Buckle up, Dancers....this is gonna be a bumpy one!!!
Two young men who attend Bishop Long's mega-church, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, outside of Atlanta, Georgia are accusing him and have already filed suits alleging that Long used his position as a spiritual authority and bishop to coerce young male members and employees into sex.
UT OH!!!
Those 2 young men, Anthony Flagg (21) and Maurice Murray Robinson (20), accuse Long of everything from sharing a bedroom and engaging in intimate sexual contact with Flagg including kissing, massaging, masturbating of plaintiff Flagg by defendant Long and oral sexual contact, to taking Robinson to Auckland, New Zealand, in October 2008 for his 18th birthday and engaging in oral sex with him, Robinson's suit alleges. And get this, these allegations supposedly happened when they were 17 and 18.
MY MY MY....."exotic trips", eh???
"Defendant Long has a pattern and practice of singling out a select group of young male church members and using his authority as Bishop over them to ultimately bring them to a point of engaging in a sexual relationship," the suits allege.
Long's spokesman, Art Franklin, said Tuesday that "we categorically deny the allegations." He continues, "It is very unfortunate that someone has taken this course of action. Our law firm will be able to respond once attorneys have had an opportunity to review the lawsuit."
It goes without saying that these allegations have rocked this congregation to it's core. Especially since Long frequently denounces homosexual behavior. In a 2007 article in the Southern Poverty Law Center's magazine called him "one of the most virulently homophobic black leaders in the religiously based anti-gay movement."
SERIOUS *side-eye*!
This whole ordeal is just a big CLUSTER-PHUCK! And while I'm sure more allegations will come to the forefront, I just wanna say this: There is just waaaaaaaaaay to much detail for these allegations to be completely false! And also, WHERE ARE THE PICTURES???? I need to see some pics, dammit!
Stories like these honestly make people question their support towards organized religion (me being one of them). I was having this conversation with a very good friend of mine and I told her my very thoughts on the subject, and while she says that it should be "about my relationship with Christ" (me being a Christian), she completely understands why many people (especially young people) "look at church as a joke".
This is about to get really REAL!
So Dancers, what are your thoughts??? I would love to hear them.....
Source
I agree, this has just way too much detail to be totally false. I'm just really disappointed. Bishop Long is a favorite preacher of mine and to hear these allegations is just really troubling. I can't imagine what it would be like to hear something like this if this were my Pastor.
ReplyDeleteI always say though that people who are staunch supporters of the anti gay movement are the ones to watch. Let's just say, there is a reason why they are such strong supporters. Skeletons meet closet?? That's all.........
@trachelle - I couldn't have agreed more!!! I always side-eye those religious figures/leaders who are sooooo adamant! Whacha hidin'???
ReplyDeleteDAYYUM Gina but y they always play with lil boys. OMG its about to hit the church fan.
ReplyDeletethis is crazy, but he isn't the only one- there are plenty more in the "church/gospel" community.
ReplyDeleteits not about religion, religion is what gets us confused and it makes us divided. its all about your "relationship" with Christ. we are the church, the church is inside of us, its not a building. the church is supposed to be there to help, support, sustain, uplift, encourage, but people abuse it and use it for gain. this is why people laugh at the church- because of people like him, and others (won't name em, but we all know). people say, dont judge but pray- but at the end of it all, his sin has come to the light, we can't push it away and say just pray for the man, it has to be dealt with! no more sweeping stuff under the rug.
@ Tootie - I am LOVING this comment!!! *BRAVO* You have articulated that point very well.
ReplyDeletePREACH Tootie!! "And the body of Christ says.... Amen." I could not agree with you more.
ReplyDeleteBishop Long's inappropriate actions have NOTHING to do with God; they are the sins of one flawed man.
Honestly, the conversation we need to be having is about the extreme homophobia that is so prevalent in the black community, particularly in the black church, and how hard that makes it for people like Eddie Long to just openly live their lives as gay men. Just my 2cents.