Joel Osteen said he’s being attacked like the Bible’s David in the controversy over his megachurch in Houston closing its doors at the peak of Hurricane Harvey.
The celebrity televangelist came under fire after reports his church wouldn’t provide help to people trying to escape the storm's rising flood waters last week, the New York Daily News said.
In a sermon on Sunday, Osteen told the congregation that floodwaters came within feet of breaching the building’s walls and only when the water receded could they open the doors to the public.
"If we had opened the building earlier and someone was injured, or perhaps it flooded and people lost their lives, that would be a whole different story," Osteen said.
Commenting on the widespread criticism, Osteen compared himself to the Bible's David.
"I am attacked by people I don't even know," he said. "David, I feel your pain, and you didn't have social media, David."
Tyler Perry agrees with Osteen and the actor, producer and songwriter announced he would be donating $250,000 to Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston.
“I know there has been some controversy about Joel Osteen and him not opening the doors of his church but let me tell you something, Joel and Victoria are amazing people and there is no way they would lock people out of their church or not let people in for shelter,” Perry said in a Facebook post.
He added that, after a phone call with Osteen, he realized the church had safety concerns, which is why it shut its doors.
“It all made perfect sense to me,” he remarked.
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