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Claim: Pastor Joel Osteen ripped up the Bible in an act of defiance. On Feb. 6, 2020, the Babylon Bee published an article positing that American pastor and televangelist Joel Osteen had
ripped up a Bible in an act of defiance at the end of his sermon: > In Bold Act Of Defiance, Joel Osteen Rips Up Bible During Sunday's service at Lakewood Church, Joel Osteen ripped
up a Bible in a bold act of defiance. After the sermon was completed, in a theatrical display of his attitude toward the Scriptures, Osteen stood up and solemnly ripped the Bible in half
before tossing it on the ground. This item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. The article originated with a website that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in
nature, as follows: > The Babylon Bee is the world’s best satire site, totally inerrant > in all its truth claims. We write satire about Christian stuff, > political stuff, and
everyday life. This satirical piece appears to be commenting on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's reaction to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address in early 2020. On
Feb. 4, 2020, just moments after Trump finished his speech, Pelosi ripped up her copy of the address. You can read more about that incident here. For background, here is why we sometimes
write about satire/humor.