Megachurch pastor Joel Osteen‘s ministry has gone viral, but not in the way he’d like.
Since Hurricane Harvey rained down destruction on the Houston area, Osteen’s initial failure to open his church’s doors to flood victims quickly became a trending topic on social media.
When called out, Osteen claimed that “safety issues” prevented him from using the church as a shelter, then he said it was because the city never asked. “If they would have asked us to become a shelter early on, we would have prepared for it,” he told the Today show on Wednesday.
But the excuses didn’t do him any good and the memes because circulating with a furor.
Below are a few examples:
Another #JoelOsteen user upload…is it #Funny or #Offensive? #Osteen #Noah #Harvey2017 #Houston #HoustonStrong pic.twitter.com/otr00lZpxv
— IsItFunnyOrOffensive (@IsItFOO) August 31, 2017
It's a @JoelOsteen tax shelter, not a church. pic.twitter.com/28mfvq2TIf
— Rube Bait (@RubeBait) August 30, 2017
[at Sunday school]
Joel Osteen: Why did Noah take animals on the Ark?
8 year old: Because Twitter shamed him into being a good Christian?
— Frederick Douglass (@HITEXECUTIVE) August 30, 2017
When they asked Joel Osteen about opening his mega church to survivors during #HurricaneHarvey pic.twitter.com/4IHfaKD0zI
— Robert Vincent (@RobertVincent3) August 29, 2017
Joel Osteen looking at all the people in his "church" like pic.twitter.com/uBpEeyebDm
— Yukihira Theo (@_KingComplex) September 1, 2017
https://twitter.com/alamanecer/status/903002511543603202
Joel Osteen: "Praying for everyone in Houston!"
Can we use your church?
Joel Osteen: pic.twitter.com/zTtJJgUuhD
— trigga trev szn (@TrevJSiemian) August 29, 2017
I wasn't asked to give food
I wasn't asked to give shelter
I wasn't asked to help
So I didn'tTil I got bad PR.
Fake Christian @JoelOsteen https://t.co/Io0pLJLpMy
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) August 30, 2017
These Joel Osteen memes are no joke. People not letting up nor will they forget. pic.twitter.com/uKh18w6rkb
— Carlos Williams (@Smart_Sapper12B) August 29, 2017
b4 u JUDGE Joel Osteen how about u hear his side? pic.twitter.com/uhpSOJJo4U
— Ali the ¢abbage (@AliMaadelat) September 1, 2017
If you're a Christian more outraged by people criticizing Joel Osteen, than by Osteen this week, you may want to rethink your priorities.
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) August 31, 2017
https://twitter.com/TheMeemStreams/status/903636305564794881
Joel Osteen earned his place on this photo spread! pic.twitter.com/nX1p1CQHQL
— RogelioGarcia Lawyer (@LawyerRogelio) September 1, 2017
[HuffPo] Featured image via Twitter
