JOEL OSTEEN SPEAKS OUT AFTER BEING SLAMMED FOR 'SIMPLE LIFE' TWEET
Megachurch pastor Joel Osteen has reacted to critics who branded him a hypocrite for telling his followers to enjoy the 'simple things' in life even if they don't 'have a lot of resources.'
The 61-year-old televangelist continued to preach on X after he was slammed for telling people money will not bring them joy while he lives in multimillion dollar mansions.
Osteen said he is not giving his haters 'the time of day' and his positivity and faith prevents him from 'paying attention to the negative.'
'The Scripture tells us to guard our minds. Be selective of what you allow in. If the thought is negative, discouraging, bringing worry and fear, do yourself a favor and don’t let it in. It’s not complicated; don’t dwell on it. Don’t give it the time of day,' Osteen said on Tuesday.
He said in another post: 'When your mind is filled with the positive, there’s no room for the negative. When you’re full of faith, praise, gratitude, believing for the best, then when the negative comes, you won’t pay it any attention.'
Osteen was under fire for a June 26 tweet that declared 'It's the simple things in life that bring us the most joy,' and that those who 'may not have a lot of resources' are 'blessed' as long as they have their health. If you're able to 'look at the stars at night', you're blessed, he said.
Onlookers were quick to point out the apparent hypocrisy, along with his high-profile status at his Lakewood megachurch where he works as senior pastor.
He boasts a net worth of at least $50million, and own two homes in Texas valued at $10.5 million and $2.9 million. The $10.5million manse, found in Houston, comes complete with a pool, pool house, and three elevators.
The church receives millions in donations from churchgoers who heed Osteen's demands for donations during sermons, and operates on an annual budget of around $70million.
The internet proceeded to roast him relentlessly.
'If you can look up at those stars from the balcony of your mansion, you're Joel Osteen,' one person sarcastically sniped.
'How anyone could send a dime to this morally bankrupt conman is beyond comprehension,' someone else said.
'“You may not have a lot of resources..” multiple mansions, a yacht and sports cars were all purchased off the backs of the suckers he’s referring to,' the commenter went on.
'Religion is the greatest con on the planet.'
Another person honed in on how Osteen's church made headlines a few years ago refusing to open its doors to victims during Hurricane Harvey.
Only after intense backlash did the preacher finally give way, opening the facility that has a capacity of 16,000 people.
'Saw Joel Osteen trending and thought he had locked his church doors during a hurricane again,' that person said.
Another compared the devout Christian to Donald Trump, writing, 'Joel Osteen and Donald Trump are basically the same person.
'Both fake Christians that sucker the weak minded out of their money.'
Another shared a photo of Osteen sitting on his private jet with his wife while mocking quoting the televangelist.
'Joel Osteen: “It’s the simple things in life,”' the onlooker wrote.
'Also Joel Osteen: ' they added, sharing the ritzy pic.
Someone else cited the sermon-giver's rumored salary at Lakewood, despite repeated claims from him that he forgoes an annual pay in favor for the money he makes from book sales.
'Joel Osteen coming in to tell you how much of a struggle life is on his $54,000,000 yearly salary,' the person wrote, sharing a meme of a cat driving a luxurious motorized sports cat.
'The hidden replies tell you everything you need to know about Joel Osteen,' someone else added, referencing how many of these tweets were being concealed.
'Joel Osteen, worth $100 million, living in multiple mansions, and owning multiple yachts wants you to know that money won’t bring you joy,' added another.
'But he still wants you to send him all of the money you can.'
Another more pointed jab simply proclaimed 'Osteen is a greedy hypocritical piece of garbage' - putting a figurative fork in the pastor for a roast fit for a king.
The post even resulted in Osteen - took over the Lakewood Church running in 1999 when his father, the founder, passed away - trending on X.
The church previously was met with controversy in 2021, when it emerged that it was the recipient of $4.4 million in PPP loans that were later returned.
The Financial Times reported in 2019 that in 2017, Osteen's church raked in $89 million in donations while spending $1.2 million on charitable causes.
During that period, the church was spending $115 million upgrading its facility which was formerly the home of the Houston Rockets NBA team. Those upgrades included two 30-foot waterfalls.
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