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Third lawsuit filed against Atlanta pastor; news conference planned
CNN ^ | Sept. 22, 2010 | CNN Wire Staff

Posted on 09/22/2010 3:14:08 PM PDT by La Enchiladita

Another civil suit has been filed against Atlanta-based megachurch pastor Eddie Long, alleging coercion, negligence and fraud that involved a sexual relationship with a third young male.

Wednesday's lawsuit, filed in DeKalb County, Georgia, State Court, was brought on behalf of Jamal Parris, now 23, who was a teenager at the time he joined Long's church.

The suit, which claims Long encouraged Parris to call him "Daddy," also names the church and a youth academy as defendants.

Allegations that Long coerced young male church members and employees into sex are "a case of retaliation and a shakedown for money by men with some serious credibility issues," Art Franklin, the pastor's spokesman, said Wednesday.

Video: Megachurch pastor under fire Long "categorically and adamantly denies these allegations," Franklin said. "There's been a lot of chatter since yesterday, but these complaints that have been filed are definitely without merit."

Long will hold a news conference Thursday morning, he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: eddielong
The lawsuits filed Tuesday in DeKalb County by two men allege that Long used his position as a spiritual authority and bishop to coerce young male members and employees of his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church into sex. ...

"Defendant Long has a pattern and practice of singling out a select group of young male church members and using his authority as Bishop over them to ultimately bring them to a point of engaging in a sexual relationship," the suits allege.

...The suits allege that Long chose the plaintiffs to be his "Spiritual Sons," a program that allegedly includes other young men from the church.

"Spiritual Sons are taken on public and private jets to U.S. and international destinations, housed in luxury hotels and given access to numerous celebrities including entertainment stars and politicians," the suit alleges.

...Long frequently denounces homosexual behavior. A 2007 article in the Southern Poverty Law Center's magazine called him "one of the most virulently homophobic black leaders in the religiously based anti-gay movement."

Mmm, mmm, mmmm.

1 posted on 09/22/2010 3:14:12 PM PDT by La Enchiladita
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To: La Enchiladita

The party line is that the only serious opponents of “gay rights” are themselves self-hating closeted gays. Whether he is guilty of not, this preacher’s saga will be cited endlessly to prove that point.


2 posted on 09/22/2010 3:22:20 PM PDT by madprof98 ("moritur et ridet" - salvianus)
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To: La Enchiladita
I do not know how many megachurches there are in America, but every megachurch of which I know is racked with sexual abuse incidents. I suspect that nearly all of these megachurches are being led by perverts.
3 posted on 09/22/2010 3:31:45 PM PDT by Nosterrex
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To: Nosterrex

I read this article and it looks much more like a cult than a Christian church. Cults are usually built around a personality and involve buying lots of books, tapes, literature, going to seminars. The followers hardly have time or money to do anything else. Very easy to lose touch with reality...


4 posted on 09/22/2010 3:35:02 PM PDT by La Enchiladita
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To: Nosterrex
At least these people are still alive.

If you were young, gay male going to Obama’s church, you might be an “unsolved” murder statistic right now.

http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/members_of_obama_s_church_kill.html

5 posted on 09/22/2010 3:38:18 PM PDT by Gabrial (The Whitehouse Nightmare will continue as long as the Nightmare is in the Whitehouse)
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To: La Enchiladita

Obama Connection...http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1952773/posts


6 posted on 09/22/2010 3:52:11 PM PDT by OwenKellogg (Don't Tread on Me)
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To: La Enchiladita

So, I wonder when the pope is going to put a stop to this kind of nonsense.

(Just kidding).


7 posted on 09/22/2010 4:05:28 PM PDT by marron
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To: Gabrial

Wow - that’s CRAZY. We know next to NOTHING about our current prez. And what we do know is awful and horrible.


8 posted on 09/22/2010 5:34:07 PM PDT by SeattleBruce (T minus 42 days to SMACKDOWN - Tea Party like it's 1773! Pray 2 Chronicles 7:14!)
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To: marron; NYer; Salvation; narses

>>So, I wonder when the pope is going to put a stop to this kind of nonsense.<<

Oh that was good!!!!


9 posted on 09/22/2010 7:29:32 PM PDT by netmilsmom (I am inyenzi on the Religion Forum)
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To: OwenKellogg

I’m not getting the connection.


10 posted on 09/22/2010 7:35:05 PM PDT by netmilsmom (I am inyenzi on the Religion Forum)
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To: La Enchiladita

Hmmmmm.


11 posted on 09/22/2010 11:35:01 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: netmilsmom

Candidate Obama traveled in Eddie Long’s jet during the campaign (until it was involved in the taxi accident).

Eddie Long, Creflo Dollar and others were under congressional investigationa at the time that Obama was doing business with Eddie Long’s one plane charter service.


12 posted on 09/23/2010 2:25:03 AM PDT by OwenKellogg (Don't Tread on Me)
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To: OwenKellogg

REALLY!
I must be thick and missed it.

Let me go back, thanks!


13 posted on 09/23/2010 4:58:26 AM PDT by netmilsmom (I am inyenzi on the Religion Forum)
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To: OwenKellogg

Wow! I didn’t get the connection either; thanks for explaining.


14 posted on 09/23/2010 1:00:57 PM PDT by La Enchiladita
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To: marron

Yeah, I wonder too....
:):)


15 posted on 09/23/2010 1:01:26 PM PDT by La Enchiladita
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To: La Enchiladita
If you look at these nondenominational churches and mega churches, you will find that they are all personality driven. They employ many of the same psychological manipulation tactics that you find in some of the more dramatic cults. People are sheep, and sheep will find someone to follow. The tragic part about being deceived is that the vast majority of people do not know that they are deceived until it is too late. Unless someone accepts the possibility that he is being deceived, he will never be open to the truth. How many times have we seen the likes of Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Robert Tilton, Ted Haggard, and Tony Alamo deceiving millions of people by their pseudo spirituality. People still follow them. Sheep will be sheep.
16 posted on 09/23/2010 2:02:43 PM PDT by Nosterrex
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To: Nosterrex

Sad, isn’t it? I think of one of my mother’s cousins who gave her life savings to Oral Roberts.


17 posted on 09/23/2010 2:41:36 PM PDT by La Enchiladita
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