The Words of Bishop Eddie Long
Long before Bishop Eddie L. Long became embroiled this week in allegations of using his leverage as pastor and mentor to compel three teenage boys into sexual relationships, the leader of the Atlanta-area New Birth Missionary Baptist Church recorded a sermon 鈥� and sold copies of it in the church bookstore 鈥� denouncing homosexuality and attributing society鈥檚 problems to men becoming more like women and women more like men.
鈥淭he problem today and the reason why society is like it is, is because men are being feminized and women are becoming masculine,鈥� Long says. He then rejects the notion that homosexual orientation can鈥檛 be changed. 鈥淵ou can not say, 鈥業 was born this way鈥欌�� I don鈥檛 care what scientists say, If you say you were born this way, then you鈥檙e saying, 鈥楪od, you鈥檙e a liar! And I see this thing down here but I鈥檓 going to ignore it!鈥� 鈥�
With the church鈥檚 website down this week, it isn鈥檛 known if copies of the undated sermon, entitled 鈥淏ack to the Future,鈥� are still offered for sale. The Southern Poverty Law Center purchased a VHS copy while producing stories on Long and other African-American church leaders who opposed gay rights for its .
Much of Long鈥檚 sermon is devoted to the theme of proper gender roles. "It is the most unattractive thing I have ever seen, when I see women wearing uniforms that men would wear, and women fighting to get in the military!"
Long later mocks lesbians and female self-gratification. 鈥淪o the woman gets converted, or perverted, to turn towards woman. Why would she turn toward woman? Because, she鈥檒l turn toward woman because woman is acting like man.鈥�
Later, he adds, 鈥溾�nd everybody knows it's dangerous to enter an exit!鈥�
He continues, 鈥淎nd everybody knows, ladies, if you go to the store and buy this device [marital aids], it's Memorex! It ain't real!"
Long later says, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the reason why we got sexual immorality. That鈥檚 the reason why there鈥檚 a rise in the gay agenda. 聽That is the reason why鈥� Church won鈥檛 say nothing -- It鈥檚 amazing, church folk:聽 鈥榃ell, I鈥檓 gay. Well, 鈥楯ust don鈥檛 bother me. Or you can bother me.鈥櫬� That鈥檚 the only statements. You don鈥檛 say, 鈥榓nd the Lord said.鈥� You鈥檙e out of order. You鈥檝e turned the truth into the lie. You can be converted. You were not born that way! Let me pray with you. Let me tell you, don鈥檛 you be conformed to this world. But be ye transformed from the, 鈥榃ell, I don鈥檛 know what I am.鈥� Tell it, take your clothes down, I鈥檒l show you who you are!鈥�
Later, Long says, 鈥淎nd God said, 鈥楨verybody in here that knows what鈥檚 right and ain鈥檛 practicing, and every woman that knows what to do, but still want to act like a woman that, of the 90鈥檚 that the world has described, God says, and to every man that knows what God is saying to do and you鈥檙e still acting like the boys on the corner, "God says you deserve death!"
