Do The Innocent Settle?

Because...Bishop Eddie Long just did. Rumor on Twitter is that it's to the tune of 15 million dollars. That's a lot of tithes and love offerings. Even if the rumored sum is just that, a rumor, he still settled. CNN had this to say.

Art Franklin, a Long spokesman, said Thursday that the pastor settled because it “is the most reasonable road for everyone to travel.”

“This decision was made to bring closure to this matter and to allow us to move forward with the plans God has for this ministry,” Franklin said in a statement.

The most reasonable road? If I was being called a sexual predator who coaxed teenaged boys into having lewd sexual contact and I didn't do it. My most reasonable road would be exposing the fact that I didn't do any of it. But . . . that's just me. 

At what point does the congregation need to say, sorry Bishop, we're out.  You broke the contract of trust that we had with you.  Wish you luck, but you will not be our pastor anymore.  Did he have to be found guilty in a court?

At the end of the article there is this weird line that I thought was kind of classic.

One Atlanta pastor predicted that Long said will survive the scandal because his core audience will forgive him.

“Black folks have very short memories,” said Rev. Tim McDonald, senior pastor of First Iconium Baptist Church in Atlanta. “We are the most forgiving people on the planet.

 Why will Bishop Long be able to continue pastoring . . . because black folks have very short memories. I think that is one of the lamest things I've ever heard.  While I myself am not a black person I can attest to the fact that "Black folks" are not the most forgiving people on the planet.  That's bull.