Opinion: Eddie Long still has more apologizing to do
Editor’s note: Carolyn Edgar is a lawyer and writer in New York City. She writes about social issues, parenting and relationships on her blog, Carolyn Edgar.
By Carolyn Edgar, Special to CNN
Now that Bishop Eddie Long has apologized to the Anti-Defamation League for a service at his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church that purported to crown him a “king,” one has to wonder what Long was thinking.
With all the scandal that has surrounded him recently, Long and the New Birth leadership should have anticipated that the video of the New Birth service would attract a great deal of attention, including from Jewish groups. Even if Long were unfamiliar with Jewish rituals and traditions, he might have guessed that having himself wrapped up in a Torah scroll might be considered controversial. Long rightly apologized to the Anti-Defamation League for misusing the holy Hebrew scriptures and Jewish rituals in his “coronation” ceremony.
However, Long still owes some apologies.
First, he owes his New Birth congregation an apology. Long should have apologized to his church a long time ago for the scandal that originally rocked New Birth. When four young men who were former members of New Birth accused Long of coercing them into sexual relationships as teens and young adults, Long vehemently denied the charges. Later, he quietly settled with the plaintiffs. He has not admitted guilt, but he also has not refuted the charges in a way that removes even the most basic doubt. Long should have stepped down from his position as head of New Birth. Instead, he returned after a brief hiatus, and sought to restore his congregation’s belief in his leadership by subjecting his church to a ritual without foundation in either the Christian or the Jewish faith – in which it was claimed that Long has a “king chromosome,” among many outrageous assertions. It is clear that those who remained faithful to New Birth wanted to see their disgraced leader returned to his former power and authority. Long could have orchestrated a service that uplifted him spiritually and gave his members reason to cheer without including made-up Jewish rituals. Instead, Long perpetrated a fraud on the people who stuck by him and his church long after many others, including Rev. Bernice King, a daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., left.
Second, Long owes an apology to Christians. As offended as members of the Jewish community may have been by the New Birth service, it was equally offensive to Christians. Many people noted that Jesus Christ refused kingship, yet Long had the hubris to participate in a ceremony that claimed to make him some kind of king. In his apology, Long retreated by saying he is “a mere servant of God,” but he needs to do more, and apologize to the Christian community for a service many Christians also found abhorrent.
Third, Long owes an apology to the city of Atlanta and the community at large. New Birth is far bigger than Bishop Eddie Long. According to the New Birth website, the New Birth organization includes a seminary, a K-12 Christian academy, and a number of outreach ministries, including a student ministry, an athletic ministry, and a college ministry. New Birth provides many valuable services to the community that will be lost if the church implodes under the weight of its leader’s pride and outsized ego.
Long is unlikely to issue any further apologies, and his church and community are unlikely to demand any. The Christian church has a longstanding tradition of “touch not mine anointed” – a Bible verse widely interpreted to mean that those chosen by God cannot be attacked by man. Some believe any criticism of a person “anointed” by God – such as a pastor like Long – violates this principle. However, when a religious leader acts in a way that is contrary to Scripture, as Long did in the coronation ceremony, his or her actions are ripe for censure. Long may not show any further public remorse, but one hopes he is receiving private counsel, spiritual and otherwise, from people who have not only Long’s best interests, but the best interests of those he was called to serve, at heart.
The opinions expressed are solely those of Carolyn Edgar.
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Long just proved again he is just a narcissistic perverted freak show...
those that follow and throw their hard earned money at him are just as crazy as he is..
Believe me it's not just at the megachurch level I was at one church where you could set up a payment plan to pay into the pastor and wifes anniversary, and church anniversary, at offering time they had the financial accountant at the front with an adding machine to make sure they had enough to pay the bills and when they came up short, "we need $300 more dollars God will bless you, verse 12:4 says etc....the guilt trip mind game, I want call out the denomination, but every year at convocation they would spend 2 hours on offering time they would drain N E G R O E S dry, the Bishop would be treated as if he were Jesus coming in on the donkey they got this man a limo and the convacation grounds was maybe 8 blocks from his hotel mind you he drove from San Antonio so why a limo, they bashed the Baptist constantly I left that denomination. My wife's uncle died he had been a member at this church for 35 years and before the pastor would eulogize at the funeral the secretary called we would have to pay the pastor. It goes on and on.
hey dem peoples gots to wear their clown clothes some'eres
As a former Atlantan, I went to New Birth a time or two. I was amazed to see how people worship him instead of God. Eddie is only a man plain and simple. But obvoiusly he feels he is above the law. I watch him manipulated my cousin and I wanted no part of that. My cousins avoided calling me because they did not want to hear my opinion of him. People want the follow him because of his riches and sermons. Hell, he thinks his is bigger than life. This video is sickening!! They is no need to bash others. The focus should be on this Eddie Long. He need to resign...period
Does the word pompous seem to fit here?
CROOK seems to fit better.
Great article. Profound. Long's behavior profane. Anyone supporting his actions are pitiful.
Great article! Profound. Long's behavior profane. Any congregation backing/defending Long's actions are pitiful. Wrong shepherd people!
Nice article though choppily written. ( no need to pick on my writing, I dont claim to be a writer) Concerning "eddie" and his apologies..... The author is correct and I think we could list about 50 other INDIVIDUALS that need apologized to. The bible so clearly tells believers to FOLLOW NO MAN as they will lead you astray. That includes pastors, priests, evangelists.... we can use them for clarification of bible theory and such but... never UPLIFT any man or woman to such a stature as that.
I think at this point, EDDIE needs mental health help. He is a narcicist ( sp) and needs humbled cuz it aint happened yet. Look what humbling did for Jim Bakker : )
Baker humble? he's still on TV spouting BS and selling knicknacks
This is what I call a bang on article!! Amen to all that was said!!
It's praying time!!!
Letting people know I am a blackman
Well, well, well it doesnt suprise me about black people being led around like sheep for the slaughter it only proves what I have been saying this about black people we are such a gullable people in the U.S. Jim Jones was a perfect example, if you want to control black people play to their emotions, damn, because the whte blue-eyed perverted liberals are doing a good job of it. They get their pointers from black pastors. the white liberal knows all they have to do is say or inject the word racism and say you will fight for them, John F. Kennedy did it and when the Civil Rights Bill came across his desk the first time he wouldnt sigh it. Duped again, the white liberals had control of this country up til 1998 when they lost the house and senate and what did black folk receive with democrat control I will tell you what we recieve the same thing received in the previous 40 years poverty, crime, a broken inner city, inferior school districts, high unemployment, hopelessness, despair, and goverment handouts even under this so call black president. Stimulus money, if I ask anybody who lives in the inner city how much of that stimulus money was allocated for programs to uplift blacks out of poverty(give a man a fish he eats for a day, learn a man to fish he eats for a lifetime) NADA, Obama has given these whiteboys billions of dollars. Bishop Edddie Long and my comment are all tied in together. Final Thought: Everybody that pulls you out of S H Y T is not your friend and everyone that S H Y T S on you is not your enemy. When the 2012 election commes around really evaluate the person not the color of their skin, but really ask yourself has this person help improve any area of my life? Be truthful with yourself breaking ranks with what is popular takes courage and may require you to stand alone and be ridiculed even by those close to you. Jesus done it and those who died for our rights did it. Are you a leader or follower?
i appreciate your comment, however, i dont see how what you said tied in with Long, JFK, people who S H Y T, and the next election. I re read it a couple times because it was long and you must have felt passionately about what you wrote. If you see this, could you rephrase and clear it up? i want to understand.
There is a line in your post that totally sums up the "black mentality".... were we expecting a handout with the Stimulus money? were we thinking to be saved? I would have LOVED to hear what you say about Eddie.
either you are ignorant or refuse to see maybe you are a cult Obama member. Let me put it in elementary terms so you can understand it better. Black P-E-O-P-L-E are gullable and can be easily led, Bishop Eddie Long has a 25,000 member congregation who refuses to see he did any wrong and believe he is some divine man sent from God is a prime example. He is a microcosim of what is wrong with black people here in the U.S. what Bishop Eddie long is doing with his twisted version of Christianity the white liberals are doing with racism brainwashing black people into thinking racism is the cause of their woes and making them believe there is no hope, Bishop Eddie long is making 25,000 thousand members in his congregation believe he is divine. In other words: We are being made fools. I dont know what your education level is, but this is where you use that brain of yours and think for yourself which is hard for 15% of the black population to do because it has been done for them people by people like Bishop Eddie Long and white liberals for so long. This will be your first task to break away from these chains I know you can do it.
Hmmm...I think somebody had nuts in their ceral this morning....
Thiis is just another example of the incredible stupidity of black people. This half-pint, toupe' wearin, man-lovin, clown!!! I'm black by the way so don't think a whiteman is postin' this. We are so insecure. Zero confidence in ourselves. To be led by this fool is beyond dumb.......its incompetence at its worse. How can anyone justify this fool being made a king in front of millions of people, and you idiots are clappin' while his homeboys collect his money from you morons.....LoL!!! I aint mad really though. I wish I was him. I'd rob you idiots too. I want a Bentley, a nice crib, nice wardrobe, you know. I'd be bangin' all them fine sistas in there too.......damn!!!! And gettin' paid too!!!.......damn!!!!
I am so sick and tired of these thieving, lying punks who call themselves messengers of god, and the ignorant sheep who follow them! This clown Long, is no better than the white slave masters who used the bible to keep a people in bondage for over 400 years – "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ." You don't have to belong to ANY religious group to worship or praise God. There does not have to be a middle man. You do not have to pay money to ANY person to gain access to God. Seriously, Long has a mental problem, but so do the hundreds of fools that follow him.
@Nat black people are getting f u c k e d in 2 ways by black Pastors like Bishop Eddie Long and white liberals black people dont know history because if they did the political landscape would have changed since the 2008 election. That man Obama decides he is black this year when he preached at the Congressional Black Cacus meeting about 5 months ago when he told them N I G G A S they nneed to stop complaining and put on their Dickeys and house shoes on because he aint got time, that's funny they havent seen your bony a z z in 2 1/2 years, but all of a sudden you show up after being with your white counterparts wooing and bowing before them. N I G G A S are afterthoughts for him, not now the election is at hand, you know what's so funny he is after that Latina vote and he is making all types of concessions, instant citizenship, it took black people 400 years to become citizens, but all the Mexican has to do is cross the border. Oh Yeah! he lullabyed them with some Al Green the black crowd erupted, he is black now, WE LUVS US SOME OBAMA. Remember he caught the spirit and preached to CBC he became black again. Everytime he is at a town hall meeting look whose behind him when he is on stage, remember the towns and cities he visit any of them familiar, stimulus money, etc... Solandra, 538 million dollars, file bankruptcy in a year and nothing happens, is he for real. My question is would he had given a black business that type of money, H e l l No! And if he did believe me swift justice would be in 5th gear and them black executives would be tried, judge, and sentenced in 2 weeks. How many black corporations recieved a bailout? You all know we do have black corporations. My rant is that if we had some black leaders they would tell Obama this: You have made concessions for the whiteboys with bailouts, concessions for the Mexicans with immigration and a Latina Department of Education inside the Whitehouse, what are you going to do for blacks? And if he says he is president of all the people every black person should stay at home during election, understand this neither party is going to do nothing for us what will be the difference if you vote?
Eddie Long is a abomination. His entire church ignores his stupidity in the name of the Lord.
Its one thing for one "Nut" to want his 15 minutes of fame.... its quite another when the local members of this church dont find something terribly strange in this act. This is what is wrong in religion... when the flock do not know when to call a nut a nut.... they themselves become a nut.
Im not mad at Bishop Eddie Long I wish I had that power over 25,000 mindless toddlers I would be rich too. We cant blame the Bishop they created that Frankenstein. He is only giving them what they want that is a black Jesus aint Jesus black I guess he is and his nname is Bishop eddie Long. Only if I could touch a strand on his tupe I will be an ignorant, mindless, black fool or will I be healed?
Im not mad at Bishop Eddie Long I wish I had that power over 25,000 mindless toddlers I would be rich too. We cant blame the Bishop they created that Frankenstein. He is only giving them what they want that is a black Jesus aint Jesus black I guess he is and his nname is Bishop Eddie Long. Only if I could touch a strand on his tupe I will be an ignorant, mindless, black fool or will I be healed? Stay tune
Most of you did not watch the service or video of the service. He never declared himself King. The guy who did the ceremony was talking about the negative words slaves were made to say over themselves before they boarded ships to America. The guy pulled out this thing he called a scrolled and had to ask Bishop twice to come up. He did then he wrapped him saying that all those things that was said over those slaves is now removed by wrapping you since you are a leader. Then all of a sudden, these 4 dudes come and pick him up... This was nothing planned by him cause dont want to draw attention to himself. People you invitye to your house and they do something for you... there is no problem... Now the guy who did it, he made it seem like it was a ritual to release the negative words spoken over the slaves before they boarded ships to America.... People are a trip.
i'm wondering what authority or jurisdiction the rabbi had to "restore" long. from my understanding of the christian tradition, such restoration is only through christ. while long may not have called himself a king, he had no problems participating in a service that alluded to such.
Ya know what DG? Mr. Long could have and should have stopped the ceremony!!! He has no humility!!
No better example to give support to the Karl Marx statement that "religion is the opiate of the masses"!
What is wrong with the congregation that they still support this man? Now that he has held this crazy fake ceremony to lift himself to the status of a kinghood - and now that his congregation knows it has no meaning or value - now what? Talk about hoodwinked! Is the man on drugs? or just losing his mind?
I've lived in ATL for a year now and I am shocked by the Cult Leader Eddie Long and his ridiculous congregation. I wish the author of this article would have brought up the apologies that should be given to the K-12 Grade school teachers, families and studies, because it was closed 2 days before CHRIST'S BIRTHDAY. Nearly 200 students abandoned by this Cult Leader because of funding!! Also, what about the apology to the people who invested their life's savings in the schemes that have now resulted in lawsuits against this church because this Cult Leader brought in theives to steal their money under the guise of "Investment Opportunities". Too bad they can't fire this Cult Leader. From what I understand, he owns the church and the board of directors, who work for him, and therefore can't be thrown out. Also, did Jesus Christ or God the Father ever have a street named after them? Well this Cult Leader does, right on the street of their church, called Eddie Long Parkway or something like that. Seriously, he does! Well, Pimpin ain't easy!
Anytime a person proclaims themselves king or anything before God and man without proper authority, they not only mock the Almighty Sovereign God, but also the intelligence of all. King? I love to crown him Clown with a Louiseville slugger.
I don't know which is more pitiful: Long being Satan's puppet or the congregation that's too blind to see the truth! Do none of them ever stop and think, "This isn't right"? Out of a congregation that large, nobody can apparently tell an evil, phony piece of garbage from a true man of God. Shame on all of them.
Enough about the Torah issue. The TRUE offense Long is guilty of is manipulating and brainwashing his sheep into believing he is 'anointed'. I am sick of egotists like him who use their rabble-rousing abilities to corrupt the vulnerable and gullible for their own selfish ends, both in religion and in politics. Many will ask how his followers can be so stoopid, but sadly there are many humans who are happy to be led. Organized religions depend on blind acceptance to prosper. Independent thought is a threat to them.
I am still sitting here SMH wondering how people can be so blind and ignorant spiritually as to still believe this MAN is from God. He is the reason religion gets a bad name. His ego and greed is what keeps him trying everythngi to stay under the spot light. Remember the Bible speaks of many "false prophets" that will have many following them. Well New Birth follow him in false worship. We are to follow the WORD not men..
Amen! Long wouldn't recognize the True Word if God if Jesus Christ himself walked up and said hello.
A disgrace.
I applaud the writer's and her subjective point of view as it relates to the Minister Eddie Long Saga. How dare he embarrass God, the Christian Church as well as the Black community with his latest fiasco and defamation of the Jewish Scared Scroll!
What Eddie Long did with the Torah (Old Testament) was very offensive to the Jewish community. His apologized to the Anti-Defamation League was BS. He did this show to make money. If he really wants to apologize then the money they made that week and the Holocaust should be given to a local Atlanta Synagogue our Chabad. As for Rev Bernice King she stands with Eddie Long for the money.
The article, and popular knowledge, state that Bernice King LEFT his church. She is not standing by him. She was gone shortly after the initial scandal.
What is It with African Americans and royalty? I have often heard African Americans saying that there were kings, queens and princes in Africa before they were shipped to the Americas. Maybe Eddie Long's bizarre ceremony harks back to that theme.
Ummm.....no. Do not lump this crazy with all "African Americans". No one else is being hoisted up on chairs and being wrapped in Jewish scrolls.
After Jesus Christ died, ressurected, went back to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the father he put all creation under his authority and dominion. There is only one king, not only in Christendom, but in the entire universe. At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, including those of the charlattan preacher, Eddie Long.
Long needs to read Jeramiah, he is not only of Satan, he will never see Christ, as he is spiritually dead, as well as his congregation
TRUE!!!!!
Great article! Now it's clear that this man is desperate to retain his power by any means necessary, no matter how ridiculous and cultish. I pray that the people of New Birth will wake up soon.
they want
Long might just be king, all right, king of the panderers, snake-oil salesmen and butch closet queens in his little neck of the bible-belt.
What's more egotistical than thinking you are the center of the creator of the universe's interest? Why shouldn't a man named Eddie declare himself king? Men have always made up mythical characters to declare king. Eddie's just taken out the middleman.
"Many people noted that Jesus Christ refused kingship." It is important to note that He refused MAN's kingship, because His Kingdom is not of this world. He is a King, and He has a Kingdom.
Well said!
I can't decide who's more jacked up in the head. Ol' Ed, or the people that still put him on a pedestal.
both
How can anyone take Ed seriously? Fire him.
I live in Atlanta, and agree with you, this guy is a loser,perv, and a joke
they cant fire him I think when he had them fools doped up on his preaching he pulled an okey doke deal behind closed doors I believe he owns the church in some way.
He also needs to apologize for that "hairpiece." It looks like a dead animal sitting on top of his head. But really, how could anyone watch that display and cheer that man on? It would be laughable if it weren't so offensive.
Very well spoken. We must also remember, that his wife and children need an apology too. They have to endure all of this for years to come. Repentance is difficult for a man, especially a stubborn and prideful man. True repentance comes out of godly sorrow. Ultimately, God was once again offended and His Word was abused. The book of Hebrews settles the issue and there is nothing that anyone can do about it. He needs help. Will he accept help? It's entirely up to him.
This is a very well written article! While I am no longer a practicing Christian, I was still shocked at the lengths this man will go to to keep these people under his "spell". Sick.
been out of church 2 years still looking for one
if you live in Atlanta look up Isreal of God church
As we turn the page into a new century we still carry the shames of the past with us. This "king" mentality dates back to the days of Father Divine & Daddy Grace in the world of the Black church. They are merely employeers of the worse kind of manipulation. Preyers upon the vulnerable,weak, & lost. The true children of God.The very people Jesus said to look after. Shame on you!
Cuddos to the author, Caroly Edgar! You hit the nail on the head. Thank you for an informative, concise article. Refreshing to read an article that is on point. The primary focus should be how this behavior is offensive to believers! The secondary point is how others are offended. Cannot imagine the congregation sitting there and clapping. I would have walked out.
The bible teaches to look at the fruit. How does this Mr. Long lead a congregation, while subjecting them to the stench of rotten fruit? Are these people prideful? Trying to prove that they cannot be mislead? This whole episode is offensive to my Christian beliefs. Every knee will bow to the Lord. Not some man who delclares himself king!
Thank you very much for your article and mentioning many of his actions profoundly offend Christians.