if you don t address it, you never know what can happen, what the effects can be. but if you just address it, it can have that much of a difference. it s like the truth can set you free. exactly. if, indeed this is true. in no way we re saying it is. we re talking about the allegations, and if indeed they do prove true, it s going to have a huge impact on a lot of people. yes, ma am. how do you think the church will respond. what if he steps up to the pulpit and says, i sinned. i did do this with these young men, but i need your forgiveness and your support, and he is truthful, if, indeed this is true? how do you think the church will respond? how will you and the other young men that he has mentored will respond? i would expect for the believers in the faith, not just members of the church but faith as a whole, to look at the bigger picture to understand that if it is true we don t want this to be true, but we
have filed lawsuits saying he coerced them into sex when they were teens. long s attorney denies the allegations and dismisses these photos that have emerged in the wake of that scandal. attorney b.j. bernstein who represents the three men in the lawsuit says long actually sent these two photos of himself wearing tight shirts to a fourth man whose not named in the litigation. she says it s just an example of inappropriate conduct. now, later in the day, bishop long posted a twitter message to his supporters. it reads, thanks for all your prayers and support, love you all. at the bottom of the hour, we will actually hear from a church member who sees bishop long as his spiritual father. he ll share his thoughts on the accusations and the ikt pact it s having on his church. a new film called waiting for super man has nothing do with a man and a cape.
his text, but this is my father right here. pretty powerful stuff. late yesterday bishop long posted a message to-to-this supports on twitters reading thanks for your prayers and support. love you all. he built his church from a mere 300 members to the 25,000 people who now call it their spiritual home. our next guest actually joined the church because he believed in bishop long and has come to see him as his spiritual father. cornelius best, jr. is a grad student at the international theological center and going by c.j. thank you for being with us. this is not easy to talk about. it s not. there is no doubt that eddie long has helped hundreds and hundreds of young men. you re one of them. yes. tell me what drew to you bishop long and what kind of impact he made on you?
abuse, public apologies. and finally, an acknowledgment that the crisis did not come from enemies of the church on the outside but was, quote, born from the sin within the church. while the pope has evolved and taken some strong measures the deal with the crisis, there is unfinished business that haunts the victims of pedophile priests and that is what about the bishops, the bishops that covered up priestley abuse and moved those priests from parrish to parrish? bishops like cardinal bernard law of boston that covered up the crimes of priests this assaulted dozens of children. he eventually was forced to resign. only to end up as a cardinal in rome. he has this grand title, great apartment, and real power, real authority in the vatican and yet he is one of the most notorious bish ps from this whole era of scandal. reporter: gibson believes the pope will never publicly rebuke
what drew me to new birth initially was he delivered the word in such a way i was able to understand it. i was not only able to understand it but i was able to identify with the struggles in the bible, and he is a very sound preacher, and i do respect the fact that he is a very sound preacher. now, were you a troubled kid. we just saw the heals going on there in the church. he said he was shot. she was a part of a gang, and he didn t have a father, that eddie long was his father. what kind of background did you come from? did you need a spiritual father in that way or was it different for you? it was different for me because i was fortunate enough to be raised in a two-parent house hold and instilled great values within me growing up. i wasn t in need of that, but one thing i do take hold of as a future preacher, because i m at the interdenominational theological center, i do take hold to leadership and ministry. i felt like that church was a great example of what a ministry