Bishop Eddie Long: Does the Black Church Look The Other Way While Women Pray and Men Prey?
Bishop Eddie Long is going down in flames, to burn in a hell of his own making.
Four young men have filed lawsuits against Bishop Long, accusing the influential leader of an Atlanta mega-church of improprieties involving drugging, unwarranted sexual advances and sexual harassment. Each suit alleges coercion and homosexual behavior with the Plaintiffs during their late teens. These young men (now in their early 20s) reside in a State where the legal age of consent for sex is 16, and each was 17 or above when the alleged sexual activities took place. For that reason, the State of George will not file criminal charges – at least with these four. However, it has been reported that as many as 30 other young men have contacted Plaintiff’s attorneys to share their own stories. We can therefore assume that others may join the legal proceedings by filing lawsuits of their own against Bishop Long.
Bishop Long’s supporters have pointed out that the boys in question were over the age of consent, thus Bishop Long isn’t guilty of a crime and the lawsuits should be thrown out. These individuals have overlooked an important facet of life: just because an act doesn’t meet the legal threshold of a prosecutable offense does not mean that no crime has been committed.
We live in a society which guides not only our own behavior, but our expectations of the behaviors of those in roles of parents, educators, and protectors of our laws, lives and property. Our society is constructed around man-made, spiritual and moral laws, and all must be considered when assessing someone’s true guilt or innocence.
Bishop Eddie Long presented himself as a spiritual leader, a surrogate father figure and a trusted man of God to the members of his congregation and the community. By involving himself in homosexual activities with teens placed in his care by their trusting parents, Bishop Long has violated every moral and spiritual law there is. He has also exposed himself as a total hypocrite.
Bishop Long being accused of being a closet homosexual and damn near a pedophile is a complete contradiction to his stated beliefs. Bishop Eddie Long railed against homosexuality and same-sex marriage in sermon after sermon, even organizing a march in Atlanta which he called “Re-ignite the Legacy.” Reportedly the December 2004 March against homosexuality and other ills of society attracted an estimated 25,000 people. With MLK’s youngest daughter Bernice King by his side, Eddie Long attempted to walk his taste for boy-meat right out of his system. Too bad it didn’t work.
I’ve noticed a trend with these religious and political leaders that blast homosexuality at every opportunity. Each one that talked the most trash about gayness has turned out to be gay. Hmmm. Evidently heith that protesteth the loudest beith the most gayeth!
Predator and Prey: Men and Children in the Black Church
As stated previously in my article entitled “The Black Church: How Black Churches Keep African American Women Single and Lonely,” Black women are notorious for placing blind and unwavering faith in men they meet or associate with at church. Black women worship their Pastors and Ministers as much or more than they worship God Himself. And when single Moms are overly trusting in men and their churches, bad things happen to children.
Narcissistic and drunk with the reverence and power shown them by church members and community leaders, Pastors frequently abuse their power over both women and children. Believing that they are invincible and able to get away with pretty much anything, these men feel justified to take whatever they want financially, emotionally or physically from anyone vulnerable to their authoritarian charisma.
Biblical scriptures are used as a tool to coerce others into doing their bidding. Their leadership position and the word of God are used to manipulate impressionable mothers and children as church leaders display a startling sense of entitlement to the resources and even the bodies of their congregation.
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Category: Society and Culture, The Black Church
As sad and untrusting as this may seem, it is my truth. I am a Black woman that was not forced to go to church, as a teenager I started going to church because I was seeking a higher power, direction, guidance. I always felt not liked by the adult females (Deacon's wives, the pastor's wife). I would see hypocrisy all around me. But the one thing that really stood out for me was noticing that some of the boys, male teenagers and married Men seemed effeminate. In most of the churches I visited, the male choir director was clearly gay. This phenomenon seemed to obvious for anyone to pretend they did not not know. I was only a teenager. I grew up and God blessed me with 3 wonderful sons. As a parent, I made myself the promise that I would not ever willing put my sons in harms way. That meant I purposely did not take my sons to church. I was a teenager in the 70's, my sons are adults now. But, clearly this phenomenon taking place in a lot of Black Churches has only gotten worse. The Christian teachings says to love everyone, but I still struggle with the open blatant sin taking place in the house of Worship. I understand we all sin, but shouldn't the expectation be to at-least try to do the right thing. I love what the Black Churches are supposed to represent, just as I did as a teenager. But as an adult the reality of what these churches are, really saddens me. The damage being done to little boys is irreverseable.
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