Lakewood Church answers why they aren't open as official shelter yet for Harvey flooding victims

[brooklynite]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by muriel_volestrangler (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Houston Chronicle

Following claims from around the internet that Lakewood Church, and its leader, Joel Osteen, weren't doing anything for the victims of Tropical Storm Harvey, the organization is speaking out Monday night to try and set the record straight.

Two media giants, the New York Post and New York Daily News, gave credence to angry Twitter users and other media personalities questioning the megachurch for not opening its doors to people forced from their homes from flooding.

Don Iloff, spokesperson for Lakewood, told Chron.com late Monday night that the church has never been closed during Harvey and staff was instructed to aid anyone who came to their doors looking for help.

"It's not our unwillingness, it's just practicality. It's been a safety issue for us," Iloff said, adding that Harvey's heavy rainfall almost spilled over Lakewood's floodgate this past weekend. "Lakewood Church has a heart for this city."

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-weather/hurricaneharvey/article/Joel-Osteen-Lakewood-Church-Harvey-Houston-12096804.php

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Makes sense to me ; do you know how HARD it is to get mildew out of the chairs?

[jaysunb]

1. Joel Osteen's megachurch is designed for the rising tithe, not tide. n/t

[sandensea]

8. Praise the Lawd.

(and pass the loot)

[Flaleftist]

14. It's a shelter for taxes, not people.

Read somewhere on twitter.

[MontanaMama]

2. Sounds legit.

Just wow. Sounds like something Jesus would do/say. Wow. Nice job, Joel...you tool.

[Docreed2003]

3. They cut the quote short...

Actual quote: "Lakewood Church has a heart for this city's pocketbooks!"

[Hieronymus]

4. Osteen is going to Hell ..

along with all those "preachers".

[DesertRat]

5. Ana Navarro summed it up

Link to tweet

[LeftInTX]

9. What's with their teeth?

I guess it's the 21st Century version of the "big hair' thing.

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. "Listen, we never did not say we were not not open, right?"

Shitbags.

[Binkie The Clown]

7. Dear god, if there is a god, please smite that asshole with festering boils. nt

[tibbir]

10. I live down the street from Osteen's church

The water he's showing in the snapshots appears to be rising water in the street where his congregants park and maybe the parking lot itself. Possibly there was some water under the building but there was never anything close to going into the church itself. My street has been one of the fortunate ones that's stayed above water. Liars.

[harun]

34. Thanks for the report!

[SeattleVet]

11. Maybe someone should point out to him (and shout from the rafters!)

that 3 Houston area mosques ARE open as shelters, yet his church/former stadium is holding out:

Islamic Center/Masjid Al-Mustafa: 17250 Coventry Park Dr, Houston, TX
Islamic Center/Masjid Al-Sabireen: 610 Brand Lane, Stafford TX
Islamic Center/Masjid Abu-Bakr: 8830 Old Galveston Rd, Houston TX

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2017/08/27/233347/list-of-houston-area-shelters-for-those-forced-out-of-homes/

[Laffy Kat]

13. Wish I could rec this reply.

You are so right on.

[Ken Burch]

20. Thanks for pointing that out.

n/t.

[Igel]

35. And lots of mosques are closed.

Or at least not publicizing that they're shelters. But some certainly are open and helping refugees. In other words, some are, some aren't, some might be.

Just like a lot of churches are closed. Or at least not publicizing that they're shelters. But some certainly are open and help;ing refugees. In other words, some are, some aren't, some might be.


Don't see a cause for what strikes me as, "Look, this group is better than that group."

It's the same for schools. One school district here has 5 high schools, maybe 10 intermediate schools, and a bejillion elementary schools, plus a sort of building for conferences. The conference building and one high school's open as a shelter. The rest, not.

Same for the district I live in, the one NE of us, the one W of us. People do what they can, what they want. One DUer went out helping people. Most DUers in Houston haven't. Good for him. As for the others, I'm not in the business of being god and issuing condemnations. We should help each other, so morals and ethics are open for discussion, but not individual condemnation and sitting in judgment. For that, I'm too busy with myself. My praise/condemnation gauge goes from 0 'neutral' to 10 'great job', with the 0 to -10 'you suck' part disabled.

[Fritz Walter]

12. 'Almost' only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades

Iloff said, adding that Harvey's heavy rainfall almost spilled over Lakewood's floodgate this past weekend.

[lastlib]

27. (...and H-bombs.....) eom

[ucrdem]

15. Sounds like the reasons they give for closing on Christmas and Easter.

Strange place.

[lostnfound]

32. They CLOSE on Christmas and Easter?? Nt

[ucrdem]

33. Tele-church MO

is to stream a pre-recorded service and beat it. Who wants to work on Easter anyway? Whether Lakewood currently does it I don't know. When they fall into disgrace is when you hear about it.

[Skittles]

16. THEY WON'T MAKE MONEY OFF IT

*THAT IS THE REASON*

[Ohio Dem]

17. This. And only this.

Fucking con men.

[Skittles]

18. or as seen on Twitter

THAT BUILDING ONLY PROVIDES SHELTER FROM TAXES

[Ohio Dem]

37. Haha

True

[keithbvadu2]

24. CBR - Cash Based Religion

[Midnight Writer]

19. Do you know how expensive it is to clean God's House after refugees have been in inside?

[JohnnyRingo]

21. "..aid anyone who came to their doors...."

...by directing them to a nearby shelter.

[Skittles]

22. heaven forbid they LIST THEMSELVES as a place to go

and why doesn't that huckster pony up the first million?

what a fucking con man

[mr_lebowski]

23. Very clear who's 'side' the Chron is on ... weasel words throughout ... this is how the MSM ..

manipulates damn near every story nowadays ... their pro-wealthy/pro-corporate bias has gotten so fucking pathetically obvious ... aside from occasional pieces in WaPo/NYT and a handful of other outlets where we can sometimes get an accurately-described piece.

This piece OTOH is SO OBVIOUSLY pro-Osteen/anti-Liberal (most importantly 'anti-liberal media') it's ridiculous. If you can't see how it practically SCREAMS RW bias, then you apparently haven't figured out how public opinion is being manipulated.

[raven mad]

25. Sorry, but bullshit.

I hate fake christians.

[Funtatlaguy]

26. The Holy Spirit dweleth within/All others must dwell without

Nt

[haveahart]

28. Do you know how much money they have and how they can replace anything in that building

without blinking?

[Old Vet]

38. I believe Joel is quite comfortable in his 49.6 million dollar home in Houston.....

This man has what some call fuck you money, Everytime he said his church was flooded at first there were people on you tube walking up to the doors calling it bullshit. face it, its a way to uppity church for the poor people with nothing.

[MyThoughtsExactly]

29. They just don't want to share

Imagine if they let everyone in, then they would have to share all of their food, clean water and other amenities. That would be asking a lot.

[gademocrat7]

30. Osteen is a disgusting grifter.

[brush]

31. Yep. Looks like he just got his "Jim Bakker/Jimmy Swaggart" moment.

Just as with those preachers when their sins came to light, it was all down hill afterwards.

How can you claim to be preaching God's word and refuse to offer shelter in the storm — a storm of unprecedented destruction?

[meow2u3]

36. Osteen opened all the faucets before Harvey hit

That's because he wanted to make it look as if the storm caused the flooding when in fact he caused it.

[sarisataka]

39. Sheep or goat...

Or if you are not a believer, hypocritical pond scum is an adequate substitute

[brooklynite]

41. Goats have a lot more personality than sheep...

[brooklynite]

40. "It's been a safety issue for us..."

Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

[muriel_volestrangler]

42. Locking - duplicate thread

of https://www.democraticunderground.com/10141854800 (though posted on DU earlier, that seems to have a slightly more up-to-date story too). Please continue discussion there. Thanks.