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Post by And Such Were Some Of You on Oct 4, 2010 18:18:33 GMT -5
Most victim identity are protected from the public and most media. A reporter wouldn't have known his identity or would have faved out his face. About 90% of the time you won't know who the victims are, until the trail is over and lated when they choose to come forward to talk about it in public. The lawyers usually advise the victims to avoid the media and saying anything about the case. It was easy to find him, I don't know if you know this but the court documents are public record..all they had to do is search to find him..not that hard. Again, if you view the clip you would see that he was caught off guard. Also, not all victims choose to remain anonymous, many do but not all. |
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Post by And Such Were Some Of You on Oct 4, 2010 18:19:46 GMT -5
Most victim identity are protected from the public and most media. A reporter wouldn't have known his identity or would have faved out his face. About 90% of the time you won't know who the victims are, until the trail is over and lated when they choose to come forward to talk about it in public. The lawyers usually advise the victims to avoid the media and saying anything about the case. But we don't know that the parents DIDN'T question the gifts, trips etc. If they did question, we don't know the answers they were told. |
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Post by anointedteacher on Oct 4, 2010 21:24:02 GMT -5
Bishop Eddie L. Long: an open letter from his spiritual son…
Editors’ note: Mark Anthony Mitchell Sr. (2006-Present), is the Senior Pastor of Atlanta Urban Foursquare Church in Atlanta, GA. AUFC is an Inner-city Mission Church of The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel Denomination. He is also the Executive Director of “Jesus for Justice Poor People’s Campaign” a 501©3 community development corporation.
As a once favored son of Bishop Eddie L Long, I have gotten many calls this week from associates near and afar asking me my current thoughts on my spiritual fathers’ current situation. Many have advised me to distance myself from him implying that my acknowledgement of him may be an affront to my character, accountability and integrity. To all of them I gave this startling reply--- in street vernacular “If he’s gets no bigger he’s still my ------!” (Father) The germane question to me at the moment is not one of innocence or guilt but of loyalty. One does not have the liberty to choose either their physical or spiritual parents, that is solely determined by our heavenly Father. God’s word is still true “honor your mother and father that your days may be long.” Nowhere does it says only honor them if they are good.
Fortunately, I had the pleasure of having a good spiritual father in the person of Bishop Long. Twenty year ago I came to him as a young man in my darkest hour. I was a former drug runner and convicted felon facing a mandatory 5 – 7 year stretch. Even though I was a Christian and a Morehouse graduate I was still a schoolboy stuck on a life of destruction. Bishop Long gave me a second chance in ministry when no one else would. For ten years (1990 – 2000) my Heavenly Father had me under Bishop’s tutelage and I flourished and bore fruit like never before. Not once out of the 9 years I was on staff, full time at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church was there even a hint of impropriety between Bishop and his members.
He allowed me to pursue my passion for prophetic social justice within Inner- City Atlanta. Soon I became a seller of hope instead of Dope. Eventually Bishop endorsed me to pursue and attend Harvard Divinity School to further my theological training in August 1994. And in June of 1997 I graduated with a Master’s degree from Harvard Divinity School and went back to minister to the same disadvantaged, disenfranchised and discouraged streets Bishop Long had rescued me from.
Even though rumors and innuendos have caused a rift in our father-son relationship over these past 10 years, in his time of greatest needed I dare not be absent but ready to love and serve him in any capacity that I can.
Before I go any further, I want to acknowledge we all should be familiar with the schemes of the devil. Clearly he wants us to focus on the situation at hand and not on him. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood…., but against the powers of this dark world...”
Whatever the sin issue may or may not be with Bishop, our hatred of that sin should never allow us to hate the sinner also. We are to love the sinner. While I was yet in sin it wasn’t my Heavenly Father’s condemnation and judgment that drove me to repentance and allowed me the chance to be an advocate for the despised and rejected, but God’s love and compassion displayed through Bishop Long.
If you want to assume his guilt then where is the Christian voice of reason standing against the backlash of the secular world’s rush to judgment in the public square declaring Galatians (LB) 6:1-3?
“Dear brothers, if a Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help him back onto the right path, remembering that next time it might be one of you who are in the wrong. Share each other’s troubles and problems, and so obey our Lord’s command. If anyone thinks he is too great to stoop to this, he is fooling himself. He is really a nobody…. Each of us must bear some faults and burdens of his own. For none of us is perfect!”
While not limiting the severity of the given situation, I now wish to explore other pertinent issues that have been ignored under these alleged accusations.
It is easy to judge and condemn Bishop Long, especially for his alleged terrible sexual sins of sodomy involving young boys. And if these allegations are true he should be honest and forthright and take it upon himself to “sit himself down” and seek the spiritual restoration his faith, family and church demands.
But please let us not become side-tracked by Satan’s smoke screen. By concentrating solely on Longs’ moral issues we have totally ignored the greater sin of indifference Satan and his demonic hosts have lured the church into.
In Ezekiel 16: 48-49, (As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughter...
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Post by giantsdodie on Oct 5, 2010 8:41:16 GMT -5
One of the dangers I see within the Christian church is the tendency to QUICKLY proclaim EVERYTHING to be a plot of the enemy.
When sometimes it is actually GOD exposing our mess...
NOW I am NOT saying this is GOD exposing mess... but sometimes we need to learn to say NOTHING and simply stay in prayer.
I though Bishop Jakes had the best response to all these things...
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Post by anointedteacher on Oct 5, 2010 12:13:02 GMT -5
It is easy to judge and condemn Bishop Long, especially for his alleged terrible sexual sins of sodomy involving young boys. And if these allegations are true he should be honest and forthright and take it upon himself to “sit himself down” and seek the spiritual restoration his faith, family and church demands.
But please let us not become side-tracked by Satan’s smoke screen. By concentrating solely on Longs’ moral issues we have totally ignored the greater sin of indifference Satan and his demonic hosts have lured the church into.
This is what I got out of it... Don't get side tracked or distracted by concentrating on Long's moral issues. Another Word don't open yourself to Satan by meditating on the Bishop's issues. He not blaming the whole situation on the devil, but saying don't fall into Satan's trap by allow this situation to weaken your faith in Christ. Don't allow Satan to use you as a Christian...
Before I go any further, I want to acknowledge we all should be familiar with the schemes of the devil. Clearly he wants us to focus on the situation at hand and not on him. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood…., but against the powers of this dark world...”
Even if Bishop Long is being expose, our focus should be on Christ and not on the situation.
Pastor Mark Mitshall is one of Bishop Long spiritual son... He is one of the fruit of Bishop Long's school... He just saying it didn't happen to him and expressed his experience at the ministry and how it changed his life and blessed him. He didn't jump to defend or accuse, asking us to leave no room for satan, by focusing on the Bishop's situation.
This is only part of the letter... he has part 2 and 3... it went off the topic of Bishop and went to teaching of the scripture.... I didn't read all of it. This is what I got out of it....
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Post by Jasmine on Oct 7, 2010 19:23:08 GMT -5
Sometimes God has to expose us to save our very soul.
Not saying Bishop Long is guilty or innocent. I don't know, nor my call to make..but Bishop Jakes address was very timely.
I knew you all would have a topic going, and I wanted to come by and say Hello.
Nina- I love you sis, and I am doing VERY well. God is awesome.
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Post by keita on Oct 8, 2010 16:05:00 GMT -5
AMEN!!!HALLELU YAH!!!!!!! 
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Post by krazeeboi on Oct 11, 2010 22:00:00 GMT -5
Sis. Jasmine, so good to see you poke your head in here! GAP and I were just talking about you back in the spring when we met in Atlanta.
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Post by Jasmine on May 30, 2011 22:08:51 GMT -5
Thanks KB,  |
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