Pastor Joel Osteen's Sugar-Coated Homophobia

Pastor Joel Osteen is one of the most popular preachers in the country, and the author of several best-selling books that help people achieve "their best life now" and teach people how to practice a Christianity rooted in making money.

He's long been seen as a friendlier version of televangelist, an upgrade from the fire and brimstone preachers from a few decades past. But what Pastor Joel Osteen doesn't really divulge is that for the most part, his interpretation of religious scripture is a candy-coated pill that leaves a sour taste of homophobia at its core.

To his credit, and perhaps it's to benefit his wallet, Pastor Joel Osteen largely stays above debates over social issues. The man has the aura of the richest used car salesman in the world, and that's exactly the persona he works: "Hey, come over here! I've got some of that old tyme religion that's way better than what the competitors are offering!"

But this week, in response to a question from Whoopi Goldberg on The View no less, Pastor Joel Osteen let his real feelings about LGBT people come to life.

"What I believe the scripture teaches is that homosexuality is not God's best," said Pastor Joel Osteen.

God's best is apparently straight beauty queens who make lewd sex tapes, or Republican politicians who cheat on their spouses and bill the government for intercontinental travel to hang out with the mistress.

Pastor Osteen fits into the category of minister who attempts to be pastoral to LGBT people, but ultimately delivers a homophobic hammer of a message. The full clip of his appearance on The View illustrates just that. He waxes on about how gay people are welcome at his church, and how he's called to love all of God's children no matter if they're gay or straight. But then he emphatically says that according to the Bible, LGBT people are not God's most prized creations.

Last year, Pastor Osteen met with an LGBT delegation that visited his megachurch in Texas. Among those attending the meeting were Jay Bakker, the son of televangelist legends Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker and an LGBT rights advocate. During that meeting, Bakker asked Pastor Osteen what his church's position on homosexuality was. Their take?

"We don't see homosexuality as the worst sin," said a spokesperson for their group. "Sin is sin."

That may make Pastor Osteen better than the likes of Rev. Fred Phelps or James Dobson. But it doesn't mean that his theology isn't rooted in homophobic assumptions. Because it certainly is.

Saying that homosexuality is "not God's best" sends the message that God effe'd up when creating LGBT people. And saying that is a slippery slope to justifying the type gross injustices -- from hate crimes to workplace discrimination -- that happen to LGBT people on a day-to-day basis.

Or, in other words, Pastor Osteen should be challenged on this. It's bad theology no matter which way you cut it. Check out the clip of Pastor Osteen on The View below.