September 29, 2010

"Eddie Long ... should openly admit what he did, disavow his antigay positions..."

"... and serve as a beacon to a black community that needs to get beyond an unthinking prejudice especially unseemly in a group positioning itself as a standard-bearer of America’s moral advancement."

Says John McWhorter, who thinks Long "would do himself and his own race a massive favor if he, shall we say, had a conversion here."
“Got the call,” to put it in language familiar in his realm.
I'm for overcoming homophobia too, but I'm squeamish about the suggestion that a religious leader should present a moral argument as if he'd heard it from God... unless he sincerely believes he heard it from God.

35 comments:

Michael said...

Let us stipulate that Eddie Long is guilty as charged. A conservative christian will recognize the Bishop's humanity, deplore his abuse of his position and pray that God and his victims will forgive him his sin. A liberal will find him guilty of the only liberal sin which is hypocrisy and call for him to absolve himself by declaring his sin to be not a sin at all. Voila. Good for the black community too!

MadisonMan said...

I do not know whether Long is gay, or whether he has done what his four accusers say.

And I really don't care.

Private citizens should be able to do what they want. If he were a government official, I'd be less charitable.

Here's a word from Jesus: Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Joe said...

Madison:
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Jesus also commanded her to "Go and sin no more..."

Michael said...

MadisonMan: I would agree except for the point that the men who are accusing the bishop were boys at the time he seduced them. Or at least I believe they were, the story is still somewhat unclear.

MadisonMan said...

Yes, my assumption is that they were all legal adults.

My caring goes up a notch or ten if the Minister is seducing minors.

Quaestor said...
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Unknown said...

Whatever happened to presumed innocent? Of course, we're talking about a Lefty doing the presuming here.

PS Kudos to Ann for her honesty on this one.

test said...

The guy 's of abusing his authority to elicit sex and McWhorter wants to enlist him in the service of Liberaism?

Whose side is he on?

Michael said...

edutcher: I saw one of the Bishop's accusers last night and listened to his story. The good Bishop is certainly innocent until proven guilty, but I would wager on his guilt. By the way, I often watch the Bishop preaching on television and he is very very good> I have no doubt he is causing his congregation great sorrow>

Known Unknown said...

From the article:

"Yes, homophobia is not limited to the black community. However, it’s more of a problem: a recent Pew poll showed 65 percent of blacks thinking of homosexuality as wrong compared to 48 percent of whites."

So, homophobia = thinking homosexuality is wrong?

I didn't realize one was the same as the other.

And I'm in favor of gay marriage and adoption, but I believe that there are those among us who believe homosexuality is a sin (or "wrong") but who do not hate homosexuals.

Salamandyr said...

So he's accused of forcing people to have sex with him, and we're worried about is whether he'll become a spokesman for acceptance of homosexuality among black Christians? Really?

aronamos said...

Sort of like Jim McGreevy, slimy, dirty New Jersey governor turned poster-boy for the lavender brigade by "coming out" in front of the news media and his humiliated spouse.

The Crack Emcee said...

"God told me to molest these boys."

Yea, that'll work.

Unknown said...

I think heterosexuality is a sin.

Michael said...

downtown: many people would agree with you that practicing heterosexuality outside of marriage is a sin. No thinking person would think heterosexuality by itself if sinful. ditto homosexuality. Not a sin to be a homosexual, according to those you lamely attempt to mock, but practicing homosexuality is.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I think heterosexuality is a sin

Heterosexuality vs Homosexuality.

Leaving 'sin' out of the equasion: One of these things contributes to the continuation of the human race and one is an evolutionary dead end.

Re; Eddie Long. I just don't care. My cup of things to care about and to get worried about is completely full.

write_effort said...

Long has narcissistic personality disorder written all over him. His mind is in a totally different range. He will always be on the prowl for believers and he will always be David or Christ or whatever Biblical character serves his ego's purpose.

chuck b. said...
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chuck b. said...

"I'm squeamish about the suggestion that a religious leader should present a moral argument as if he'd heard it from God"

Because that would mean SOMEb religious leaders are con artists, liars, and manipulators. Which must never be the case!

"One of these things contributes to the continuation of the human race and one is an evolutionary dead end."

Now she's an expert on evolution, too. I thought we were talking about religion.

Michael said...

Chuck: I am not an expert on evolution but I am an expert on procreation and I can tell you that were homosexuals representative of the entire human race then the human race would shortly cease to exist.

chuck b. said...

"One of these things contributes to the continuation of the human race and one is an evolutionary dead end."

Yes, thank you. But they're not.

William said...
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Palladian said...

Why are people talking about homosexuality and procreation as if they're mutually exclusive, binary opposite states of being?

As for the issue at hand: Don't let yourself be led by anyone, political, religious or otherwise. And if you're the religious type, put your faith in your God and your religion, not in the person of your mortal religious leaders. Mortals are liable to disappoint, to put it mildly.

The same goes for government: serve and follow an idea, not a person or a party. One is easily corruptible, one isn't. We broke from Europe over this issue.

Michael said...

William: We shall see. Long has an enormous congregation which stood with him during a close inspection of his lavish lifestyle a few years ago. The bishop is an avid proponent of self sufficiency and personal responsibility and is therefore a bit of an outlier in that he urges his congregation to eschew the victim mantle and to pursue financial success. The message has helped to create one heck of a big church using any standard. There is in the black community a longstanding tolerance for occasional homosexual behavior on the part of heterosexuals. The "hypocrisy" of this stance is not acknowledged and thus the Bishop might get off on a technicality as far as his congregation goes.

TMink said...

As a Christian I do indeed recognize his humanity, deplore his abuse, and pray for his victims. I am not as concerned that they forgive him as he repent and ask to be forgiven. Then they can forgive.

But who in their right mind thinks that anyone will listen to a child molester about anything? Only a fool would say that.

Trey

Unknown said...

Michael, my point was that The Left (especially an outfit like New Republic) makes a lot of noise about injustice, but doesn't mind practicing a little to advance it's agenda.

As to his accusers, I've heard from other sources they have some credibility.

As I have no dog in this one, I can't say.

traditionalguy said...

The Bishop Long needs some oversight. The custom of calling the head man in a Black Church The Bishop rather than a Pastor or a Preacher is a cultural need. The immigrants who have continued their African American culture demand to know who is the ONE Strong Man that governs the group. The chances that Long will be deposed by a committee of elders is none. This is not a Presbyterian church. The "problem" in most men of the African American community is that sex with anyone and everything is expected. Not screwing anything that agrees to be screwed would almost disqualify an African American man from respect. There, now you Overwhelmingly White Area dwellers have been told. If you don't believe me, then ask any African American woman.

Known Unknown said...

Thank you, Palladian for this:

As for the issue at hand: Don't let yourself be led by anyone, political, religious or otherwise. And if you're the religious type, put your faith in your God and your religion, not in the person of your mortal religious leaders. Mortals are liable to disappoint, to put it mildly.

The same goes for government: serve and follow an idea, not a person or a party. One is easily corruptible, one isn't. We broke from Europe over this issue.


I detest cults of personality, even on my side of the political spectrum.

Jason (the commenter) said...

Michael: Chuck: I am not an expert on evolution but I am an expert on procreation and I can tell you that were homosexuals representative of the entire human race then the human race would shortly cease to exist.

Everything you say about homosexuals applies equally to grandmothers. Evolution works in mysterious ways.

Jason (the commenter) said...

downtownlad: I think heterosexuality is a sin.

Enjoying any sex, or any food, is a sin.

Methadras said...

MadisonMan said...

Here's a word from Jesus: Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.


I'll probably burn in hell for this, but I think this quote from Jesus was a stupid thing for him to say. I really do.

Methadras said...

downtownlad said...

I think heterosexuality is a sin.


Of course it is, in your depraved clusterfucked mind. You breathing my air is a sin. Having to see you whine about the dumbest shit that crosses your shit-encrusted brain is a travesty against my humanity. Can't you just take it like a man? oh, wait.

Methadras said...

William said...

In a perverse way, the homosexuality issue masks the true sin. If a heterosexual pastor singled out and hit upon the teenyboppers in his congregation in such a manipulative way, he would clearly be seen as an evil person......Marion Berry got reelected. Ray Lewis and O J Simpson got cheered. Michael Vicks never got disowned. I would be curious to see if this is one of those crimes, like firing incompetent teachers or voting Republican, that the larger black community finds too reprehensible to be tolerated.


It doesn't matter. Blacks are much more tolerant of the abuses of others against then and overlook almost any slight. Almost. As long as they keep it in the family. Al Sharpton has all but shaken off Brawley. Jesse Jackson has all but shaken off his love child scandal. Shit, Farakook is untouchable. MLK Jr. is going to get overlooked. The list is quite large.

Methadras said...

Jason (the commenter) said...

Everything you say about homosexuals applies equally to grandmothers. Evolution works in mysterious ways.


No it doesn't. If you are a grandmother, you bore children who bore children. You're job is done and you've fulfilled your evolutionary goal. The reward is you get to watch your descendants mature to do the same thing. Homosexuals, if they choose to procreate can enjoy those same benefits, but for me that would eliminate their homosexual status. If they don't, then they are dead-enders. There is no equality just from the sheer lack of numbers from homosexuality alone. Your premise is false.

Chase said...

What exactly is "homophobia"?


Be Very. Very. Careful.