Jerking Around With Eddie and Brian

Oh dear, oh dear...

A connection between "bishop" Eddie Long and "bishop" Brian Tamaki has come to light. Brian, founder of New Zealand's Destiny Church, bought his bishop franchise from Long Eddie.

Yes, that Eddie. The guy with saucy allegations of toy-boys swirling around him.

According to today's New Zealand Herald, Eddie even brought the young men out to New Zealand with him as part of his retinue.

To recap, for those coming in late. Brian Tamaki was once just a humble pastor-dude with a talent for "bringing in the sheaves." Then he met his "spiritual father," Long Eddie. And lo, Long Eddie was a "bishop." And Brian saith unto himself, "me too!"

Anyway, Brian invited Eddie to Aotearoa. Now someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't "invited" code word in these circles for "paid a lot of money"? And again, lo and presto, Brian was elevated to a pseudo-episcopal throne. The lucky members of Destiny Church got to buy tickets so they could attend the ordination!

Not that I have the ear of his exaltedness "the bishop," but if I did I'd want to ask Brian if and how much he shelled out for the title. If so, I'd also want to know what Brian thought about the applicability of that famous Simon Magus text (Acts 8:18-19).

Then there's the question of Brian's "discernment" in choosing a spiritual daddy who preaches garbage like this. Let's be frank, you'd have to be a moron in a hurry not to notice that this guy is a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

Warning alarms were surely going off - for anyone with ears to hear - long before the allegations broke this week of sexual assault.

Now what will Brian do? Bust himself back to pastor rank? Pigs will fly!

Listen to Brian - or his sperm-obsessed "spiritual father" - and the problem becomes immediately apparent. Any preachers are loose canons when they're under no discipline other than their own inflamed egos. Surround yourself with sycophants and you'll hear exactly what you want to hear.

Ted Haggard, Garner Ted Armstrong... the list is endless. Regardless of Eddie Long's yet-to-be-proven guilt or innocence, preachers with "groupies" almost always end up with a sense of entitlement. Once you find it acceptable to screw with people's minds, it becomes easier to want to screw with their bodies.

One can only hope, for Brian's sake, that canny Hannah has her man on a very short leash.