A couple of articles appeared in the press this week and while they may not seem related at first glance, they actually ARE connected. ABC News reported that the United States Senate is now investigating a number of “Prosperity Gospel” televangelists and trying to determine if their non-profit organizations are simply a front for self-serving millionaires who are profiting from their unsuspecting followers (more on that HERE)
The article highlights the fact that churches such as these are focused on the idea that God intends for each of us to prosper financially. This focus assumes that the problem that each of us faces is actually a lack of wealth or success and that the solution to this problem is to place your faith (and your money) in the God who will ultimately bless you materially. In churches such as these, there is little discussion of our sin problem or the true mission of Jesus (to rescue a sinful humanity from the coming judgment of God). In churches where there is little focus on the true problem with mankind, there is also little focus on the true solution of Salvation through Jesus Christ. As a result, little time is spent discussing the NATURE of Jesus or the NATURE of the Salvation that He offers.
So it shouldn’t surprise us that people such as Joel Osteen would be interviewed this week on FOX News and when asked whether or not Mormons are Christian, would respond with: “In my mind they are. Mitt Romney has said that he believes in Christ as his Savior, and that's what I believe. I'm not the one to judge the little details of [Romney's religion], so I believe [Mormons are Christians] and Mitt Romney seems like a man of character and integrity to me and I don't think anything would stop me from voting for him if that's what I felt like.” (More on the interview HERE)
We shouldn’t be surprised that Osteen really hasn’t, by his own admission, examined the Mormon beliefs regarding the nature of Jesus or Salvation; there really isn’t much reason to believe that he has examined the Christian views on these issues! After all, that is not the focus of his church; that is not what he talks to his people about. Osteen spends little or NO time examining theology. He’s focusing on the wrong stuff. As a result, the best he can say in response to interviewer Mike Wallace’s questions about the theological differences between Mormonism and Christianity is: “I probably don't get hung up in them because I haven't really studied them or thought about them. And you know, I just try to let God be the judge of that. I mean, I don't know.”
It might just be safer to say “I don’t know” at the very start Joel, rather than equating Christianity to Mormonism. After all, you don’t appear to have really examined the issue, and you seem to have been focused on the wrong stuff all along...
Posts
