Eddie Long: David v. Goliath

Timothy Kincaid

September 26th, 2010

Eddie Long in the Mirror

Eddie Long: A Guy With an iPhone

Bishop Eddie Long took to the pulpit today to defend himself against growing charges that he used his position, wealth, influence, and power to groom teenage boys for his sexual use. (AJC)

I have never in my life portrayed myself as a perfect man, but I am not the man being portrayed on television That’s not me. That is not me.

I am not going to try this case in the media, it will be tried in the court of justice and decided in the court of justice. Please hear this: I’ve been accused. I’m under attack. I want you to know as I said earlier I am not a perfect man. … But this thing I’m going to fight. I feel like David against Goliath, but I’ve got five rocks and I haven’t thrown one yet.

I’ve noticed of late that those who seek to prey on others are quickest to wrap themselves in the mantle of martyr. To portray themselves as the victim of powerful nefarious forces.

Bishop Eddie Long with his international fame, multi-million dollar mansion, private jets, powerful political allies, and 25,000 cheering parishioners is the “David”, while these penniless boys are the “Goliath.”

Eddie Long loves his money and his power and if he goes down, it won’t be gracefully. He’s promised to fight the charges. In his press conference following the service he said

“On the advice of counsel, I am not going to address the allegations and the attacks. I want this to be dealt with in the court of justice not the court of public opinion. I am going to fight. Fight very vigorously. Things New Birth has stood for … we will continue to do.”

beachewtoy75

September 26th, 2010

Here’s my prediction…

He’ll settle the suit for an undisclosed amount of money (but it will be ALOT).

He’ll say it was in the best interests of the church.

He’ll step down and he’ll lose his mansion and fancy cars, etc. Church attendance will drop.

He’ll disappear from the spotlight for a year or two and start up a new church.

He’ll admit that there was wrongdoing on his part. He will say that he has undergone “spiritual counseling” or something after being at the mercy of Satan and now he’s saved.

OR

He will admit no wrongdoing, but that will give him plenty of time to come up with a story about why a married straight man is taking sexy pics with his phone and giving them to teenage boys.

Soren456

September 26th, 2010

There’s no criminal case against him (yet), and the civil cases are apparently quite weak. They amount to claims of clergy malpractice, which generally go nowhere.

So Long will skate free (legally), spinning his “victory” as proof of innocence. I’d bet on it.

But once the word has been spoken, it can’t be taken back; Long’s life will never be as it was, and his voice never again respected much beyond the walls of his building.

It will be our victory, but a quiet one.

Tone

September 26th, 2010

I marvel at the mental gymnastics that Long’s flock must go through in justifying his caviar lifestyle. They listen to every word he says, dutifully offer up their tithe, and then go home to their ordinary but worthwhile lives for another week.

Long isn’t so much preacher as entertainer. He’s selling the sizzle of eternal happiness and the promise of material prosperity, yet offering only Hamburger Helper to his congregation. Perhaps this is the type of church that the Apostle John wrote about in Revelations, the lukewarm one that Christ would spit out of his mouth in the last days.

Beware “bishop” Long… your sin has found you out.

Steve

September 26th, 2010

History certainly has a way of repeating itself:

Ted Haggard slithered out from under the rock of shame and reinvented himself all the while refusing to admit that he is gay.

I think that this “Bishop” will do the same. Once you have experienced the good life it is hard to go back to a simpler life without all the niceties.

And again, we see the old adage that the most vitriolic gay haters have issues with their own sexuality and spout off out of self loathing.

On a non sexual level, we again see the preacher living anything but the kind of life that Jesus would have lived. This “Bishop” has twisted the life of Jesus into his own version in which staggering wealth and a life of luxury is perfectly okay because God says he deserves it. Far be it from others to criticize and remember the many poor blacks in the South that eke out a hand to mouth existence while this self appointed man of God lives in a mansion and rides around in his luxury SUV.

And how many times have we seen the fools who support these so called holy men and all their riches?…..Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Baker, Ted Haggard,Benny Hill, and all the others.

It will be hard for him to admit any degree of “gayness” in the South where homophobia is still rampant among black Southern Baptists.

Oh well, life goes on and history keeps repeating itself.

Patrick

September 26th, 2010

Steve: “And how many times have we seen the fools who support these so called holy men and all their riches?…..Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Baker, Ted Haggard,Benny Hill, and all the others.”

Thanks for providing a bit of unintended humour here. Benny Hill? Yes, he was notorious for running around luxury mansions chasing scantily clad women but I don’t think many actually considered him a “holy man”! I think you meant Benny Hinn.

Steve

September 26th, 2010

Yep, you’re right. Sorry for the “holy man” mixup. Benny Hill was the “holy one” but both were chasing holes.

Steve

September 26th, 2010

Or make it Benny Hinn the “holy one”. Damn, have a hard time getting the names straight.

Tone

September 26th, 2010

I bet Benny Hill’s church *would* have been fun specially with those stop motion sermons he always did whilst chasing scantily clad beauties!

Mark F.

September 26th, 2010

These legal cases seem pretty weak to me. “He abused his power by asking for a blow job after giving me money, clothes and trips.” Oh, the horror!

TomTallis

September 26th, 2010

David and Goliath??? Oh, the irony!

Rob San Diego

September 26th, 2010

Has anyone been watching this on CNN? You know who they bring in for expert knowledge on such things, none other then Ted Haggard.

I agree with beachewtoy75 on everything except him loosing his money and property. In fact, donations might even pick up for him and his church. I’m sure the black community will pull together for him.

KEW

September 26th, 2010

Not to split hairs here, but from everything I have heard in the boys’ cases,the only details of sexual acts say it’s the bishop giving the head.

So, now he can’t even say they were trying to pleasure him and now feel guilty about it or want the money.

I can’t wait for the investigation into his “twink-mentoring group”!Other sites are saying that there may be as many as 30 men in this suit.

Emily K

September 26th, 2010

If he’s David, who’s Jonathan?

Alex

September 26th, 2010

Yummy pass the popcorn. The spectacle of Af-Am homophobia is about to be exposed far and wide. Lots of cringing and hemming and hawing and blaming the “gay agenda.” Is it too much to ask for this to connect to Fierce Advocate Obama?

Please please let this go to court, please? But there’s more of Long’s boys out there so they might not settle to avoid more suits, and prolly there’s some ‘blue dress’ evidence; he hasn’t actually denied hooking up with dudes.

main meme: Every Flamboyant Homophobe Is A Closeted Homosexual. Ten bucks says Tony Perkins is also a closeted homosexual.

Neil

September 26th, 2010

He defends himself by comparison to a Biblical poof. I wonder if he’s read the Bible.

Gregory Peterson

September 26th, 2010

I wondered what professional forensic photo-enhancement of the bike shorts photo might reveal. I’m not one, but here’s what I got from low buck and obsolete Photoshop Elements 3 software.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2071331&id=1608524690&ref=mf#!/photo.php?pid=1144706&id=1608524690&ref=fbx_album

TampaZeke

September 26th, 2010

Trading sex and companionship for money, gifts, trips, nights out wining and dining?

Sounds like standard heterosexual courtship to me.

Maybe that’s how he’s going to make the case that what he did wasn’t “gay”.

Bernie

September 26th, 2010

I smell GUILT!

And yes, he will be born again, and again.

Tom in Lazybrook

September 26th, 2010

Its a real shame that he doesn’t refuse to fight against Gay rights in the court of public opinion as he refuses to address the accusations of rape against him in the court of public opinion.

Lightning Baltimore

September 26th, 2010

He’s “got five rocks,” eh? Does that mean we can expect a fifth young man to come forward?

And then he’ll use his five rocks to kill his five terrifying “Goliaths?”

justsearching

September 26th, 2010

I’m feeling unkind and hope that both this man and his church fall to pieces after the truth is made known (if it is made known.)

andrewdb

September 26th, 2010

So he won’t try this in the Court of Public Opinion, but in a Court of Justice, he said AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE. Oh the irony.

customartist

September 27th, 2010

Judgin

Yes, unfortunately, this congreration (not necessarily a Black thing) will surely support him In His Recovery, because they will surely stay in the condition of Denial that Gays actually exist in the world as a valid calss of people, undeserving of their hate.

WHICH BTW links to one of the statements within the Prop 8 brief filed by the group of 12 Religious Orgs (The Dirty Dozen) which states:

“…our faiths also entreat us to love and embrace those who reject our beliefs, not to hate or mistreat them. Bigotry is contrary to our most basic religious convictions.”

When I read this I vomited a bit, choked, and blew it through my nostrils onto my monitor!

“We don’t hate or mistreat gays, [OR] believe in bigotry”?? You gotta be kiddin me! This is Exactly what they believe,…AND exactly what they DO!

Perfect Holy Denial.

B John

September 27th, 2010

beachewtoy75 comes closest to how this will play out. He’s got the money to settle, so he will. And really, it’s because he loves those guys so much you know. He just doesn’t want them to have to through the embarrassment of having their butts legally kicked in court, so he’ll just help them out. And it’s also just better for the ministry to get this behind them, so keep the contributions coming.

It does seem they were of the age of legal consent in GA, so it’s a pastoral malpractice case…which the courts are loath to get into.

While we’re supposed to be innocent until proven guilty in this country, I do find it interesting that Long’s carefully worded statements don’t just include an outright denial of the charges. He’s not obligated to say that, but if you are innocent, why not just say so. The out with his statement is that if he can find just one little detail that’s wrong in the story of the guys, then “he’s not the person being portrayed in the gay-agenda controlled liberal christian-bashing media.”

If these four (as bad as it is) are the only ones who come forward, his “flock” will be able to demonize them at the Bishop’s urging (you know, just kids being manipulated by a lawyer to try to get money from a wealthy pillar of the community), and Bishop will weather the storm. If more keep coming forward, it’ll be a little harder for him to stay where he is. I mean for crying out loud, one of the girls from the church interviewed yesterday could only say that she just didn’t see pedophile in him…because she’s such an expert I guess, so none of this could be true. These people are willing to suspend all sense of reality to hold to their belief in this guy. Common in evangelical circles. Their whole lives, social, spiritual, family, personal identities, etc. all center around churches and leaders like this. That’s a hard thing to give up.

TomTallis

September 27th, 2010

Bishop Schlong.

elaygee

September 27th, 2010

Mr. Long is Goliath in this story, not David. His victims are the Davids of the story.

Jonathan Justice

September 27th, 2010

If we are talking about David here, it is the mid-career David and his problematical process of acquiring of yet another wife, Bathsheba, by arranging for her husband Uriah the Hittite to get killed in battle. The late teen guys in question were members of Long’s congregations and even participants in a special youth development program. What they report is emphatically contrary to reasonable expectations.

TonyJazz

September 27th, 2010

If you haven’t, seek our a picture of the huge mansion this guy owns.

If he is so scummy as to bleed the poor for this mega-mansion, then nothing is beyond him.

…there’s no morality happening here…move along, move along….

cd

September 27th, 2010

Sad to say, beachewtoy75 is probably right in almost all respects.

But. The facts and realities are going to hang over Eddie Long, just as they have for Ted Haggard. Oh, the game will go on for years with both and their congregations adamantly ignoring the cloud over them that just hangs there, that remains in the sky at all times. The denial and rationalizations and excuse-making and keeping silent will just grow and grow. And that will sap them emotionally, a slight and subtle bleeding or poison that never stops. Ten or fifteen years down the road everyone’s expended, there’s an I-just-can’t-do-this-anymore point for even the truest true believer. And people will quietly walk out and stay away.

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