Victoria Osteen, wife of celebrated pastor and televangelist Joel Osteen, is under fire, again, for telling a congregation at their massive Lakewood Church they should attend church for themselves instead of for worshiping God.
The latest round of criticisms echoes others who say Joel Osteen, head of one America's largest congregations, is not a real pastor and that his teachings are not based on the Bible.
"I just want to encourage everyone of us to realize when we obey God, we're not doing it for God - I mean, that's one way to look at it - we're doing it for ourselves, because God takes pleasure when we're happy," Victoria said according to a video taken during the Sunday morning service in late August.
"When you come to church, when you worship Him, you're not doing it for God really," she continued. "You're doing it for yourself, because that's what makes God happy."
As the Christian Post noted, online commentators quickly slammed Osteen for once again misinterpreting the Bible. Erick Erickson, a political conservative who runs the blog RedState.com, tweeted a clip from the 1995 movie "Billie Madison" to convey his opinion: "What you've just said is one of the most insanely, idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent, response, were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought."
Christian Post guest columnist Matt Moore wrote that while that while the Bible says God wants people to be happy, "the problem is that people like Victoria take this truth and slant it, ever so subtly, away from the God-centered-happiness that the Bible prescribes and toward a me-centered happiness that the Bible condemns."
Joel Osteen became Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church after his father, the church's founder, passed away in 1999. The New York Times bestselling author has been accused of promoting selfish ideals and humanist values above Christian doctrine, such as his belief that God accepts everyone including homosexuals.
"I always want to listen to people and receive good criticism," Osteen told Oprah Winfrey in 2012 in response to his opponents. "But I just don't have to answer to them I have to answer to God."
Others accuse the Osteens of trying to boost profits. Lakewood Church media broadcasts reach 200 million households nationwide, according to the Houston-based church's website.
Joel told Winfrey they do not make money from the church and that his income is derived from the books he writes.
As of Wednesday it is not clear if Victoria has commented to the backlash.
