Celebs Who Can't Stand Joel Osteen
Joel Osteen is one of the most popular televangelists and megachurch preachers in the country. He's even got a fan in Kanye West (sorry — we mean Ye). But just because he's got a lot of support doesn't mean he's popular with everyone. He may have a lot of celebrities in his corner, but he also has a lot of celebrity haters.
In case you were unaware, Osteen is one of the richest and most successful preachers of something called the "prosperity gospel," which basically teaches that God will reward you with more money when you are faithful and practice tithing (via Christianity Today). It shouldn't surprise anyone to learn that former president Donald Trump also seems to be a fan of this message.
On the flip side, celebrities including comedians, rappers, talk show hosts, and others have put the minister on blast. Many have argued that Osteen's church is pretty cynical, as far as churches go, and might be more about making money for Osteen than spreading the word of Jesus.
Sarah Cooper hinted that Osteen's church is about the money
Comedian Sarah Cooper first became a household name in 2020 with her hilarious videos of herself lip-synching some of former president Donald Trump's statements — most infamously the bleach-injections press conference. But 2020 was hardly the first year that Cooper voiced her opinions online.
In 2019, reacting to the news that Kanye West would be performing his Sunday Service at Joel Osteen's church in Houston, Cooper tweeted, "The only thing that would make this more perfect is if they invited Trump too." We clearly know what Cooper thinks of Trump, so we can make an educated guess as to what this tweet says about her feelings on Osteen. Cooper also followed up the quote-tweet with another, joking, "Q: What denomination is Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church? A: They prefer ten's and twenty's." This appears to be a winking reference to the criticism that Osteen's church is really all about the money.
If ya can't stand the heat, stay off the internet.
T.I. wasn't happy that Joel Osteen's church wasn't open to hurricane victims
One of the biggest scandals Joel Osteen faced was when he was, to many minds, inexcusably late in offering his megachurch as shelter for victims of Hurricane Harvey. This, understandably, made a lot of people mad. Rapper T.I. was absolutely not having it.
The hip-hop superstar took to his Instagram (via HotNewHipHop) and absolutely went off on the pastor, firing direct shots at Osteen as well as megachurches in general. Some highlights from the furious rant include: "How can someone (especially a so called man of God) make 70+ [million a year] TAX FREE from citizens of a city that's now in distress & in [dire] need of food water & shelter NOT OPEN THE DOORS OF GODs HOUSE (supposedly) to help those in need?" And, tagging Osteen directly: "YOU SIR ARE A FRAUD!!!!"
But T.I. wasn't done. "Ministers, preachers, pastors, reverends are all supposed to be SERVANTS sent here to do the LORDS work," he wrote. "We CANNOT AFFORD to continue to just go & give our money away to people who pose as 'Preachers' or their BIG lavish MEGA CHURCHES WITHOUT HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE..." he wrote, in part. The rapper felt the need to remind readers that tithing should come from "selfless acts of kindness" for other people, too.
Bill Maher was 'not surprised' by Joel Osteen's behavior
HBO late night talk show host Bill Maher is something of a one-man controversy-generator himself, and he's not afraid to call out some BS when he sees it. After the story that Joel Osteen wasn't opening his church to hurricane victims (which Osteen denied), Maher went for the jugular.
"I'm not surprised that he locked his doors," he quipped on his show, "Late Night With Bill Maher." "I'm shocked he didn't fight his way on to a lifeboat in a dress." Maher here seems to be equating Osteen with a Titanic-type character who tries to sneak onto a boat with the women and children. Maher went on, "Here's how you know your minister is probably a con man. If he makes *this face*..." Here Maher pointed to a graphic showing Osteen apparently mid-sneeze. "He's lying. Either that or his anus is full of giant diamonds, I don't know."
Considering some of the other things Maher has said over the course of his career, we kinda think Osteen got off easy.
John Oliver criticized prosperity gospel televangelists
On his HBO show "Last Week Tonight," John Oliver is known for his deep dives into underreported and systemic issues in America, and no grift is unspared. While Oliver did not mention Joel Osteen by name in his episode taking down prosperity gospel televangelists in 2015, it's not hard to see how his megachurch might be included.
In the episode, Oliver slammed televangelists for using their tax exempt status (religious organizations do not have to pay the same taxes as businesses) to rip off viewers who think they're paying the church, but their money is really going into the pastor's pockets. Even though the segment did not mention Osteen's church by name, it has been cited by others criticizing the controversial pastor as a reason for why they consider him untrustworthy. Articles in The Week and Esquire, for example, make the connection between the churches Oliver was skewering, and Osteen's.
King Keraun said Joel Osteen would still 'open up offerings'
For comedian King Keraun, Joel Osteen's response (or lack of response) to the Houston victims of Hurricane Harvey hit home in a very real way. In the wake of the hurricane, Keraun had flown to Houston, where he is from, to help any hurricane victims he could, and he reportedly saved 12 people. Though Osteen's church claimed they hadn't opened because of flooding, Keraun didn't seem to buy this excuse. The Houston pastor also tweeted, "Victoria and I care deeply about our fellow Houstonians. Lakewood's doors are open and we are receiving anyone who needs shelter."
In a video published on TMZ, the actor stressed that people needed help and implied that Osteen would only open the church when it came time for parishioners to give the church money. "I bet you'll open the church on Sunday, and I bet you'll open up offerings on Sunday." He continued, "You see who really is Houston and who really loves this city when a time like this happens because this is when it's a time not to get paid."
If we were in his shoes, we'd be pretty upset, too.