rich |url=https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/9/1/15951874/prosperity-gospel-explained-why-joel-osteen-believes-prayer-can-make-you-rich-trump |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |language=en |date=September 1, 2017}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |title=Perspective {{!}} Here's why people hate Joel Osteen |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/08/29/heres-why-people-hate-joel-osteen/ |access-date=2023-01-29 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Critics of prosperity gospel consider its teachings anathema to the gospel of Mark:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Joel Osteen is successful: But does God want us all to be rich? |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/staff-blogs/joel-osteen-is-successful-but-does-god-want-everyone-to-be-rich |access-date=2023-01-27 |website=Vancouver Sun |language=en-CA}}</ref>

{{Blockquote
|text=Jesus, looking at the man, loved him and said, 'You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.' When the man heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
|author={{Bibleverse|Mark|10:21-22}}
}}

On October 14, 2007, ''[[60 Minutes]]'' ran a 12-minute segment on Osteen, titled "Joel Osteen Answers His Critics", during which [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]] theologian [[Michael Horton (theologian)|Michael Horton]] told [[CBS News]] correspondent [[Byron Pitts]] that Osteen's message is [[Christian heresy|heresy]]. Horton stated that the problem with Osteen's message is that it makes religion about us instead of about God.<ref name="60 Minutes">{{cite news |url = http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/11/60minutes/main3358652.shtml |date = December 23, 2007 |access-date = May 13, 2011 |title = Joel Osteen Answers His Critics |publisher=CBSNews.com |work=[[60 Minutes]] |location=Houston |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080418022950/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/11/60minutes/main3358652.shtml |archive-date=April 18, 2008}}</ref>

Osteen is estimated to have a net worth of over $50 million, with his church taking in $43 million a year in collections.<ref name="indystar">{{cite web|first1=Dwight|last1=Adams|access-date=2020-05-31|title=Joel Osteen in Indianapolis: Why the televangelist is so beloved and controversial|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2018/08/09/joel-osteen-house-net-worth-lakewood-church-wife-why-televangelist-so-beloved-and-controversial/935789002/|website=The Indianapolis Star}}</ref>  According to the ''[[Houston Chronicle]]'', Osteen's church's income was $89 million in the year ending March 2017. More than 90 percent of that was raised from church followers and barely one percent of its budget went to charitable causes.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-04-18 |title=A preacher for Trump's America: Joel Osteen and the prosperity gospel |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/3990ce66-60a6-11e9-b285-3acd5d43599e |access-date=2023-01-31}}</ref> Osteen denied taking any pandemic CARES Act assistance, but U.S. Small Business Administration data revealed his church actually received $4.4 million from the fund.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-12-15 |title=Here's How Joel Osteen and His Tax-Exempt Megachurch Legally Got $4M in COVID-19 Funds |url=https://lawandcrime.com/opinion/heres-how-joel-osteen-and-his-tax-exempt-megachurch-legally-got-4m-in-covid-19-funds/ |access-date=2023-01-27 |website=Law & Crime |language=en}}</ref>