A YouTube video of Pastor Creflo Dollar defending his "brother in the Lord," Bishop Eddie Long, is making its way across the blogosphere. In the video, Dollar addresses church members for turning their back on their pastor, who recently settled four sexual-coercion lawsuits, when he is in trouble.
Dollar likens Long's "troubles" to a "wreck," applauding the fact that Long had "insurance" — i.e., Jesus. Dollar admonishes Long's followers who are looking for a new church home in his ministry. Dollar preaches:
"That [Long] is my friend, that is my brother in the Lord. If you came from there, you get on back over there where you're supposed to be and do what you need to be doing because he got insurance and Jesus paid the premium."
Seriously? We won't throw baby Jesus out the window with the bathwater, but these pastors who fail to acknowledge the level of duplicity allegedly exercised by Long is immoral and unacceptable.
As reports surface that Long's church attendance is waning, Dollar defends his friend, telling folks to go back. Likening a man who allegedly preyed on young boys — plying them with gifts and trips in the process — to a "wreck" is disingenuous at best and foul at worst.
Dollar is right; everyone makes mistakes, but trivializing an alleged misdeed like Long's scandal and criticizing those who would walk away is foul. We're taking it back to '88 and giving Pastor Dollar the gas face.
Watch the video, if you can stomach it, below.
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