Bishop Eddie Long, the End of the Super Preacher?

Sept. 29, 2010 - PRLog -- By now, most of you have heard the story of the great Bishop Eddie Long, the mega-preacher from Atlanta who is being accused of seducing young men with cars, clothes, jewelry, and electronics. He is accused of utilizing church funds and even scripture in an attempt to justify not only preying on young men starting at the age of 14, but of having sexual relations with them. To make matters worse, Bishop Long outwardly and vehemently opposes homosexuality, and believes and preaches that homosexuality is curable; yet by his very precedent his actions reflected just the opposite.

http://www.sethchernoff.com/spirituality/bishop-eddie-long-the-end-of-the-super-preacher/

So far, there are four accusers, but in all likelihood more accusers will surface. He follows a long chain of leaders who portend that their moral compass is holier than thou, and yet refuse to take responsibility for their actions. We see it in politics (think president Bill Clinton or Larry Craig), sports (Roger Clements and Alex Rodriguez), and in religion (George Alan Rekers and the Catholic Church) to name just a few. Eventually they will be forced to take responsibility for their actions – but only after the true damage is done.

George Alan Rekers was the foremost anti-gay activist in the United States – that is until he was caught with a gay male prostitute earlier this year. Bishop Eddie Long told to his congregation what to believe, how to live, and portended to live a God directed life, yet in the end appears to be a hypocrite and miscreant – a person without true moral scruples.

Atlanta has a median household income of $47,464 and about 21.8% of the population live below the poverty line (American Community Survey). Not Bishop Eddie Long – his flamboyant lifestyle includes among other things a $350k Bentley, a $1.4M home, and when he travels, its in his private jet. When church funds are used not for helping those in need, but instead for allowing their religious leaders to inconspicuously flaunt excess and greed, there is a clear misappropriation of priorities and a lack of spiritual follow-through. These are not the leaders that we need in our religious institutions – we need leaders whose actions are in alignment with their teachings. We need leaders who are humble, and whose purpose is service – true divine service.

This abuse of power is rampant in our society, but we do have the power to change it. Who are these very leaders that we rely on to give us guidance, whose moral compass we look to for direction? For starters, they are human beings just like you and I. They make mistakes just like you and I. Regardless of their job title: priest, rabbi, or Imam – the one thing they have in common is that they are all human beings, and as a result they are prone to make mistakes and bad decisions. Just remember that nobody is closer to God than you are. Nobody is holier than you. Nobody is closer to your spirituality than you are. It doesn’t matter where you live, or what you do for a living, your access to God or the greater universe is available to you where and when you are open to receive it.

We inherently desire and require leadership, to be guided and to be led. But when our leaders continue to defy the very morals and values they preach, what does it say about us? In order for a leader to be a leader, they need followers – which is obviously where we come in. Regardless of whether these leaders or role models are in politics or religion, we need to hold them accountable for their actions. We need to implement a higher standard and demand more from those who tell us how to live and what to believe.

No matter what we are taught, we must follow our inner guidance for the truth that we desire. We need to question our belief system and what we’ve been taught to ensure that it is in alignment with who we are and who we choose to be. We can no longer blindly follow – we need to listen with an open mind and an open heart, and then to follow the path that we know to be true in our heart and in our soul. Religion plays an important role within our society, but we must pay attention and ensure that the path we follow is in alignment with our inner truth.

http://www.sethchernoff.com/spirituality/bishop-eddie-lon...

We need to stop outsourcing our faith! If there is one thing that we need to insource, its our spirituality.

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Seth David Chernoff is an award-winning author, two-time cancer survivor, highly successful marketing professional and founder of multiple companies. His new book is Manual For Living: Reality, A User’s Guide to the Meaning of Life. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Popular Mechanics, Business Week, USA Today, and on national TV and Radio. For more information please visit http://www.sethchernoff.com or http://www.ManualForLiving.com