Joel Osteen

== Political and social views ==
Osteen has generally avoided discussing or preaching about controversial issues such as gay marriage, abortion, and politics.<ref name=walters>{{cite web |url = https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2716887 |title = The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2006 |publisher = ABC |work = 20/20 |date = December 12, 2006 }}</ref><ref name="blumenthal">{{cite news|last=Blumenthal|first=Ralph|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/30/books/30oste.html |title=Joel Osteen's Credo: Eliminate the Negative, Accentuate Prosperity|date=March 30, 2006|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=January 5, 2014}}</ref> Having gone on record saying homosexuality is "not God's best",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.christiantoday.com/article/joel.osteen.says.homosexuality.is.not.gods.best.for.man/27428.htm|title = Joel Osteen says homosexuality is not God's best for man| date=January 28, 2011 |website=ChristianToday.com}}</ref> he has stated he believes the church has a tendency to become overly focused on single issues (such as homosexuality) to the point of neglecting others.<ref name="walters" /><ref name="morgan">{{cite news|first=Piers |last=Morgan|url=http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2011/01/24/piers.osteen.homosexuality.cnn.html|title=CNN.com Video|date=January 24, 2011|access-date=January 4, 2014 |website=CNN.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301002113/http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2011/01/24/piers.osteen.homosexuality.cnn.html |archive-date=March 1, 2011}}</ref> When asked if he thought God approves of homosexuality, Osteen said homosexuality is a sin according to his interpretation of Scripture, but said gay people are welcome in his church without judgment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joel-osteen-being-gay-is-a-sin-fox-news_n_1471247|title=Joel Osteen: Being Gay Is A Sin. But I Don't Dislike Gay People (Video) |date=May 2, 2012 |work=The Huffington Post |access-date=September 20, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Tapper|first=Jake|url=http://thelead.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/29/televangelist-joel-osteen-on-the-power-of-twitter-and-same-sex-marriage/|title=Televangelist Joel Osteen on the power of Twitter, and same-sex marriage|date=March 29, 2013|website=CNN.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103221400/http://thelead.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/29/televangelist-joel-osteen-on-the-power-of-twitter-and-same-sex-marriage/ |archive-date=November 3, 2013}}</ref><ref name="morgan" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Tenety|first=Elizabeth|title=Joel Osteen: 'Homosexuality is a sin'|date=January 28, 2011|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|page=B2}}</ref>

In an interview on [[Fox News]] in 2008 during the [[Republican Party presidential primaries, 2008|Republican Party presidential primary race]], when discussing whether he thought that [[Mormonism|Mormons]] were [[Christians]], Osteen indicated that he believed that they were. He further revealed that he had not studied the religion.<ref name=lite>{{cite news |url = http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,318054,00.html |date = December 23, 2007 |access-date = May 13, 2011 |title = Transcript: Pastor Joel Osteen on 'FNS' |quote = Now, as with most successful people, you have critics who say that what you offer is gospel 'lite,' the prosperity gospel. |website=FOXNews.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917155457/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,318054,00.html |archive-date=September 17, 2008}}</ref> In an interview in 2011, Osteen stated his support for [[Israel]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://jewishjournal.com/culture/religion/86975/ |title = Joel Osteen, Israel and the Jews: an exclusive Q&A |website = JewishJournal.com |date = January 19, 2011 }}</ref>