Osteen packs em in like a Stones concert every week. Thats gotta be about an 18K arena. Church. Whatever. Big $'s. Wonder if his jet is sweeter than Jagger's.
from what I saw a lot of what Osteen preaches is feel good pyschology. the few times I watched him you see a lot of feel good talk then he says "just like it says in the bible" and then he quotes a verse they may have a slight relevance to the ideas he was discussing. However, To be fair I only watched him very infrequently as I don't have the tv on much anymore. I would note there are a lot of churches which are more Tony Robbins than Jesus. Feel good self motivation stuff sells. And I am not just saying this about the big super churches. I would also mention a lot of catholic priests spend more time advising people about how to live good lives rather than teaching the bible even though each week we get 3 readings out of the bible just before the homily.
Just wait until all the faithful DIE, and upon their last moment of life realize that THERE IS NOTHING BEYOND DEATH. This is it peeps. What a fucking joke. For thousands of years every single asshole of this race has wanted an answer as to why we are here, what the purpose is, and why life might mean something. Sorry you shitheads, you may have wished for the golden goblet, and the eternal life-source... You can delve through all the ancient religions... You ain't gonna' find an answer. Because the answer is, there is no answer. Yer fucked. When you die, you are dead. It will be like when you fall asleep, but you will never wake up. Face your fears, and face reality. Stop the madness.
Let's say what you say is true. So the Christian goes his whole life thinking there is an afterlife only to realize a few seconds before death there is none. The way you present it, is this is some kind of horrible revelation for the Christian who has been happy his whole life believing that there is something better and now the Christian has to spend his last few minutes horrified that there is nothing. Now YOU on the other hand have decided to spend your WHOLE LIFE believing there is nothing. So if believing there is nothing after death is supposed to be so horrifying, why would you spend your hole life believing it? According to you the Christian spends a few seconds being horrified by this revelation while you spend your whole life believing it. Who's better off and happier? Doesn't seem like you are.
This discussion could go many ways...for example, the whole idea of the Christian. I never mentioned a Christian. I assume you mentioned it because what you proffer is what Christians "believe." So do the followers of many other religions, with some variations. I have not decided to spend MY WHOLE LIFE (caps is yours) believing there is nothing. Far from it. MY WHOLE LIFE (caps is yours), started when I was born. I did not make a decision about beliefs the moment I came out of the womb, or when I was conceived, or whenever you think a WHOLE LIFE (caps is yours) starts. Maybe a WHOLE LIFE (caps is yours) starts at the point one decides to change their beliefs...If that time is when a person is 87 years old, is the time period from 87 YO to the time of death considered their WHOLE LIFE (caps is yours)? I understand the point you are trying to make...People should be allowed to live within their belief system and enjoy the bliss of ignorance of the truth, regardless of what anyone else has to say. Indoctrination at it's finest. But if what I say is offensive to believers of any religion and want nothing to do with me, then those same people should give the same wide berth to people like me, who find their proclamations and proselytizing offensive. And I GIVE those people a wide berth. I do not go to a church full of people and claim their is nothing and attempt a conversion. I just vent on a forum. Who is better off and happier through it all? I dunno', that would take a scientific poll across people like those you proclaim to be happy their whole life, and me specifically with MY WHOLE LIFE (caps mine). If this discussion is too heavy for your intellect, bow out now please. Thanks!
Ok, so if we're going to go get all technical, lets examine the facts. You said... "You can delve through all the ancient religions... You ain't gonna' find an answer." Now...have you delved though even 1 religion? Have you read 1 whole book, or did you just read a verse and say "this is bullshit, I'm not going to read the rest"? Would you do the same if say you opened a book you knew nothing about like maybe abstract Algebra, turned to a random page where you saw part of an equation that said F=P and then throw your hands up in the air and say "it's bullshit...F and P are 2 completely different letters, they can't equal each other"? You've already come to a conclusion that there is no answer as if you've read through all religious texts and proved them all wrong. It's like reading a single chapter in a multi volume book and thinking you know what the whole story is about because other people, who also have never read the book, are telling you what they think its about. First read though an entire religion and try to see what the message is, and see if you still think like you do.
I've read a LOT. I have read many religious texts, ALL the way through. It is why I posted the video in the OP above in the first place. That was just a synopsis of everything I have come to understand. It is all the same clap-trap, man. [Edited by Magna:] At OP's request this thread has been closed.