I was flipping through the channels on television and ran across this guy who was talking about how people should be happy with who they are and not be envious of others, holding on to our passion and doing our best. http://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/Index.aspx I'm not a religious fellow, but I thought the guy was spot on. His religious twist was that god made us as we are for a purpose. Even if you reject the notion of a god, there's still a good message to be had.
He's a big proponent of the prosperity gospel...Here, in his own words: From the article: http://www.spiritwatch.org/firebehindsmile3of4.htm My translation: you are sick, poor, or unfortunate...God does not like you. Maybe this is part of why we don't have universal healthcare...I mean, who are we to help you if God decreed you to be sick?
That's not what I read into it. He seems to be saying that success isn't a bad thing, and that we should strive for success in whatever we do. But I, too, could be reading more into it than I should.
Success breeds contempt and those who are successful usually get that way from stepping on many other people to attain their own goals.
Why do you think I've failed? Some people enjoy putting others down to make themselves feel good, is that why you say such things? How many have you stepped on, besides me, to make yourself feel important? :shrug:
Then you don't know many of the people that I've read about, worked with or heard about. Since I've seemed to have encountered more of the type I was referring to I thought my remark, since it was mine, would be shedding light on only what I have known or heard about not your viewpoint. No it doesn't and that's not what I said either. I said that And that means that many people use others in different ways to attain their own goals which never implies that those who are stepped upon fail but just don't succeed as far in their goals as those who use others do. So instead of becomming a CEO those who never attain that position could easily be a supervisor or manager instead which isn't a bad position but not the top position. Sorry you took it that way for you didn't get my drift. I will state again that many people who attain success will USE others, MANIPULATE others and STEP on others to achieve what they want. Brown nosing, lying, cheating and underhanded tricks are what I've seen happen with "successful " type of individuals which are happening everywhere you turn these days, just look at Enron, Goldman Sachs and on and on. By saying, that is, to me, a put down but to you it must be a build up. If that's your idea of being helpful and understanding then I'd think your way of seeing the world is twisted in ways that you must not be able to address. But alas you did by saying, you are trying to show others that I somehow have failed with my life to which you don't support that statement with any fact or proof as to how you can say such nonsense.
I've watched quite a few of his sermons and enjoyed them all. I like his attitude to preaching about life and God. Its very positive - my favourite one was where he preached on the power to retain control of your feelings. I thought that was very insightful I haven't seen any evidence that religious leaders in the US are opposed to universal healthcare. Quite the reverse, actually
