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Bishop Eddie Long Apologizes To Jewish Groups After Video Surfaces Of Him Wrapping Self In Torah, Being Crowned King

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It’s been a rough couple of years for Bishop Eddie Long. The senior pastor of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia spent parts of 2010 and 2011 facing down lawsuits from young men alleging that he coerced them into sexual acts. Long denied the allegations but the church settled the suits out of court and, shortly thereafter, his wife filed for divorce. Clearly, this is a guy in need of a new beginning. However, if you take him at his word, he appears to have chosen the wrong guy to show him how to do it.

Basically, going in front of your parishioners, being enshrouded in a sacred Jewish text, and declared king is not the way to get people on your side.

That’s what Long did in a ceremony that caused a tidal wave of condemnation once video of it was posted online with the catchy title “New Birth Crowns Eddie Long as King Of The Jews.”

Long issued an apology to the Anti-Defamation League which they have since accepted. From CNN.com:

“‘The ceremony was not my suggestion, nor was it my intent, to participate in any ritual that is offensive in any manner to the Jewish community, or any group. Furthermore, I sincerely denounce any action that depicts me as a King, for I am merely just a servant of the Lord,’ Long wrote in a letter dated Saturday.

The letter was addressed to Bill Nigut, southeast regional director of the Anti-Defamation League — a Jewish group that fights anti-Semitism.

‘While I believe that Rabbi Ralph Messer has good intentions during his message at New Birth, I understand that the ceremony he performed on Sunday, January 29th, caused harm to the Jewish community, for which I am deeply sorry,’ Long wrote.

On Sunday, Nigut acknowledged the apology and said he was grateful for it.”

Rabbi Messer, the man who ran the ceremony, is a controversial figure whose church promises to teach the “Hebrew Roots of the Christian Faith.” It would appear from his apology that Long will be putting most of the blame for the situation on Messer.

Whether it was his idea or not though, there’s a clear lesson here. It’s never a good idea to wrap yourself in a century old Torah from the Auschwitz concentration camp and call yourself king. Let us all remember that.

Watch a report on the story from MSNBC below:

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  • Peter Huestis

    Whoa, I was  totally going to do that for a meeting at work tomorrow, but after reading this, forget it! Thanks, Mediaite!

  • Dee Smith

    Isn’t he the same pastor Long that payed off at least 5 young men for sex abuse charges around 2010. it cost an undisclosed amount in the millions. It is called the down low

  • BooBoo Bear

    The ADL took the high road. But I don’t believe for one minute that Eddie didn’t know what was happening  When he first saw what he knew could be construed as the Torah being rolled around him, he should have put a stop to it…When he sat down in a chair that had boards attached to it’s feet and they began to raise him up,,,he should have put a stop to to it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/codemon Cody Hill

    In the defense of Bishop “Fast Eddie” let me say that all he wanted to do was help. He put the “lick” back in Catholick and thought he could assist in “modernizing” Judaism in the same Sandusky-like manner.  

  • Anonymous

    Eddie Long has played fast and loose with the truth for a very long time. He promoted a feel good, prosperity driven theology all the while he was raking in millions of dollars per year. He also played fast and loose with his sexuality, he is definitely bi-sexual if not homosexual. But because he had to buckle down or lose his cash cow, he decided not to own up to who is he but rather stayed in the closet and the people chose to believe his lies he has told about himself. As for being crowned “king,” there was nothing about this publicity stunt that he had not approved beforehand. He chose to do this for the theatrical aspects. I can only go on what I see, he approved everything that happened.

  • Anonymous

    Isn’t Glenn Beck metaphorically wrapping himself in Judaism?
    Exploitation at its best.

  • Anonymous

    Why do people continue to send money to this man who is laughing at them? Let him go out and get a job, like millions of people are trying to do every day. And the church should not have settled out of court. Everyone should have learned how he abused those young boys. At least his wife finally saw the light and divorced the bastard.

  • Anonymous

    Crown Eddie Long King of the what? Perverts? Molesters? Fools? King of Sinners? What? I am ever amazed at the so called Christians in God’s house going along with such foolishness that Eddie “down low” Long is doing. Why don’t he just make the kool-aid and be done with it just like Jim Jones. Honestly, God is not pleased and rest assured that God will have the last word with Eddie Long and those crazy members. 

  • Anonymous

    http://michaelrood.tv/blog/messy-ralph-messer/

    Messy Ralph Messer Response by Michael Rood

    Hebrew Roots teacher Michael Rood responds to a video of a self-proclaimed Messianic Jewish Rabbi anointing Bishop Eddie Long, who recently settled a multi-million dollar lawsuit for allegedly molesting teenage boys.

    Michael sets the record straight on so-called Messianic Rabbis and exposes “Rabbi” Ralph Messer as a fraud. Find out why Messer can’t read the Hebrew Scriptures and what he has failed to understand in the scriptures because of it.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ePfpO5ZjhaE 

    Michael, citing scripture: 
    * Explains why Messianic Judaism and Messianic Rabbis are oxymorons 
    * Teaches on the true meaning of the word “rabbi” and what Yeshua said about calling each other by that name 
    * Tells us what Yeshua had to say about the man-made rules and regulations set in place by the Pharisees – the same rules and regulations that Messianic Jews regard today 
    “If you don’t know the scriptures, you can easily be taken in by these con artists out there who are making their money off of the new Hebrew Roots movement; this is exactly what Messer has been doing,” Michael explains.

    Watch as Michael breaks down how Messianic Judaism feigns a true Messianic religion, but in its beliefs rejects the very teachings of the Messiah it claims to follow.

  • Anonymous

    Eddie Long apologized to the Jewish people for getting caught, just like Mitt Romney’s Mormon Cult was caught baptizing the Jewish victim’s of the Holocaust, the Mormon Cult was caught, apologized, promised to not do it again, but had it’s fingers crossed.

    Is Eddie Long to be trusted?  Or just embarrassed that this should have been a no-camera moment?

    Will a Mormon Cultist as President further disrespect the Jewish faith?  As a Stake President, he was a person in authority, that if he wasn’t a parrot for his Mormon Prophet, he could have spoke up against many problem issues in the Mormon Cult – lack of diversity in top leadership, never apologizing for discriminating against blacks – it was God’s fault, he didn’t reveal that black could run the Mormon Cult, the Prophet talks, Mormon Cultist obey – in 1939 with was Heil Hitler!

    http://nomormoninwhitehouse.blogspot.com/2012/02/mormons-baptize-holocaust-victims-in.html

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/2HWOD2RXHJPO7O662VUKLIBPTM Tony Mathis

    Eddie Long has really discredited himself after this.  It’s one thing to move forward in life but its another story when you use a foggish notion of royalty like Bishop Long did to merely paint a new beginging which was radically stupid and displeasing to Christians.  No man will ever carry the title King.  Rather he knew it would happen or not, once I saw four 6’8 305 pound men walking towards me I just know I would have asked the question(Whats going on here).  But hey, some people are more into themselves and fame(Long) and has forgotten the true meaning of Leading God’s people.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/BNVPDBZBHFDAA23YEACKSCX6BE Lisa

    All Christians, all PRACTICING Christians (I should say), let’s pray for the man. Let’s not kick, defame and join in the world’s torturous ways. God is the One who will separate the wheat from the tares. Pray that the spirit of error will be exposed and any other ungodly spirit that is parading around AS a lamb, a sheep, a shepard, a child of God. Keep your mouth off of stuff and just pray. We are NOT to behave or even look like wolves, snakes, demons, and any other ungodly beast/spirit. YOU just pray that you’re not deceived because if it were possible, even the VERY ELECT will be deceived in these last days. Keep balance, stay prayerful, strive for holiness and if you have to say anything, remember to ADD and not subtract from anyone’s life. Ask yourself if what you have to say is fruitful or not; does it bring glory to God; does it show your love for “one another”; just guard your own heart….and your mouth. Shalom! LMG

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