He can't be guilty, he's a pastor*

Another religious leader is making negative headlines, and as mentioned before on this site, for once he’s not from the Catholic Church.

I have to admit, when I first heard the Bishop Eddie Long scandal I thought it was a lie.  As more parts of the story came to light I realized that this might not be just a malicious lie created to take down the head of a mega-church: it might actually be true.

Since everyone has weighed in on the issue (the victims, their parents, annoying CNN personalities, other mega church pastors etc.) I want to share some thoughts of my own.

Does the credibility of the victims matter?

It’s very suspect that the first victim made these accusations after being caught trying to rob the church.  But does that automatically make what he said untrue?  In the minds of many, I guess it does.   I feel though that while it was his bitterness that made him talk, there could be a chance that what he said was not a lie.

The “he couldn’t do it because he’s a pastor” thing needs to stop

I'm starting to become very annoyed by the amount of people who swear blind Bishop Long didn’t do it.  As if they know him personally and can know what he could do and can’t.  He is a man of the cloth but he is just a man.  He can fall prey to temptation just like anyone else.  If Bill Clinton could cheat on his wife while he was president with some homely intern then Bishop Long could very well be a participating in gay sex with these four men.

When it comes to weighing in on if Bishop Long is guilty or not, I think we all should follow T.D. Jakes’ advice:  “You can’t make great decision with poor information.  Until you can separate fact from conjecture, there is nothing to say.”

Those pictures don’t mean a darn thing

We all know people take the most random pix with their cell phones.   Because he may have sent them to some people isn’t proof of him having inappropriate relationships with these men.  No matter how much spandex he had on.

I’m praying that Eddie didn’t do it

I don’t know if he did it or not but for his sake (and the sake of his soul) I hope he didn’t because if he was ever serious about Christianity he’d realize that it’s better to confess your sin and ask for forgiveness than to get caught, lie and deny it.

Will Bishop Eddie Long’s story end like Ted Haggard’s?  Only time will tell.

*Clearly I'm being sarcastic with the title of this article.  But just to make it clear, I feel that Eddie Long being a pastor doesn’t automatically make the negative accusations against him false.