When I first saw this video of Victoria Osteen’s comments, I thought this was too easy to poke fun at. The video (with or without the spliced-in scene from Bill Cosby’s old t.v. show) was its own best caricature. However, after reading Dr. Al Mohler’s excellent reflections on Mrs. Osteen’s faux pas (“The Osteen Predicament—Mere Happiness Cannot Bear the Weight of the Gospel,” Sept. 3), I gave the matter more thought.
I wince to say this, but I think I can partially defend Victoria Osteen (who, by the way, has—can you believe it?—2.5 million “likes” on her public Facebook page). It is true that “doing good” does benefit ourselves (in our “inner human”) and Jesus himself sometimes appeals to our self-interest in his teachings (the parable of the Good Samaritan is one of many examples).
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