Joel Osteen--Christian or not?

Michael Spencer has an interesting article critiquing Joel Osteen:

Any analysis of Joel Osteen's theology is going to have a hard time saying he is proclaiming the Christian message. The most popular preacher in Christianity is proclaiming a theology that is neither Christian, nor Jewish, nor Muslim, but is pragmatically pagan. Pagan in the sense of finding ways to gain the favor of god so he will do good things for you. Manipulating the deity to give you blessings. This is the ultimate example of Luther's "theology of glory" chosen over the "theology of the cross." I would rather a non-Christian hear John Shelby Spong a hundred times than hear this. Spong denies it all- outright. Osteen is presented as a Christian, but his message isn't going to bring you to Christ, the Kingdom or heaven. It's spiritual cyanide disguised as candy. If there is a hell, Osteen's message won't stop you or the people youlove from going there, because the savior in his messages is YOU and the

salvation he offers is a NEW ATTITUDE, and some resulting real estate.

I could not agree with Spencer more. Osteen is a dangerous man. Whether he intends to or not (and I would like to think that he doesn't), he is doing a tremendous amount of harm to Christianity. We are not helping people by failing to give them the truth. And the truth is the only way anyone can have any meaning in life is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To ignore this is to ignore everything. Osteen presents a narcissitic, hedonistic Christianity. Does God exist merely to "bless" us? Should our sole concern be whether or not we are happy and prosperous, however Osteen defines it? What does it mean to "grow where you are planted"? Does that mean a gangster should seek to be the most happy gangster he can be? Does God exist as a mere facilitator in our experience? Why is Osteen so adamant that he in not a "prosperity preacher"? Could any able-minded person see him as anything but a "prosperity preacher"?

I have no solution for this "problem." I don't know if Evangelicals are ever going to receive a fair impression in our society. I don't know if we will ever be able to present our pure vision to this culture. But we should certainly stand up when a pseudo-Christian like Osteen distorts most of what Christianity consists.