Tag: Religion

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“Bishop Eddie Long Is Being Sued”

The ReadyWriter

By two men for sexual coercion. This is a mess!!

According to CNN.com, two Georgia men have filed a sexual coercion lawsuits against Bishop Eddie Long, Pastor of the mega New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA.

The suits, filed Tuesday in DeKalb County, Georgia, 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.

Long took the other plaintiff, Maurice Murray Robinson, 20, to Auckland, New Zealand, in October 2008 for his 19th birthday and engaged in oral sex with him, Robinson’s suit alleges.

“Following the New Zealand Trip, Defendant Long regularly engaged in sexual touching, and other sexual acts with Plaintiff Robinson,” Robinson’s suit alleges.

The pastor took one plaintiff, Anthony Flagg, 21, on overnight trips to a half-dozen American cities in recent years, Flagg’s suit alleges.

“Long shared a bedroom and engaged in intimate sexual contact with plaintiff Flagg including kissing, massaging, masturbating of plaintiff Flagg by defendant Long and oral sexual contact,” the suit says.

 Art Franklin, a spokesman for the church, said Tuesday that “we categorically deny the allegations.”

“It is very unfortunate that someone has taken this course of action. Our law firm will be able to respond once attorneys have had an opportunity to review the lawsuit.”

According to CNN, both plaintiffs said the pastor, his church and church employees gave them cash and lavish gifts that ranged from cars to college tuition.

The suits also said that Long framed the sexual relationships as religious in nature.

“Defendant Long would use Holy Scripture to discuss and justify the intimate relationship between himself and Plaintiff Robinson,” Robinson’s suit alleges.

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“He Was Fired from His Job at NJ Transit”

The ReadyWriter

Because he torched a Qur’an while off-duty according to the NY Daily News.

Derek Fenton, 39, tore pages out of a Qur’an and lit the Muslim Holy book on fire in front of the planned NY mosque near ground zero on the anniversary of Sept. 11.

Fenton told reporters that he was protesting the planned construction of the controversial mosque.

On Monday Fenton learned he was terminated from his job after 11 years at NJ Transit.

“NJ Transit said Fenton was fired but wouldn’t give specifics. “Mr. Fenton’s public actions violated New Jersey Transit’s code of ethics,” an agency statement said.

“NJ Transit concluded that Mr. Fenton violated his trust as a state employee and therefore [he] was dismissed.” [read more]

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“Burning Qur’ans Are Just Not Necessary”

The ReadyWriter

U.S. president Barack Obama has finally weighed in on the planned Qur’an burning story that has drawn attention from all over the world.

The plan to burn 200 Qur’ans by the Pastor of a small church in Florida to commemorate the anniversary of Sept. 11, has sparked worldwide outrage and condemnation.

In an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America which aired this morning, Obama called Rev. Terry Jones’ planned bonfire a “stunt” and he cautioned that burning the Qur’ans would prove a bonanza for al-Qaeda recruitment.

Pastor Jones dismissed the criticism from politicians and religious leaders, saying his message targets the radical Islamists who continue to plot terror against the United States.

Asked his feelings on the matter as president, Obama said, “well, it is frustrating. Now, on the other hand, we are a government of laws. And so we have to abide by those laws. And my understanding is that he can be cited for public burning, but that’s the extent of the laws that we have available to us.”

A Christian congregation in Germany on Thursday distanced itself from Jones, its founder and former pastor. Stephan Baar, one of the leaders of the Christian Community of Cologne, said the congregation split with Jones in 2008 over differences in the way the church was run.

“We distance ourselves very clearly from the actions that are taking place (in Florida) and also from the person himself and unfortunately we really regret what is happening there,” Baar said in an interview with a CNN affiliate RTL.

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“Some Believe That Pres. Obama Is Muslim”

The ReadyWriter

According to ABC News, prominent evangelist Rev. Franklin Graham (son of the elder evangelist Billy Graham) has weighed in on the Barack Obama faith controversy.

The Rev. Franklin Graham waded into the discussion with his own controversial explanation of why people wrongly believe the president is a Muslim. Graham, who prayed with Obama in a session with his father, Billy Graham, earlier this year, was asked whether he has any doubts about Obama’s self-avowed Christian faith.

“I think the president’s problem is that he was born a Muslim, his father was a Muslim. The seed of Islam is passed through the father like the seed of Judaism is passed through the mother. He was born a Muslim, his father gave him an Islamic name,” Graham told CNN’s John King in a televised interview that aired Thursday night.

“Now it’s obvious that the president has renounced the prophet Mohammed, and he has renounced Islam, and he has accepted Jesus Christ. That’s what he says he has done. I cannot say that he hasn’t. So I just have to believe that the president is what he has said,” Graham continued, adding that “the Islamic world sees the president as one of theirs.” Read More…

Who cares? And why should the president’s critics be so consumed with his religious beliefs?

So what, Obama doesn’t have a church home yet? And that he hasn’t attended a church in the 2 years that he has occupied the White House?

For this reason the President’s Christian faith is questioned? I know a whole lot of Christians attending church just for the show of it and don’t have a damn bit of Jesus in their hearts.

I say that to say: going to a building doesn’t make one a christian!

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“Study Finds: “Couples Who Pray Together”

The ReadyWriter

Stay Together!

And the study is saying, this may be true especially for African-American couples.

The survey of religion, race and relationships found that African-Americans attend church more as couples compared to members of other racial and ethnic groups. This is according to the August issue of The Journal of Marriage and Family.

“Without prayer, black couples would be doing significantly worse than white couples,” said W. Bradford Wilcox, co-author of the study and the director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia.

In addition to worshipping together, African-Americans were found to be more likely than non-Hispanic whites, to participate in prayer and Scripture studies at home.

In general, researchers found that, people in same-faith relationships and partners, who attended services regularly were more satisfied with their relationship.

What’s your opinion on this? And do you believe this study to be true?