Bishop Long and Spiritual Authority

It could be any ministry, really, or any clergy-person of any fold; any teacher, for that matter any mentor, or family friend; any advisor, psychologist or social worker, doctor or dentist-- supervisor at work--

pastor, bishop, rabbi, "friend"

any older person, usually older, who has authority, who by virtue of position, owner of the unquestionable last word, one in a position of leadership (especially by consensus or community charge), any older person, really, who has psychological power, who knows more or can persuade, make suggestions in a hypnotic, reputable way; or coerces in a threatening fashion, who takes advantage of a younger person's innocence or fear;

anyone who has the respect of someone else who is naive and impressionable, sometimes a much younger, mentally younger person, one who cannot see, cannot fathom, who does not want to see, sexually coercive intentions of another, a man or a woman (women do this, too) in authority or a position of psychological power.

This time it is a spiritual person, a member of the cloth, who is accused of the sexual abuse of young men who participated in a church program for 13-18 year olds to learn financial and sexual responsibility, ironically, a masculine mentoring initiative. Real men are respectful, I imagine is the point, and self-disciplined.

CNN

The Yahoo story

Bishop Eddie Long's response to his congregants.

So this time it is a Bishop, and as such, one of the crimes he is alleged to have committed is taking advantage of his spiritual authority. These things happen, of course, in other venues. The same thing happens when a teacher surreptitiously makes a student feel like a special friend, only to initiate a seduction at an opportune moment, or a boss, or a supervisor, with an employee who wants desperately to please.

The law, when we talk about abuse, is all about consent, the age for consent, and it seems that those filing complaints against the Bishop may technically have been adults at the time of the alleged seductions.

Sexual assault, on the other hand, as opposed to sexual abuse, is a lawful charge in which age is immaterial.

So you should know, those of you who think, ah, the lad or lassie is of age, twice.

We have laws against this sort of thing and no longer are churches protecting their shepherds. We just have to educate the kids, is the truth, and their parents-- teach them to recognize the warning signs. Because they're there.

Linda Freedman, PhD, LCSW, LMFT