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Advertisement | Joel Osteen Answers His CriticsTells Byron Pitts "We're Not Perfect"June 8, 2008 ![]() ![]() Preacher Joel Osteen's MessagePopular preacher Joel Osteen's positive message attracts crowds and has made him known around the world in books, speeches and televised sermons. Byron Pitts reports. | Share/Embed (CBS) Reverend Horton believes that Osteen tells only half the story of the Bible, focusing on the good news without talking about sin, suffering and redemption. And Rev. Horton goes even further: he levels the harshest charge of all, calling the Osteen method of teaching heresy. "It is certainly heresy, I believe, to say that God is our resource for getting our best life now," Horton says. "Because?" Pitts asks. "Well, it makes religion about us instead of about God," Horton explains. "There are a lot of people in this country, religious people, who consider your theology dangerous," Pitts remarks. "I don’t know what can be so dangerous about giving people hope," Osteen says. "Causing people to have better relationships. I'm not leading them to some false God or something like that." "Hear what some others have said about you: he’s diluting and dumbing down the Christian message," Pitts says. "Sometimes you have to keep it simple and not make it so complicated that people don’t understand," Osteen says. "But I know what I'm called to do is say 'I want to help you learn how to forgive today. I want to help you to have the right thoughts today.' Just simple things." "You know, you get people that wanna criticize, 'You’re not doing enough of this, enough of that.' Well, we're not perfect. But to have you know hundreds of people tellin’ ya 'You changed my life. I haven't been in church in 30 years.' Or 'You saved my marriage.' Not me, but God, but they’re telling me, but you know what? You can’t help but leave every Sunday afternoon…," Osteen says, getting emotional. "Help me understand what’s happening right now Joel?" Pitts asks. "You know, what it is, you just feel very - I told you I was a cry baby, but you just feel very rewarded. You feel very humbled, you know?" Osteen says. "Humbled by your success?" Pitts asks. "Humbled that you could help impact somebody’s life. I think - I don’t even - I don’t even know these people. And you know, and God's used me to help turn their life around or give them hope, you know? It’s very rewarding," Osteen says. "You in awe of that?" Pitts asks. "Very much," Osteen agrees. Osteen keeps his life simple. His best friends are his family, and he spends most of his free time with them, especially his two children, Alexandra and Jonathan. But from Wednesday to Saturday, he’s in his home office writing and memorizing his sermon. "I feel a responsibility more than ever now, you know, sometimes when I think about it Sunday in a few days and I gotta get back up here and feed everybody and be my best and inspire them and have some good stories, keep them listening, you know, it takes a lot of work, it takes diligence," Osteen tells Pitts. You can see that same diligence in his workouts. Osteen can bench-press 300 lbs., which is twice his body weight. And on the basketball court, even in the simplest of pickup games, he is focused, determined and looking for help from above. Joel Osteen is currently in negotiations with a major network to anchor a primetime reality series based on the inspirational themes of his Sunday sermons. The show will originate from Lakewood Church and tell the stories of ordinary people meeting extraordinary challenges. Produced By Ruth Streeter | Advertisement Woodward: Military Brass Opposed SurgeAlso Tells 60 Minutes U.S. Has Secret Military Capability; And That U.S. Has Been Spying On Iraq's PM |
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