Creflo Dollar defends Long’s transgressions as being “a wreck”

Recently during a service, mega church/ministry pastor Creflo (Give me) A. Dollar defended Bishop Eddie Long’s alleged sexual indiscretions with at least four young men, as a simple car “wreck”.

Dollar said quote, “I don't know what it is with the church. When you have a wreck, you expect for God to forgive you and everybody else. Don't let the preacher have a wreck, now. Then you become self-righteous and you become judgmental and you're gonna leave the preacher for his wreck, when you done had more wrecks. That preacher's still anointed to do what he was called to do. He just had a wreck. The blood will take care of his issue, just like it will take care of yours. And I just can't believe that people would leave their preacher cause he had a wreck, instead of praying for him” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_rIfi2FKaE&feature=player_embedded#at=129 )

Dollar was referring to the very significant drop in attendance at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church along with the sudden departure of Rev. Bernice King (daughter of MLK), since Bishop Long settled out of court with the four plaintiffs in an apparent attempt to “sweep the matter underneath the rug”.

In the immortal words of Popeye the Sailorman, “That’s all I can stands, I can stands no more!”

In the first place, we must never reduce blatant sin and immorality to the level of “a wreck”. If Long did indeed sexually coerce those young men, then it is far more damaging than an automobile colliding into another vehicle.

At least in a car wreck, only the passengers and driver are injured. In the blatant sin of a well known pastor of a megachurch, the whole congregation is hurt and shame is imputed to the entire Body of Christ.

Secondly, it wasn’t a single wreck; it was a four or five car massive pileup that caused an intolerable traffic jam throughout the church world.

This was not a wreck. This was a sewage backup that left an utterly unpleasant stench in the noses of God in Heaven and mankind on earth.

On the Black Voices website, an article entitled “The Decline Of The Black (Mega) Church”, reported Dollar’s defense of his prosperity gospel cohort -

“It's unfortunate to watch a historic institution slip by the wayside and disintegrate into an embarrassment. From the million dollar homes, cars, and yachts pimped off the wallets of black women to the blatant moral corruption, it's about time that the black community say "enough" to Bishop Eddie Long and Creflo Dollar. It's incendiary that four young men allegedly had their childhoods ruptured by Long's sexual abuse and Dollar audaciously declares the incident as a simple "wreck.". (http://www.bvblackspin.com/2011/06/10/the-decline-of-the-black-mega-church/?icid=bv|dl5|http://www.bvblackspin.com/2011/06/10/the-decline-of-the-black-mega-church/)

The only thing that Dollar said that I can agree with is “pray for him”. I’ll pray for you both Creflo – I won’t specify what I’ll being praying for regarding you and “Bishop Long Daddy”, but I’ll pray.

Creflo went on to say “Man, I pray that I don’t ever have a wreck that you leave me, ‘cause I’m gonna get up in yo’ face...I...I…[will say] forget you then, you…I’ll tell you ‘bout yourself.

I mean, what…he pastored, he’s loved them, he’s taken care of them, he’s given to them…he’s done that and did this and okay, he had a wreck! You had some wrecks. I’m thinkin’ man the mercy God showed on you, but you couldn’t show it to the preacher?

And then the gossip that’s in the Body of Christ over a preacher that had a wreck? He had a wreck, but here’s the good news – he had insurance.

At this point, the crowd erupts into applause. Dollar continues – “Oh you clap yo’ hands now, but let me have a wreck. I wanna see how many of yall Negroes gonna still be here…okay, alright – I…[puts his fingers around his lips to imply that he got carried away and makes a noise similar to a tape rewinding]…how many of yall precious saints of God…?”

…And if you from that church that you know I’m talkin’ about [New Birth],you tryin’ to join here, I don’t want you to join here. You need to join where you supposed to be [crowd erupts in applause again]. I don’t want you here…that is my, that is my friend…that is my brother in the Lord…and if you came from there, you can get on back over where you supposed to be… “

I’d repeat more, but I’m getting quite nauseous now.

So allow me to translate - by the phrase, “he pastored, he’s loved them, he’s taken care of them, he’s given to them…” , Creflo really means – he suckered them, he literally loved them (physically), he’s coerced them with cars and money (he’s taken cars to them, not care of them), and he’s given [money] to them (to shut them up).

…And if you from that church that you know I’m talkin’ about [New Birth],you tryin’ to join here, I don’t want you to join here. You need to join where you supposed to be. I don’t want you here…”

Hmmm… So what Dollar means is that he wants folks to return to an abusive leader so that Creflo and Eddie can continue to fleece each others’ flocks at those conferences and conventions with a perverted and distorted fake gospel.

And perhaps the reason that Creflo doesn’t want any of Long’s members is that he doesn’t have anything real in Christ to offer them either. Or maybe it’s because Long’s former members are just a bit wiser now and they’ll keep their eyes on Dollar’s actions.

Like the old Scottish saying goes – “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.”

Why is this “wreck” of Eddie Long so significant? The words of the prophet Nathan to King David tell us why:

2 Samuel 12:14 “Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme…”

Funny, Dollar does two strange things in this “sermon”. 1) He speaks as if he knows Long is guilty of the accusations – even in his pathetic defense of Bishop Long, he drives the nails further into the coffin by saying “Okay, he had a wreck”. That implies Dollar knew of Long’s guilt. He never once said “if he had a wreck”.

2) Creflo never once showed any of that “mercy” he’s been talking about to the four victims of Long’s abuse. I don’t intend to make light of or belittle any victims of sexual assault, but that’s like a police officer telling a rapist “I’m sorry you got caught and so you committed a little rape – what’s the big deal”, while he tells the rape victim “shame on you for getting assaulted – now that poor man over there will have to go to jail because of you.”

We’re supposed to have sympathy for the victimizer, but none for the victims? Creflo continually proves that he knows very little of the Bible except how to put his own personal spin on certain verses to collect a “dollar” from folks.

What makes this so sickening is that his congregation actually applauds this insane ideology and they believe that he has some kind of valid point. What intelligent person would follow a preacher named “Dollar” anyway?

I guess the same kind of folks that would stay in a church where the pastor is an overpaid self denied pedophile who enjoys quoting Scriptures that he can’t possibly live up to while giving out “hush money” so that he can keep alive his dream of hosting his own private “Mr. Teenage Universe” pageant.

Neither does Dollar offer any real spiritual advice to Long’s disillusioned members. He just tells them to get back over there and take more abuse. If my teenage son was in Long’s church, I’d take my whole family out too.

I guess he’s too busy counting his money and flying in his jet to spend time counseling or advising people.

That’s okay Creflo, you just leave that counseling stuff to those of us who are more concerned with helping people rather than helping ourselves to people’s wallets.

Though you can’t give out any real advice to others Mr. Dollar, I do have some helpful advice for you – if you or your son should ever happen to drop your wallet in front of “your friend and brother” Eddie Long, if I were you, I wouldn’t bend over to put it up.

One final thought about Creflo and Eddie’s “friendship”- keep in mind that old saying – “Birds of a feather…”

Creflo talked about what might happen if he ever had a “wreck”. Just remember Mr. Dollar, it was Dr. MLK who once said “No lie can live forever.” Your day will come – perhaps sooner than you think.

Here endeth the lesson.

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If you or someone you know has been a victim of spiritual/sexual abuse, please seek out help from professionals (therapists, counselors, and reliable clergypersons). Below are counselors and therapists in the Charlotte area.

(Please note that neither I, myself, nor Examiner.com are in any way associated with or compensated for placing the following organizations within this article. Neither myself or Examiner.com endorse those organizations listed below).

Inner Strength Counseling Services

3141 Amity Ct # 100, Charlotte, NC 28215-5745 (704) 566-3633

Steppingstones Counseling

315 E. Worthington Avenue, Charlotte, NC
(704) 335-6100

Behavioral Health Center

6817 Fairview Road, Charlotte, NC 28210-3484 (704) 365-6260 ‎