Joel Osteen On Larry King Live

Do you know what you believe and why you believe it? If so, praise God! Apparently, an overwhelming majority of professing Christians believe all roads lead to heaven. In a September 5, 2005 Newsweek Spirituality in America Special Report, Christians and non-Christians were asked a number of questions pertaining to their spiritual beliefs including "Can a good person who doesn't share your religious beliefs attain salvation or go to heaven?" Approximately 79% of those polled answered "yes."

Respondents by category:
Evangelical Protestants, 68%;
Non-evangelical Protestants, 83%;
Roman Catholics, 91%;
Non-Christians,73%.

It is no wonder then that popular mega church televangelist Joel Osteen can answer "I don't know" when asked this question on Larry King Live, Joel Osteen on Larry King Live, and still continue to pack the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas with congregants, and command a large television audience each week.

Postscript to this story: After getting considerable negative feedback from this interview, Joel Osteen apologized on his website for not defending the faith more strongly. How many people actually saw the apology? No many.

To read my first post on this subject, click on the January archives and read Ease On Down the Roads...to Heaven?

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus saves!

The Original Gangsta: Marjoe, the Atheist

Speaking of speaking in tongues, slaying people in the spirit, and prophesying, Marjoe Gortner says in this video,

"If you're going to get into big-time religion, these are the games you gotta play."

This Marjoe Gortner video is must-see material for all who are concerned with protecting the sheep.

Abbreviated Video Description from YouTube.com:

In the 1950's he was known as the youngest ordained minister in the world (officially ordained at just 4 years old). As he grew to manhood, he traveled doing tent revivals, preaching, prophecying and working miracles... but the amazing truth was - Marjoe was a fraud! In fact, he claimed to be an atheist! His general view of "the ministry" was that it was no different than the entertainment business.

In 1972 Marjoe decided to get out of the "ministry" but took one last ride on the tent revival trail... this time with a band of camera men and he exposed his own charade! His self-created documentary ( titled "Marjoe") was made into a feature film and shown all over. Below is a 9 minute clip of him in action, both as a child and as an adult (the file is in Windows Media format).

Today Marjoe is an actor and also a public speaker for social causes he cares about. Foremost among those causes is informing the public about some of the rhetorical techniques that are being used to manipulate their thoughts and emotions. He is still not a Christian, but he visits about 20 colleges a year teaching them how "faith-healers" do their "tricks". People actually still "fall down under the power" in his lectures as he demonstrates how the masters of religion work their "magic."

Remember, it is not Mohmmad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Ages that saves. Jesus saves!

Post your comments to this video below.

UnityFest 2006 Makes BIG Impact

By: Angela Lee Price


Above: Donald Lawrence and the UnityFest Choir; Below: Tye Tribbett & G.A. perform.

Thousands clapped, sang and praised the Lord mightly for hours Saturday, August 26th at UnityFest 2006. The much-anticipated UnityFest 2006, held at Louisville Slugger Field, featured national gospel artists Donald Lawrence, Israel & New Breed and 500-voice UniftyFest choir. Lawrence ministered beautifully between songs, Healed, You Covered Me, Giants, and Blessings of Abraham. Israel & New Breed traveled from South Africa for the event. Many enjoyed their unique style of praise and worship in songs, Not Forgotten, You Are Good, and Again I Say Rejoice.

VOP, VIPs with Tribbett, fest-goers. The young adult choir backed Tribbett on S.O.S. finale, Victory.

Approximately 75 local churches participated in Big Impact Day, a two-day event that included a PrayerFest, Love Louisville outreach, Do the Right Thing youth expo, UnityFest Gospel concert, and official Save Our Kids from the Streets, S.O.S., after party, sponsored by St. Stephen Church, featuring national gospel artists Tye Tribbett and G.A. Tribbett performed gospel favorites, No Way, Everything, and Victory. Local gospel groups Thee Ensemble and Voices of Praiz, both featuring Jason Clayborn, performed contemporary gospel music.

Fest-goers remained on their feet throughout the concert and weathered early-evening showers to participate in the event.

Angela's Labor Day Comments on WLOU on UnityFest

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus saves!

Looters and Finders - In Review

As the nation looked back this week to August 29, 2005 and Hurricane Katrina, many were reminded of just how sickened they were by the events that unfolded before our eyes on national television that terrible week. I don't know about you, but I felt I was personally violated -- so much so that I was moved to send the following e-mail to several Louisville-area media outlets a few days after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast region. It was picked up by The American Baptist Newspaper and published in their Editorials section on September 12, 2005.

I want to thank The American Baptist Newspaper for allowing a sistah to vent her rage. I also want to thank Rev. Lesa Dae for having me as a guest on her radio talk show, A New Dawning on Saturday, September 3, 2005 to discuss the Katrina tragedy and the federal government's disgustingly slow response to our Gulf Coast citizens.

WLOU listener dedication to Katrina Survivors
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Photo right from the the September 1, 2005 BlackNews.com article by Dante Lee entitled, Black Looters, White Finders- Is the Media Racially Biased About Hurrican Katrina?

There is considerable tension today between the races due primarily to lack of serious dialogue and understanding about race. This is very evident as African Americans express outrage about coverage of the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe in mainstream media as the e-mail below demonstrates. Many African Americans, including myself, are very upset about the following:

1. African Americans being referred to as “looters” while white Americans are referred to as “finders.”
2. The citizens of New Orleans being referred to as “refugees.”
3. The continual replaying of old footage of “looting” African Americans as though they were the only ones with sense enough to find food and survival necessities.
4. President Bush’s hostile and inflammatory “shoot-to-kill” rhetoric as victims of the tragedy die in the streets from lack of attention.
5. The military’s pre-General Honore, guns-pointed entrance into New Orleans as though all victims were criminals.
6. The Red Cross’ answer to their late arrival – “It was unsafe to enter the city.”
7. The defensive reply of at least one cable television news host to Congressional Black Caucus and NAACP concerns that race was a factor in the government’s slow response to evacuate the citizens of New Orleans – something to the effect that “New Orleans Major Nagin is African American, and I don’t hear you accusing him of incompetence.”
8. Rita Cosby referring to the five African Americans killed yesterday in the gun battle with the military as “thugs” without presenting proof of their background with arrest records.
9. The continual insistence that poverty and class are issues being uncovered with this disaster and that race has nothing to do with it.
   

Many African Americans believe that had the residents of New Orleans been 70% white and poor they would not be depicted on television and in newspapers this way nor addressed and handled in this manner by President Bush and government agencies.

Mainstream media is oftentimes too quick to emphasize stereotypical images of African Americans as savages, beasts, prostitutes, and happy-go-lucky entertainer types, while de-emphasizing efforts to educate and uplift the race. Case in point. On the front page of the August 28th edition of the Courier Journal Newspaper in the article, City Pays Price for Gun Violence, statistics were presented relating to the numbers of gunshot-wounded victims handled at Louisville’s University Hospital between 2003-2004. The article stated that 88% of the gunshot suicides were white males, however, I have yet to see detailed articles, such as the August 28th article, on white male suicide. I have seen more than enough articles about the horrible violence in west Louisville.

My suggestion is that you consider an in-depth story on the issue of race, an issue that is being brought to the national forefront as a result of the Katrina catastrophe. I believe that at the root of the race issue is lack of understanding about African civilization, African American culture, and significant African American contributions for some 400 years to this nation.

Article published in The American Baptist Newspaper, Editorial section, pages 2 & 12, September 12, 2005.

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus saves!