Powerful anti-gay Megacgurch leader accused of (surprise!) coercing men into sex

[tazber]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 6:23am

How creepy is this:

The men -- Anthony Flagg, 21, and Maurice Robinson, 20 -- allege Long used a private spiritual ceremony to mark a "covenant" between them, with both becoming his "spiritual son."

Flagg alleges that Long then used that relationship to take him on overnight trips where they shared a bedroom and engaged in kissing, masturbation and "oral sexual contact."

Robinson, who claimed Long engaged in oral sex with him, said the pastor would cite Scripture to justify their relationship.




So, is this like spiritual incest?

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 6:53am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boKbBC4v_VM

[tazber]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 7:35am

I had to pull one more quote b/c it's just so good:

"In the pulpit, Long seamlessly blends muscle and ministry.

He wears tight shirts that display his weight-lifter arms. He writes books such as "Gladiator, the Strength of a Man," that teaches men how to be warriors for God. He says he has a special calling to reach out to men."

To cross reference another thread, I would edit this last line to say "He says he has a special calling to literally reach out to men."

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 9:46am

The article had me at "As Bishop Eddie Long poked through a salad in his church office one summer day in 1999 . . ."

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 9:52am

"Once, he even boasted to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that some mothers at New Birth trusted him enough to bring their wayward teenage boys to him for paddling.

"'When I say bend over, even on Sunday, they bend over,' he said, referring to the boys he paddled."

[Kad]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 10:02am

It's not enough that he's profiting disgustingly off of religion, he has to coerce young men into sex as well?

[tazber]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 10:22am

Well you know, Kad when the lord commands we all must follow.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 10:25am

and accept 4-year scholarships to college.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 10:28am

He's apparently denying it, of course.

Which made me wonder -- have any allegations of sexual misconduct by one of these church loonies ever been unfounded?

[tazber]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 10:29am

I don't know. Let me ask the Pope.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 10:37am

Not that I know of, but there are, apparently, some credibility issues:

"One of the plaintiffs was arrested and charged with burglary after Long's office was broken into, according to a police report. The attorney representing both men, B.J. Bernstein, said the break-in was retaliation against Long after he realized 'he wasn't the only one' to have had a sexual relationship with the pastor."

Still, even if that's true, it wouldn't appear to explain the other guy's motivation.

If there were overnight trips and he shared a room with the boys, that should be easy enough to prove, though it doesn't, of course, prove sexual contact.

Still . . .

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 10:47am

[tazber]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 10:53am

Well that jacket is way more offensive than coercing young men into sex.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 10:54am

"Hey, watch that hand, Eddie!"

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 10:56am

Agreed, Taz. When a grown man dresses like Captain Kangaroo (Michael Jackson, anyone?), he bears watching.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 11:07am

Don't insult Captain Kangaroo that way.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 11:14am

I should have said "When a grown man dresses like Captain Kangaroo, and he's NOT THE HOST OF A KIDDIE SHOW . . ."

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 11:17am

But Reg, apparently he's been hosting the boy kiddies for years.

[wexy]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 2:25pm

It was God's will.

[madbrian]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 2:28pm

"It was God's will."

Looks like God didn't leave me anything in His will.

[tazber]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 3:23pm

Third time's the charm

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 3:28pm

Reverend, just an idea: When you need a lawyer to defend yourself against accusations you had sex with teen age boys, don't hire one named "BJ."

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 3:50pm

BJ represents the first two victims.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 3:57pm

To clarify once and for all:

If you're anti-gay, you're gay.

There.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 3:58pm

Pretty much.

The bigger the mouth on a homophobe, the more likely they suck d!ck with it.