Joel Osteen is being ripped to shreds over his response to Hurricane Harvey

Houston's famous megachurch pastor Joel Osteen has dealt with controversy before, but the backlash over his response to Hurricane Harvey has been brutal.

Osteen came under fire earlier this week after allegedly keeping the doors of his Houston megachurch closed to those seeking shelter in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

The church initially told the press it was closed due to "safety issues" caused by flooding, but Osteen later said the church didn't open its doors to flood victims because it was never asked by the city to do so.

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"If they would have asked us to become a shelter early on, we would have prepared for it," he told TODAY.

Osteen eventually opened the megachurch to flood victims on Tuesday but many have continued to critique the religious leader for seemingly turning his back on those in need.

His response to Hurricane Harvey has since fueled hundreds of brutal reactions on social media, making Osteen the latest star to be ripped apart by Twitter memes.

Click through more brutal Joel Osteen memes:

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