It’s the kind of controversy that I pray will turn into a productive conversation among black people of faith. Last weekend, James H. Cone, a prominent theologian who has used the teachings of compassion for the downtrodden espoused by Martin Luther King Jr. to shape a generation of black ministers, decided to sit out graduation ceremonies at the Interdenominational Theological Center after officials invited Bishop Eddie Long to speak at its commencement. A number of students had also threatened to boycott the ceremony as well. Long is senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, an Atlanta church that boasts...