Pastor Joel Osteen Dives from Stage to Stop Man from Opening Bible-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
After stating that power to speak prosperity into existence is inside everyone, Pastor Joel Osteen dove from a stage to prevent a partitioner who wanted to fact-check Osteen’s claim from opening a bible.
The Truth:
Claims that Joel Osteen made a “diving saving” to prevent a man in the front row of an Osteen event from opening his bible originated at a website that publishes what it calls “Christian news satire.”
The story appeared at the Babylon Bee under the headline ,”Joel Osteen Dives Off Stage To Prevent Man From Opening His Bible,” on May 3, 2017. The report, which is accompanied by a photo that appears to show Osteen leaping from a stage, begins:
HOUSTON, TX—While preaching a sermon entitled “Claiming Your Comfort Zone,” Pastor Joel Osteen made a diving save from Lakewood Church’s stage Sunday to prevent a man in the front row from opening his Bible and checking the validity of the popular pastor’s words, sources confirmed.
The incident reportedly occurred after Osteen made a claim from the pulpit that the power to speak prosperity into existence is “inside each one of us,” causing a visitor in the front row to furrow his brow and begin leafing through his Bible to find any kind of proof for Osteen’s claims.
The televangelist’s ears perked up at the unfamiliar sound, and he sprang into action, shouting “NOOOOOOOOO!” and making an amazing twenty-foot-long dive into the crowd before snatching the Bible out of the man’s hands at the last possible moment, according to witnesses.
The report was widely shared on social media, leading many to believe that Joel Osteen had actually leapt from a stage to prevent someone from opening a bible. However, the footer of the Babylon Bee website states: “The Babylon Bee is Your Trusted Source For Christian News Satire.” That, of course, means the story isn’t true.