# Yet another anti-gay Pastor outed **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 22, 2010, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629 "2010-09-22T11:52:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/21 "2010-09-22T15:21:05Z")
> [@Bambro](#): > > So you deleted a snarky comment aimed at Dio in order to prevent derailing the thread, and immediately followed it up with a snarky comment about Dio. šŸ˜• Well, one of the things that homophobic people do is misrepresent what gay people are and what they do. In a thread about a preacher who had a a pulpit, a 25,000-member congregation and media access to possibly do such, I thought it was important to point out, even heā€™s not homophobic himself, that Dio was possibly flippantly doing the same thing himself. I responded after deleting because I thought Bosstoneā€™s post had a valid but answerable point. > [@Bambro](#): > > Oh yeah, glad the guy got busted as a closeted gay homophobe. Me, too. Iā€™m sicked and tired of this shit, if itā€™s true. ---
**Author:** ![Bambro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df705f/32.png) [@Bambro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambro)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/22 "2010-09-22T15:24:48Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > > [@Bambro](#): > > > > Oh yeah, glad the guy got busted as a closeted gay homophobe. > > I wonā€™t be surprised at all if it turns out to be true, but itā€™s a bit early to declare him ā€œbusted.ā€ Who knows what sort of evidence they have. evidence schmevidence! You and your fancy ā€˜court of lawā€™ bullshit. I swear, you peopleā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/23 "2010-09-22T15:32:03Z")
Doesnā€™t matter. Even if they have dick-in-mouth video, heā€™ll still deny heā€™s really gay, and blame it on some temporary tempation or booze or something, then heā€™ll go get ā€œrehabbedā€ like Ted Haggard did. I think itā€™s very difficult for these guys to admit even to themselves that theyā€™re gay. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/24 "2010-09-22T15:34:23Z")
Iā€™d make one adjustment to **Ender** ā€™s post: > [@Enderw24](#): > > So you assume that 1) gays are evil and 2) you are straight and therefore not evil and 3) that EVERYONE has thoughts of gay sex because itā€™s a temptation and a test from God to see just how evil you really are. Itā€™s not ā€œyou are straight and therefore not evil,ā€ itā€™s ā€œyou are not evil and therefore straight,ā€ at least in their minds. ā€œI canā€™t be gay, homosexuals are against God, and I love God!ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/25 "2010-09-22T15:47:48Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > ā€¦Where does the article say heā€™s being accuse of pedophilia. It says the ā€œyoung menā€ in question were 20 and 21. Where are you getting pedophilia? Maybe Iā€™m reading between the lines here but, Quoting the CNN articleā€¦ _ā€œDefendant 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,ā€ the suits allege._ ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/26 "2010-09-22T15:48:15Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Oh, donā€™t read so much into it. This is how derailments get started. It was a flippant if misaimed comment. > > And **John** , I think thereā€™s a lot more truth to **Ender** ā€™s analysis than youā€™re willing to credit. Some anti-gay advocates may merely be fervent about the Good Book, but either way itā€™s a function of the fucked-up values those communities hold. Iā€™m not talking about degrees of truth. A statement like that is either true or not true. And we donā€™t have the data, despite what \*\*DtC \*\*posted, to say that itā€™s true. If you want to talk about the likelihood of it being true, that would be a different matter. I can see it as one very possible explanation, and wouldnā€™t dismiss it out of hand. But since we donā€™t know, and probably canā€™t know, confirmation bias is the most parsimonious explanation. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/27 "2010-09-22T15:55:03Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Where does the article say heā€™s being accuse of pedophilia. It says the ā€œyoung menā€ in question were 20 and 21. Where are you getting pedophilia? Actually, thatā€™s their ages now. According to [this story](http://abcnews.go.com/US/mega-church-bishop-denies-sexual-abuse-lawyer-promises/story?id=11697961), they were 17 and 18 at the time the alleged incidents began, and in [this story](http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/lawsuits-accuse-bishop-eddie-618573.html) their lawyer says they were 16 when the contact started. Still not pedophilia, of course, and, as the lawyer herself observes, not even a violation of Georgiaā€™s age-of-consent laws, which require only that participants be 16 or older, both for straight sex and gay sex. Given all that, i wonder what exactly the legal problem is here? If the allegations of sexual contact are true (it will require a lot more evidence to convince me), i wonder exactly what legal trouble the pastor could be in? The articles talk about ā€œcoercion,ā€ but unless he actually physically assaulted them, i donā€™t know that verbal coercion and manipulation deserve any legal sanction. Furthermore, according to one of the articles i linked above, Long ā€œcoerced them into having sex with him in exchange for lavish trips, cars and cash.ā€ If you convince me to do something that iā€™m otherwise reluctant to do, in exchange for cars and cash, why is that a crime? I guess if the action is sex, it could be considered prostitution. Of course, Longā€™s biggest problem, if the allegations of sexual contact turn out to be true, are probably not going to be legal anyway. The biggest repercussions will be to his career as a wealthy and influential minister. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/28 "2010-09-22T15:59:27Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Maybe Iā€™m reading between the lines here but, > > Quoting the CNN articleā€¦ > > _ā€œDefendant 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,ā€ the suits allege._ I went back and read a couple of sources and did some searches and it clearly appears that no underaged sexual context was involved (GA age of consent: 16). Whether that says Long was extremely careful about making sure of that (he took Robinson to New Zealand for his 18th birthday) and was possibly engaged in grooming those young males beforehand remains to be seen, as well as the truth of the allegations by Flagg and Robinson. ETA: like **mhendo** said. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/29 "2010-09-22T16:01:43Z")
I also question this portion of the article. quoting CNN againā€¦ _Flagg moved into a home owned by another New Birth pastor when he was a high school junior, according to the suit, where Long would sometimes share a bed with him._ Again, maybe Iā€™m reading between the lines here butā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/30 "2010-09-22T16:08:59Z")
High school juniors are anywhere from 16 to 18 years old, and again, age of consent in Georgia is 16. Youā€™re reading too much into it. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/31 "2010-09-22T16:15:16Z")
Exactly. Flagg and Robinson describe graphic sexual interactions and if any such more damaging evidence existed which occurred when Flagg was a high school junior, he certainly wouldnā€™t have stopped at describing it as ā€œshared a bed,ā€ although that damning enough if true. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/32 "2010-09-22T16:15:40Z")
The big clue is that they think being gay is a choice, and you can pray away the gay. I am very sure I NEVER chose to be straight, and donā€™t really see that any amount of prayer could cure it. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/33 "2010-09-22T16:17:21Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > I also question this portion of the article. > > quoting CNN againā€¦ > > _Flagg moved into a home owned by another New Birth pastor when he was a high school junior, according to the suit, where Long would sometimes share a bed with him._ > > Again, maybe Iā€™m reading between the lines here butā€¦ And yet the lawyer for the two men says that the activity didnā€™t start until they were 16. If the pastor had been jumping on them when they were under the age of consent, donā€™t you think that would form a significant aspect of the lawsuit? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/34 "2010-09-22T16:56:18Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > High school juniors are anywhere from 16 to 18 years old, and again, age of consent in Georgia is 16. Youā€™re reading too much into it. It appears I am. I had no idea of the age of consent in Georgia is 16. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/35 "2010-09-22T17:03:40Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > > [@Bosstone](#): > > > > High school juniors are anywhere from 16 to 18 years old, and again, age of consent in Georgia is 16. Youā€™re reading too much into it. > > It appears I am. I had no idea of the age of consent in Georgia is 16. Also, even if 16 was illegal in Georgia, a person who has sex with 16 or 17 year olds isnā€™t a pedophile. A child abuser, maybe, but not a pedophile. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/36 "2010-09-22T17:21:28Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > It appears I am. I had no idea of the age of consent in Georgia is 16. Despite the fulminating by religious and anti-sex nutjobs, 16 is the age of consent in about 60 percent of all US States. Only 8 states have 18 as the universal age of consent (including, i was surprised to discover, California). In some other states itā€™s 17, and some states have differential age of consent laws based on the difference in age between the two participants. Itā€™s worth remembering, though, that age of consent for sex is a separate law from things like pornography laws. There was a case in Indiana a few years back where a guy was convicted of child exploitation and child pornography for taking nude images of a 17-year-old. Under Indianaā€™s age-of-consent laws, he could have fucked her, but taking her nude picture was a crime. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/37 "2010-09-22T18:01:27Z")
Hilarious. I love when these homophobes get outed. Suck on that, bitch. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/38 "2010-09-22T18:03:39Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Hilarious. I love when these homophobes get outed. Suck on that, bitch. I love it too, but i think itā€™s a bit premature to conclude that the outing is genuine. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/39 "2010-09-22T19:21:12Z")
A third suit has been filedā€¦[http://www.cnn.comNew](http://www.cnn.comNew) Birth Missionary Baptist Church/2010/CRIME/09/22/georgia.pastor.abuse/index.html?hpt=T2 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629/40 "2010-09-22T20:10:14Z")
No offense, **Ca3799** , but that link sucks. [Hereā€™s](http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/22/georgia.pastor.abuse/index.html?hpt=T1) a working CNN link about a third lawsuit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-anti-gay-pastor-outed/554629.md?page=3)