It Wasn't Ishmael He Wanted To Be Called

[Lucky]

Anti-gay Atlanta megachurch pastor Eddie Long encouraged favored boys to enter into a "covenant" with him, and encouraged them to call him "Daddy."

From clatl.com:

Bishop Eddie Long, already reeling from two lawsuits filed yesterday that allege the megachurch pastor coerced two young men into sex, has been hit with a third civil lawsuit that makes similar accusations.

According to the lawsuit filed today in DeKalb County, Long welcomed Jamal Parris, who was 14 years old at the time, into his circle of "Spiritual Sons." Long allegedly lavished gifts on the small, intimate group of young male parishioners who'd entered into a "covenant" with the pastor. Much like the other lawsuits, Long is accused of using his spiritual position and scripture to defend the alleged sexual encounters.

The relationship turned sexual after 2004, the lawsuit claims, when Parris, who by then was 17 and had started working at New Birth as Long's personal assistant, accompanied the pastor on trips across the country in the church's private plane and made private visits to his DeKalb County guesthouse and living area at the megachurch.

According to the suit, in 2009, Parris — whom Long allegedly encouraged to call him "Daddy" — started a relationship with a girlfriend, distanced himself from the pastor, and ultimately left the church.

The suit, which alleges coercion, negligence and fraud, seeks unspecified damages.

Craig Gillen, Long's attorney, was not immediately available for comment. A news conference has been scheduled for Thursday morning, the AJC reports. More details on that as they become available.

[Guest zipperzone]

When will the dumb schmucks who enable a pastor to have a lifestyle that includes private planes and luxury guesthouses, wake up to the fact that they are be duped by a conman posing as a religious leader?

And he was anti-gay while having affairs with young men??????? Gee whiz - where have I heard that before?

[BiBottomBoy]

All anti-gay republicans and preachers are closet queens.

[TotallyOz]

My understanding is that the alleged sex acts took place after the guys were 16 and thus he can't be prosecuted in Georgia. However, if they were with it outside of Georgia, those states can prosecute and isn't it illegal to carry a minor (under 18) across state lines for sexual purposes?

I do not know if this case has any merit at all. But, if it does, it seems to me that it might get a lot more messy.

[BiBottomBoy]

Oz,

The dudes were of legal age - but I don't think that's the issue.

The issue is that it sucks to preach against gays when your main hobby is watching dudes suck each other's cocks.

[TotallyOz]

Oz,

The dudes were of legal age - but I don't think that's the issue.

The issue is that it sucks to preach against gays when your main hobby is watching dudes suck each other's cocks.

I agree with you. But, I also think that because he transported them across state lines that this mess may get really bigger if he is charged with other crimes. Being sued in Georgia is not a big deal for him as I am sure he will wiggle his wormy way out of it. Being prosecuted by other states will be a big deal for him.

[BiBottomBoy]

I don't think he'll get busted for that.

If he was bringing 16 year old girls across state lines they might make an issue about it, but gay boys, they won't bother with. Think about the part of the country we are talking about.

[Guest Matrix]

If he was bringing 16 year old girls across state lines they might make an issue about it, but gay boys, they won't bother with.

I really hope that you will refresh your knowledge to the facts of this story. These were not "gay boys" he was fucking around with. They were young boys 16, 17 years old - some of whom were actually starting to have relationships with girlfriends and all the things that 16, 17 year old boys do - while this was going on.

Again, this was all about Power, lavish gifts, manipulation and perverting the very religion which he practiced and preached to satisfy and support his own bigoted sexual desires.

None of these boys identified as gay to my knowledge.

[BiBottomBoy]

You misunderstand me - because I phrased myself poorly - yes, I get that they were taken advantage of and may or may not have been gay.

What my point was is that they won't get the same level of sympathy and help from the authorities, because they are male, than they would if they were 16 or 17 year old girls.

I really hope that you will refresh your knowledge to the facts of this story. These were not "gay boys" he was fucking around with. They were young boys 16, 17 years old - some of whom were actually starting to have relationships with girlfriends and all the things that 16, 17 year old boys do - while this was going on.

Again, this was all about Power, lavish gifts, manipulation and perverting the very religion which he practiced and preached to satisfy and support his own bigoted sexual desires.

None of these boys identified as gay to my knowledge.

[Lucky]

Now the Reverend Ted Haggard has joined the fray, reminding us that the Pastor is innocent until proven guilty. Haggard is kind of an expert on the subject!

[BiBottomBoy]

I swear to god, Evangelical churches are simply really discreet gay bars.

[Guest Matrix]

I swear to god, Evangelical churches are simply really discreet gay bars.

I completely disagree. If you're in a gay bar, you aren't coerced into being there and you're not condemning everyone in there (unless of course it's from a fashion sense) of being the scum of the earth and scourge upon our society as this Rev has done - all the while blowing someone in the back-room.

This really has nothing to do with the church affiliation as much as it has to do with the leader of that church. And any member of that congregation who could not discern the lavish and inappropriate lifestyle this Rev was living (private jets, cars, homes, etc) and identify it as unacceptable and a misappropriation of church funds deserves what they get.

George Rikers, Ted haggart and all those whom have come before (YES that's you too Catholic church) are living in a disgusting snake-pit of lies and deception.

I hope there is a special place in hell for all of them.

[BiBottomBoy]

When I go to gay bars I'm condemning everyone who is dancing to Lady Ga Ga and all the idiots who are suddenly wearing Izod shirts again.

[Guest CharliePS]

I turned on CNN this morning to watch the news, and they were actually carrying a live broadcast of this man's press conference about the allegations. What has happened to real news?! His sexual activities should not be of any interest to anyone other than his family and his parishoners. What he did or didn't do doesn't affect anyone or anything else in any meaningful way. Cancelling a regular program to broadcast this to a national audience elevates this matter from gossip to news. CNN is just pandering. (Boy, am I feeling like a grouch about the intellectual level of the American public!)

[TotallyOz]

A good interview with one of the accusers.

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/iteam/bishop-eddie-long-accuser-talks-jamal-parris-20100928-es