Will embattled Bishop Eddie Long step down as pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church by Oct. 15?
Yes, according to subscribers of Predicto, a real-time mobile prediction game that users play on their cell phones .
Sixty-three percent of participants said he will go, compared to 37 percent who said no way. About 1,602 people participated in the Predicto question about Long.
Long was selected as a hot topic after four young men accused the prominent megachurch pastor of using his influence and gifts to coerce them into sexual relations. The scandal has become the fodder of late night television and social networking sites. Long has denied the allegations.
"We're not a polling service like Gallup," said Kirthana Ramisetti, Predicto's managing editor. "But we do reach a real cross section of people across the country. We get a good idea of what people think about a topic."
Ramisetti said the game, which has more than a million subscribers, focuses on current events and pop culture.
Predicto, though, isn't the only organization taking the public pulse on Long's future.
The Washington Post recently conducted an "unscientific" poll asking readers whether Long should step down from his position as senior pastor of New Birth.
Of 5,100 respondents, 79 percent said he should go and 21 percent think he should stay.
