Pastor Joel Osteen told Oprah that homosexuality is a sin, but he also mentioned that sinners will get into heaven, which is obvious since everyone has sinned unless heaven will be empty.
In all, Pastor Joel Osteen is an incredibly popular minister, but he does deal with criticism that he avoids the controversial topics, which is why he spoke on this issue to Oprah on her new show Oprah's Next Chapter this past Sunday night.
During the interview, Oprah posed the question to the pastor as to whether a gay person would be in heaven. He replied, "I believe they will. Sometimes we look at gay being a bigger sin than being proud or not telling the truth. I don't think God categorizes sins." Why would anybody who believes this way ever think anything different from this? In the Bible sin is a sin, and this makes complete sense.
Finally, though, Oprah actually pushed the popular pastor to fully clarify his believe about homosexuality. He said, "I believe that homosexuality is shown as a sin in the scripture. Oprah, it's a hard thing in a sense, because I'm for everybody. I'm not against anybody. I don't think anybody's second class."
What do you think? If people are religious, they accept that many things are sins. Even though they know something like overeating is a sin, oftentimes they continue in that way. Why would any sin be any different? What do you think about this latest word from Pastor Osteen?
Like this article? See more by Kate James at Gather.com
recommend
Facebook
Twitter
bookmark 
print
Comments: 21
It's not nastiness toward Jesus the man, but is rejection (and/or the cursing of God ... the attribution to God of evil). As is done in this verse when the Pharisees attribute Jesus' power (the power of the Holy Spirit) to Beelzebul... to Hell.
From Matthew 12
22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
He goes on to answer them, and to explain in more detail what the problem is for the Pharisees ...
39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.
The keys here are "...every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven" and "for they repented". All sin can be forgiven, and Heaven will be 'populated' with sinners ... sinners who have repented and accepted the redemption Christ offers.
ClarK,
There will be no sin or sinners in heaven. But, yes. Believing forgiven sinners - will go to heaven (according to the Bible). If you see what I mean...
Romans 5
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Lee, You do think they have to repent from sin, right?
Yes, of course. As I said previously to Clark (using the Matthew 12 text as reference--- though there are many many biblical references I could have consulted in regard to this issue):
Sin is one thing; one problem. Once dropped or lost, sin! We have all sinned. But meditation is the exact opposite. The whole point is to raise awareness/consciousness. This is the purpose of meditation.
However, I personally do not know how to feel about homosexuality. It's been in every area of my life good, bad or indifferent; but I don't know what is to say about it.
But any religious person will say the same thing. If not they would be criticized for not following the script. ???
According to texted all sins are sins. But I think too that some are worse . But thats me. I wonder about karma and how it matches sin.
The wages (the consequences according to the Bible) of any sin is death (spiritual but also sometimes physical I'd guess), and it seems to me that in the bible all sins are generally grouped together under one single category.
However the Bible does have this to say about another particular sin. There may be some believing Christians who would be surprised at this one, especially since it is mentioned in a stand alone warning. 1 Corinthians 6- 18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
And what a price! Romans 5 - 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.