Bishop Eddie Long faces sexual abuse lawsuits

[Black_Knight]

Sex allegations roil black church community

Now, after he was slapped with four lawsuits last week alleging he used his position to coerce young male members of his flock into sex acts, Long’s future as a towering figure in the one of the country’s most accomplished black communities and beyond is in question. On Sunday, Long is expected to take to the pulpit of his sprawling Lithonia church and address his 25,000-member congregation.

:ehh: I wonder how this will pan out?

 

[Sam_777]

There is no worst than a devoted person sinning such mortal sin, if he really did it, then I’m afraid that he might be one of these:

“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”** (Matthew 7:22-23).**

 

[Georgia]

If he is guilty, again, if he is guilty, it has the potential to destroy a huge church, both in terms of membership and in terms of the immense facility that is New Birth Baptist. The place has to be seen to be believed and it has a membership of 25,000 people. A much smaller congregation simply could not pay to maintain such a place.

Go to maps.google.com and type in New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Lithonia, Georgia for a look at the campus.

 

[Hesychios]

If he is guilty, again, if he is guilty, it has the potential to destroy a huge church, both in terms of membership and in terms of the immense facility that is New Birth Baptist. The place has to be seen to be believed and it has a membership of 25,000 people. A much smaller congregation simply could not pay to maintain such a place.

Go to maps.google.com and type in New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Lithonia, Georgia for a look at the campus.

There are Catholic parishes with that many people.

 

[4Squarebaby]

There are Catholic parishes with that many people.

25,000 and a campus the size of a small college. Are they self supporting through tithes and offerings?

What happened to Ted Haggard’s church besides the shooting incident after he stepped down? I can see many mega churches fall after the figure head pastor steps down. My former home church once had a 10,000 membership number with 5 services a weekend about a year before I joined. While the campus was not the size of New Birth Missionary Baptist when the Pastor was asked to step down it was like a new church plant went up as the new church struggles to seat 400 on a Sunday, two other Pentecostal mega church are in the general area. The air conditioning and lighting cost alone is killing them. However the building was paid for when they were a mega church.

 

[cruisin]

I think as the body of believers, we should be getting down on our knees for our brothers and sisters in christ in this situation, That they will stand firm in the faith, That if these alegations are true, it will not have a negative impact on the witness of the church as a whole.

Please be careful what is said here, Especially for those in America. For we like to gossip and take the media as truth, when they have contempt for the church in General.

In America, our system calls for innocence until proven guilty.

 

[Hesychios]

25,000 and a campus the size of a small college. Are they self supporting through tithes and offerings?

What is an achievable goal to some looks impossible to others. It is well known that Catholics are among the least generous givers taken as a group, at least here in Illinois USA (perhaps Catholics in Georgia are more generous). Very few actually tithe, most will not even leave anything to the parish in their wills.

What bothers me about this scandal is that there are so many unchurched people at large in society now, the public doesn’t always differentiate between Christian groups when a scandal hits the news. All Christians look bad in their eyes.

 

[mark_a]

Sex allegations roil black church community

:ehh: I wonder how this will pan out?

I truly hope this man is innocent of these charges so that he can get back to his long list of good works for his community.

I wonder if his anti-gay views have ruffled more than a few feathers.

 

[Marie5890]

No winners in this.

Someone or someones are lying that is clear.

Someone is a victim of another’s very serious sin.

I pray for healing for whomever the victim(s) is/are and I pray for whomever has the spirit of Judas to repent of this evil and return to God.

 

[Bill_Pick]

There are Catholic parishes with that many people.

Who said that Eddie Long has the right to call Himself a Bishop.It did not come from Jesus Christ or the Apostles

 

[Tomster]

I truly hope this man is innocent of these charges so that he can get back to his long list of good works for his community.

I wonder if his anti-gay views have ruffled more than a few feathers.

Ditto

 

[Tomster]

Who said that Eddie Long has the right to call Himself a Bishop.It did not come from Jesus Christ or the Apostles

I hear you Bill. The same can be said of the Anglicans and their “hierarchy”.

A new thread maybe?

 

[dianaiad]

I hear you Bill. The same can be said of the Anglicans and their “hierarchy”.

A new thread maybe?

The point about being a non-Catholic religion is that those who go that route don’t see where Catholics have the authority to restrict the use of a name–like ‘Bishop’ or even “Christian” to themselves.

Personally, I don’t think the man is a Bishop either–but then, as a Mormon, I don’t think that Catholic bishops are actually, y’know, bishops with priesthood authority. If I did, I’d BE Catholic.

To rope this thing back on topic…remember: whether this man is guilty of these offenses or not, it reflects on him, not on Christianity as a whole; in fact, in a very real way it says good things about Christianity in general.

Why?

For the same reason the saying is 'wolf in sheep’s clothing," not “wolf in a lionskin.” Preditors go where the prey is, and hide among the innocent. Child molesters become ministers, teachers and scoutmasters; not because these professions are full of their own–but because they are not. Because the vast majority of them are trustworthy and good men and women who are doing what they do to help others, sexual preditors find easy access to their targets, like a hunter in a duck blind.

After all, isn’t that why finding such incidents is a scandal and front page news? Because it is unusual and wrong? What is that old journalism saying…“Dog bites man” isn’t news. “Man bites dog” is.

 

[estesbob]

Unfortunately I think this is going to generate another round of “people who condemn homosexual behavior are actually homsexuals themselves.”

 

[JHow]

Unfortunately I think this is going to generate another round of “people who condemn homosexual behavior are actually homsexuals themselves.”

Yes, the charge of latent homosexuality is often thrown at dissapprovers. Just like the conservative gay man is always the target of an “outing”.

 

[Tomster]

The point about being a non-Catholic religion is that those who go that route don’t see where Catholics have the authority to restrict the use of a name–like ‘Bishop’ or even “Christian” to themselves.

Personally, I don’t think the man is a Bishop either–but then, as a Mormon, I don’t think that Catholic bishops are actually, y’know, bishops with priesthood authority. If I did, I’d BE Catholic.

To rope this thing back on topic…remember: whether this man is guilty of these offenses or not, it reflects on him, not on Christianity as a whole; in fact, in a very real way it says good things about Christianity in general.

Why?

For the same reason the saying is 'wolf in sheep’s clothing," not “wolf in a lionskin.” Preditors go where the prey is, and hide among the innocent. Child molesters become ministers, teachers and scoutmasters; not because these professions are full of their own–but because they are not. Because the vast majority of them are trustworthy and good men and women who are doing what they do to help others, sexual preditors find easy access to their targets, like a hunter in a duck blind.

After all, isn’t that why finding such incidents is a scandal and front page news? Because it is unusual and wrong? What is that old journalism saying…“Dog bites man” isn’t news. “Man bites dog” is.

While Mormons claim to be a Christian religion, they reject some fundamental Christian beliefs. For instance, Mormons say that there are many gods for many worlds, that God was once a man, and that faithful Mormons will become gods themselves after death. While Christians describe the Trinity as three distinct Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) but only one God, Mormons say that the Trinity involves three separate Gods.

The Mormon books “Book of Mormon” and “Doctrines and Covenants” are extra-biblical and erroneous man made creations. Mormonism is a non-Christian sect with no claims to Apostolic succession, therefore they have no bishops, let alone a sacrificing priesthood.

 

[InNomineDomini]

Personally, I don’t think the man is a Bishop either–but then, as a Mormon, I don’t think that Catholic bishops are actually, y’know, bishops with priesthood authority. If I did, I’d BE Catholic.

At the very least, Catholic bishops have been *awarded *such a title in line with ancient traditions and criteria. To be called a bishop, for them, is a right which comes from *outside *of their own whims and desires; and originates in a hierarchical organisation who uses such titles for specific purposes. Indeed, such titles were invented by and firstly used by the Catholic Church; and anyone who uses them after the Catholic fashion is *clearly *attempting to mimic the authority such a title might provide.

Such people as Mr. Long, who is no more a bishop than John Lennon was a beetle, and who insist on being referred to as such, in my view are highly questionable and revoltingly cheap. Their entire personality is scented not with the perfume of authority, but with the stench of gimmickry.

I am certain you feel the same way as I do about this, despite your attempt to derail such a train of thought, and to send it crashing down upon the crags of your own religious views.

 

[dianaiad]

While Mormons claim to be a Christian religion, they reject some fundamental Christian beliefs. For instance, Mormons say that there are many gods for many worlds, that God was once a man, and that faithful Mormons will become gods themselves after death. While Christians describe the Trinity as three distinct Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) but only one God, Mormons say that the Trinity involves three separate Gods.

The Mormon books “Book of Mormon” and “Doctrines and Covenants” are extra-biblical and erroneous man made creations. Mormonism is a non-Christian sect with no claims to Apostolic succession, therefore they have no bishops, let alone a sacrificing priesthood.

Well now, if Mormonism actually did teach what you claim it does, you might have a point. However, since you are actually talking about some straw construction that bears very little resemblance to actual LDS beliefs…well, even then you’d be wrong.

Now would you care to address the actual content of the post to which this was supposed to be a reply?

 

[dianaiad]

At the very least, Catholic bishops have been *awarded *such a title in line with ancient traditions and criteria. To be called a bishop, for them, is a right which comes from *outside *of their own whims and desires; and originates in a hierarchical organisation who uses such titles for specific purposes. Indeed, such titles were invented by and firstly used by the Catholic Church; and anyone who uses them after the Catholic fashion is *clearly *attempting to mimic the authority such a title might provide.

Such people as Mr. Long, who is no more a bishop than John Lennon was a beetle, and who insist on being referred to as such, in my view are highly questionable and revoltingly cheap. Their entire personality is scented not with the perfume of authority, but with the stench of gimmickry.

I am certain you feel the same way as I do about this, despite your attempt to derail such a train of thought, and to send it crashing down upon the crags of your own religious views.

This is all you got from that post…and all you can do is rant against my frank statement that hey, I’m not a Catholic?

 

[Todd520]

At the very least, Catholic bishops have been *awarded *such a title in line with ancient traditions and criteria.

Yes, it is important to remember that Catholics developed unique traditions that define what it means to be a Catholic Bishop. However, Catholics did not invent the role or ancient words associated with Bishop

**bishop **
O.E. bisceop, from L.L. episcopus, from Gk. episkopos “watcher, overseer,” a title for various government officials, later taken over in a Church sense, from epi- “over” + skopos “watcher,” from skeptesthai “look at” (see scope (1)). Given a specific sense in the Church, but the word also was used in the N.T. as a descriptive title for elders, and continues as such in some non-hierarchical Christian sects.