James David Manning's Sermons Are Growing More Violent By The Minute

"Allah Ain't Akbar, But Jesus Is"

Listen/watch the rants of "Rev." James David Manning and you'll realize that the Matthew Shepard Act (hate crimes legislation) was passed none too soon. Watch his video and decide if this is intended to incite violence. I wish I could have posted it, but Manning and ATLAH have been banned from YouTube (I wonder why?)

Since my last article on Manning, I have attempted to contact Manning via email provided on his website. I have even subscribed to an email newsletter. To reiterate, I have asked him:

Please provide the following documents:

• Certificate of Graduation from The New Rochelle College
• Award Certificate for Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary
• Letters from probation officers in the State of New York and the State of Florida stating dates of incarceration and the crimes for which both stays were meted out
• Proof of employment from Proctor and Gamble
• Proof of employment from Ford Motor Company
• Passport with dated stamp showing entry into the United Kingdom for the year 2004

So in the comment box for this video I wrote:

These comments are astounding proof of Pastor Manning's influence. So many of them are filled with such hatred (most of which is unfounded) not only for Obama, but for humanity itself. The latest video practically tells everyone to go out and kill Muslims and as many as possible. For example:

November 8, 2009 at 2:38 pm

Right on, Dr. Manning! All Muslims should immediately be kicked out of the armed forces, especially the ones “in the rear with the gear,” like that fake psychiatrist who killed 13 at Ford Hood. And all GAYS should be kicked out too!*

What's with the "fake psychiatrist"?? Does this commentor have knowledge that no one else has? Nidal Malik Hasan was a licensed psychiatrist who dealt with some very serious issues in dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Sydrome of all the men stationed at Fort Hood:
Colorado Springs Gazette:

Hasan, it appears, was dealing with a number of stressful issues. For one, he counseled soldiers suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, one of the most challenging and emotionally draining tasks for a mental health care provider.

I posted a counter argument concerning the latest video:

Getting to the subject of "fake", however, I am now going to unleash a torrent of bad language, faulty reasoning, hatred, and all around foul feelings directed primarily at me. But here goes anyway: Has anyone actually checked the documents of "Rev." Manning? Just because he has that "Rev." in front of his name, because he's on cable TV, just because he says "God," "Bible" "Jesus" so many times does not mean he is who he claims to be. Oh yes, you've heard about his life of crime before and that he found Jesus while serving time. That shouldn't bother anyone. It is very commendable that he deals so honestly (up to a point) with his congregation. But the various biographies don't add up.

I then reiterated everything I stated in the previous article and added this:

Why am I being such a jerk about all this? Spirituality in any form is a wonderful, personal and deeply complex thing. Every being on earth has a right to it. Spirituality is an essence within us. (And yes, even atheists can be spiritual in their own way). There are, however, so many people to whom spirituality is too complex, too frightful (because they've been led to fear the unknown) they naturally turn to others for help. Ministers, preachers, priests, imams, rabbis, monks, holy men are supposed to help them. And some do. While some have their agenda for power.

One of the gravest sins a human being can perform is the sin of fraud to a community of believers. They have questions and concerns and he tells them that he has the answers - through God, of course.

I think "Rev." Manning may be a fraud. He certainly owes his congregation explanations as to why there are discrepancies in his biographies. If he is not a fraud, he will be perfectly willing to come up with the above documents. Enquiring minds want to know. Thank you. And God bless you.

Manning and his ATLAH are on Facebook and Twitter. The tweets he posts are a tribute to birther zealotry. ATLAH has been banned from YouTube.

Today is DAY 3 of challenging Manning. No response yet. Neither have I been shot at or struck by lightning.
We'll see.

* It seems this guy is an aficionado of haters because here was his response on Facebook:

Dr. Manning, you and Michael Savage are the two greatest living entities on the face of the Earth and should both be added to Mount Rushmore. When you and Savage are gone this country is doomed. Live long and prosper. God bless you and here's to hoping you have lots of security nearby to keep you safe and sound.

Pastor Gary Cass: Let's Get Together For A Good Ole Christian Hatefest!

Cause Every Pastor Has The Right To Say
"Kill A Queer For Christ!"

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. – Matthew 15:19 (NIV)

Yes, as Jesus opined, murder comes from the heart. And we could say that hatred and hypocrisy also evolve from the heart, taking a horrible toll on innocent people. Foul deeds - like bashing gays - emanate from people with evil hearts and feeble minds.

Possibly the worst (and most idiotic) way to bash gays is to announce that you're going to intentionally incite people to...bash gays. Being stupid, however, never stopped Pastor Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission from taking his views to the streets.

From Pam's House Blend:

Cass and crew are headed to DC on November 16th to protest the Hate Crimes Act in front of the Department of Justice. Their tactic?

...The "Rally for Religious Freedom" in front of the Department of Justice in Washington is intended to force Attorney General Eric Holder either to address the issues or be put in a position of ignoring those who say they are violating the provisions of the federal law, Cass said. "We're basically going to defy the law, and challenge it," Cass told WND. "We're going to declare the whole counsel of God, including those parts that some may consider 'inciting a hate crime' to see if the attorney general is going to come down and arrest a group of peaceful clergy exercising their First Amendment rights

And if you think that's scary, here's what Cass had to say in promoting guns to be carried in church:

(Right Wing Watch)

Self-defense is not just a right, but a Christian duty. Jesus told his followers, “If you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.” Jesus did not send his disciples out unprotected into a hostile world. In a world filled with gun violence, Christians must be prepared to respond with appropriate force to defend their family, neighbors and themselves.

But Cass neglects the rest of the passage:

"Lord, here are two swords!"

"That is enough, Jesus replied."

Of course, if Pastor Cass is in any way like Pastor Rick Warren, he could quote another version to suit his ideology: "Enough of that!"

BTW, Luke 22 comes 12 verses after Mathew's and John's admonition: "Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword." Another instance of a pastor's intuition: people who don't really READ the Bible will prefer him to do the reading for them.

Kill A Queer For Christ is not new.

And if you think that Cass's form of evangelism is new in its violence, here's a TIME magazine article about the Anita Bryant fracas in Florida, 1977:

In the heat of the campaign, emotions have got out of hand. A gay worker was hospitalized after a beating; others have received crank calls. Urges a bumper sticker: KILL A QUEER FOR CHRIST. After receiving many telephone threats, Jack Campbell, a gay-rights leader, has installed guards around his house. Bryant has also hired security men because of phone warnings.

So, when Cass marches with his fellow "Religious Freedom Fighters", think of these words truncated from the bones of A Thanksgiving Prayer by William S. Burroughs:

Thanks for the American dream,
To vulgarize and to falsify
until the bare lies shine through.
Thanks for the KKK.
For nigger-killin' lawmen,
feelin' their notches.
For decent church-goin' women,
with their mean, pinched, bitter, evil faces.
Thanks for "Kill a Queer for Christ" stickers.
Thanks for laboratory AIDS.
Thanks for Prohibition and the war against drugs.
Thanks for a country where
nobody's allowed to mind the own business.
Thanks for a nation of finks.
Yes, thanks for all the memories--
all right let's see your arms!
You always were a headache
and you always were a bore.
Thanks for the last and greatest betrayal of
the last and greatest of human dreams.

-William Burroughs

Actual results of KILL A QUEER FOR CHRIST on Facebook:

Load your shotgun !...I'd kill a queer for even less...f*ck fags god hates em and so do i...GOD HATES US ALL, deal with it...kill a queer for sport

And some people have been carrying that kind of hatred around for over 30 years.

Pray For Carrie Prejean!!

I mean it! Pray for the girl!

Whether Carrie Prejean made a sex tape or not should not be public anti-Christian fodder. She did what she did, presented herself as a more virtuous woman, scored some publicity and even scored a book deal based on one slip of righteous arrogance.

BFD.

The problem with the Prejean story is that she was immediately lassoed by a bunch of stalwart Christofascists and made into a cause celebre that should never have been let loose in the first place. Once she was corralled, groomed and prepped for publicity, she was too dazzled by the attention to come clean about her past. Her book, Still Standing, is a monument to martyrdom which never mentions the video tape. It was obviously cobbled together post haste (who amongst us could write an autobiography while juggling appearances at conventions, and "summits," while giving radio, TV and print interviews?) and it's doubtful that she even read the final galleys for approval.

From the inside flap:

Here at last is Carrie’s own story—the full story—about what actually happened. In Still Standing, you’ll learn:

• The behind-the-scenes truth of how and why Carrie’s own pageant directors joined forces with the vicious smear campaign against her
• The intimidation that kept many of Carrie’s supporters quiet
• How Donald Trump defended her—only to back down under pressure from the pageant directors
• Why liberals target conservative women for special persecution
• How political correctness is becoming a clear and present danger to free speech

Carrie Prejean endured the hellish nightmare that the liberal media can inflict on anyone who disagrees with their agenda, but her faith, courage, and conviction have made her a role model for how we can stare down the bullies of political correctness and reclaim our God-given rights to freedom of speech, thought, and conscience.

And the book most often requested with the advance purchase of Still Standing? You guessed it: Sarah Palin's Going Rogue. And since Carrie's book is (technically) not out until four days from today, well, let's just say that Amazon better start discounting it - and FAST! Wonder what Sarah Palin's response will be to the whole thing?

It was the AOL celebrity website TMZ that supplied the scandalous tape. It had been in possession of it for months, but...

From TMZ:

The video the lawyer showed Carrie is extremely graphic and has never been released publicly. We know that, because TMZ obtained the video months ago but decided not to post it because it was so racy. Let's just say, Carrie has a promising solo career.

We're told it took about 15 seconds for Carrie to jettison her demand and essentially walk away with nothing. As we first reported, the Pageant is paying around $100,000 to her lawyers and publicist -- a fraction of her bills. She pockets nothing in the settlement.

The Pageant originally asked for all book royalties as well, but they wouldn't have gotten much from a book that went immediately into the bargain book bin. So in the end of this pitiful saga, everybody loses: the Miss USA Pageant, Prejean and her publisher, the right wing Regnery Publishing. But the Christofascist wingnuts will come out unscathed (at least in their own minds) while Prejean's defenders (whoever is left) will rasp a weak cry of "vicious liberal media attacking a poor, vulnerable young woman who just wanted to be popular."

Some articles in the following weeks may tell us the impression of the public, but they may not point out the true villain of the piece: the Christian Right who coddled and prepped her, wooed and trained her. Prejean's saintly posturing was a fraud created by them. One wonders how she managed to say what she said to the Take Back America crowd with a straight face: "I knew that although I lost the crown, God had a bigger crown for me in heaven."

Somehow, Prejean's plight reminded me of the scheming but clueless Lena Lamont character portrayed so brilliantly by Jean Hagen in the movie, Singing In The Rain: think of Carrie Prejean as Lena Lamont and her diction coach as Phyllis Schlafly.

Sorry, Carrie, but you may not be Still Standing after this is all over. In fact, all that will be left: the laughter.

I'll pray for you.

Challenge To Birther, Obama Hater And Alleged "Reverend" James David Manning: Show Us YOUR Documents!

Or At Least Tell Us Why You Think Al Sharpton And T.D. Jakes Are Witch Doctors

I was going to include this with a piece on right wingnut stupidity, but the subject is too serious: it reeks of mindless hatred hiding behind Scripture.

It also smells suspiciously of fraud.

A minister who preaches the reclamation of property and heritage to African Americans, while hiding behind Scripture and possibly bogus credentials could be considered lower than the President he bloviates about.

On Oct. 26, “Rev.” James David Manning delivered a speech posted on You Tube that was one of the most flagrant “kill Obama” harangues to come out of a “pulpit” since Barack Obama came on the political scene. “If Obama lives, America dies” has now hit the Internet with gale force winds while the MSM ignores it as just another right wingnut screaming rude and unintelligible rants. His interview on FOX's Hannity and Colmes in March of last year was so riddled with faulty reasoning that even Sean Hannity dismissed him as simply someone who had no tact (nor decency) when it came to attacking the would-be candidate and his family. (Watch the video below)

Manning's bio on his website reads, in part, like a wikipedia article. Word for word. With some deletions and additions both minor and major. A mistake on the part of the website's webmaster, but a major blunder on the part of Manning since the article begs questions and the ATLAH website gives conflicting material in other places.

And the wikipedia article is none too flattering:

Manning also holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from his own ATLAH Theological Seminary, an unaccredited educational institution.

The website deletes the words "his own". It should also have deleted "an unaccredited educational institution." In the eyes of most Americans, this means no institution at all. What if one of the "Seminary" graduates decides to apply for ministerial duties at another church: not a ghost of a chance - especially when you take a look at the courses.

So Manning gave himself his own Ph.D. and its probably worthless. Another faux pas: the ATLAH website states "Attended Oxford Round Table at St. Antony’s College in the University of Oxford ,16 August 2004" while the wikipedia article states "According to Manning, he attended the Oxford Round Table ..." Click on the link and you'll find the Oxford Round Table is NOT affiliated with the University of Oxford. It is a California-based company currently involved in litigation over misrepresentation. Additionally, it looks as if someone from ATLAH had a hand in the wikipedia article.

Manning's time in prison for armed robbery in two states (New York and Florida) also throws his bio off in several ways, but for some inexplicable reason, simple arithmetic elludes right wingnuts. If (as his own website parroting wikipedia says) he became a Christian while in prison "before his release in 1978" how could he have gotten his Master of Divinity at Union Theological Seminary while founding ATLAH in 1981? A Master of Divinity usually takes six years to complete.

BTW: Those six years include New Testament Greek, church history, canon law, Hebrew and Christian education - none of which "Rev." Manning seems to know anything about.

But the most egregious discrepency in the ATLAH website:

James David Manning is the energetic and visionary pastor of the ATLAH World Missionary Church located in ATLAH, New York. He has founded three schools and developed a national church ministry. He holds a PhD in philosophy, the author of The Oblation Hour book, a former Marketing Executive with Proctor and Gamble and the Ford Motor Company.

HUH?!

Apparently it's been a very difficult task for "Dr." Manning to keep his bios straight: his "official" bio on the website mentions nothing about being an executive for two Fortune 500 companies and neither does the wikipedia article! So, let's challenge the dear "Dr./Rev." for some documents just as he's been asking for the birth certificate of President Obama.

To "Rev." James David Manning:

Please provide the following documents:

• Certificate of Graduation from The New Rochelle College
• Award Certificate for Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary
• Letters from probation officers in the State of New York and the State of Florida stating dates of incarceration and the crimes for which both stays were meted out
• Proof of employment from Proctor and Gamble
• Proof of employment from Ford Motor Company
• Passport with dated stamp showing entry into the United Kingdom for the year 2004
  

You do NOT need to provide an award certificate for your alleged Ph.D. since we need to save paper. And even if you can't produce these documents, please clarify:

• Why you think that Al Sharpton is a witchdoctor.
• Why your studies courses are still available only on cassette (especially How To Become A Prophet)
• Why a course on "Aliens" is included in your ATLAH Theological Seminary courses. (And by "aliens" do you mean illegal immigrants or the beings with super-large brains as in Mars Attacks!?)
  

To the earnest and worthwhile residents of Harlem: if you haven't already, please start delving into the "credentials" of this man and other "men of God" in your community. Words from Scripture coupled with words of abject hatred could be a clue that the man you trust isn't preaching on your behalf.

Resumes aren't always truthful. Neither are bogus "ministers."

Just a thought.

HEAL HITLER!

The Christofascists Want In On Healthcare!

LA Times

Reporting from Washington - Backed by some of the most powerful members of the Senate, a little-noticed provision in the healthcare overhaul bill would require insurers to consider covering Christian Science prayer treatments as medical expenses.

The measure would put Christian Science prayer treatments -- which substitute for or supplement medical treatments -- on the same footing as clinical medicine. While not mentioning the church by name, it would prohibit discrimination against "religious and spiritual healthcare."

Sometimes progressives are TOO openminded. Wanting to appease everyone, Senators John Kerry (D - MA) and (the late) Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) attached a small phrase to the healthcare reform bill that may become a BIG bone of contention and a BIG BOON to Benny Hinn.

OK, so Christian Science has not acted in Christofascist fashion in many years, but think of the opportunities for "healers" like Benny Hinn and even Pat Robertson.

Huh? Medical doctors and psychologists agree that a good spiritual attitude has a positive effect on one's health both physically and psychologically. At least that's what aggressive (and smart) religious leaders will say. Right Wingnuts should be coming out of the woodwork to take advantage of this loophole.

So if you touch your TV screen during The 700 Club to cure that brain tumor, don't be surprised if Pat Robertson finds out and sends the "medical" bill to Medicare!

Just imagine the number of "Healing Power of Prayer" centers that will crop up (attached, of course, to your less respectable local church).

All this is wild, hypothetical assumption, of course, but have Christofascists ever shied away from the outrageous? If you've got "pastors" famous for inciting racial tension, preaching that the President must die, and telling congregations that Halloween candy is cursed by demons...yes, anything's possible.

Ed. Note: The above theory is only a theory and slightly hyperbolic and satirical (sort of)

Kimberly Daniels: The Ghost Behind Robertson's Rant About Demonic Halloween Candy!

Pat Robertson has given us a glimpse of his long-surmised senility: he said that Halloween candy was "prayed over" by witches! Of course, he did it on his website under the auspices of a guest writer: Kimberly Daniels.

The website has since taken down the article, but you can view it HERE. The following is an excerpt from the article. It falls into the category of "You can't make this sh*t up!":

During this period demons are assigned against those who participate in the rituals and festivities. These demons are automatically drawn to the fetishes that open doors for them to come into the lives of human beings. For example, most of the candy sold during this season has been dedicated and prayed over by witches.

I do not buy candy during the Halloween season. Curses are sent through the tricks and treats of the innocent whether they get it by going door to door or by purchasing it from the local grocery store. The demons cannot tell the difference.

Like she knows any.

Unfortunately, this woman is scarier than most of the demons she warns against. Her website for KDMI (Kimberly Daniels Ministries International) is filled with militarism like you wouldn 't believe. And she's very vocal about her dislike for Barack Obama:

He claims to be a Christian, but in his book The Audacity of Hope he calls the first chapter of Romans an "obscure" passage of Scripture. God's admonition about the sin of homosexuality is hardly obscure. It is very clear!

Jesus is the only way to God, and God will surely send homosexuals to hell if they do not turn from their ways and accept Christ—just as He will do for all other sinners who do not trust Jesus.

So, for trying to achieve equal right for gays and lesbians, Obama is not "Christian." Kimberly Daniels, on the other hand, considers herself VERY Christian albeit VERY homophobic.

She also hates CNN and The View (?!):

…We welcome homosexuals, devil worshippers, New Agers, those who believe in the ministry of inclusion and any other beliefs or religions to the war. Room. Just know where you are going…into the midst of a community of believers that are radical of Jesus Christ. We welcome your comments and concerns but please know that if they do not line up…we will tear them down! Just as antichrist spirits rule in their arenas with programs such as the View and CNN News, we will rule in the dominion Christ has called us to reign in. People calls these news liberal…we call them antichrist.

So Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Anderson Cooper are anti-Christs? Oh, and don't forget Shirley MacLaine. Of course, Robertson is proud of her!

Again, this one is very scary. She's right about the pitfalls of Halloween candy, though. Would you want any of your kids trick or treating at HER house?

That Was The Week That Was: A Warren-Uganda-Guam-Palin-Bennny Kind Of Week

Playing Catch-up Is Confusing!

If you're like me, you get frustrated when there's just so much going on that you can't absorb it all. Last week was like that:

Rick Warren condones executing gays -- Uganda's death penalty for gays with HIV -- Ratzinger wants the British monarchy's money -- Guam's archbishop thinks that Iran has the right solution for homosexuality (hanging) -- and -- Palin goes crony before she goes ballistic about polar bears!

The thing about the five topics is that four of them are connected like ideological cars of a train, except for Palin who "goes rogue" and, as a caboose, typically derails.

Rick Warren, he of the Purpose-Driven-Publicity-Seeking-I-Really-Love-Everyone-Life, is (hopefully) having a pang of conscience over Uganda. In Dec. 2008:

Americablog.com

A Kampala newspaper report on Warren's support of the Lambeth boycott included this paragraph:

Dr Warren said that homosexuality is not a natural way of life and thus not a human right. "We shall not tolerate this aspect at all," Dr Warren said.

So far, the erstwhile Pastor of Saddleback Church has made no comment about the legislative proposal in Ugnada. He may never make one.

Back in Uganda: the committee is still out about the forementioned legislation:

The bill is aimed at increasing and expanding penalties for 'homosexual acts' and for all institutions (including NGOs, donors and private companies) who defend the rights of people who engage in sexual relations with people of the same gender. The bill also calls for Uganda to withdraw from all international treaties and conventions which support the rights of lesbians, gays and bisexuals, introduces extradition arrangements for Ugandan citizens who perform 'homosexual acts' abroad, and includes legal penalties for people who fail to report alleged homosexual acts or individuals and institutions that promote homosexuality or same-sex marriage to the authorities.

The death penalty is mandated for HIV-positive people who engage in sex with people of the same gender. The tabling of the bill has been accompanied by threats against any Ugandan media organisation that allows LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) Ugandans to air their views or publish press statements.

In other words: they believe in gay genocide.

Now if you think that someone as learned and wise as the pope would never be connected to Uganda, well guess again. The pontiff has made a oddly cryptic move to invite disenchanted Anglicans to seek shelter under the wings of the Catholic Church. He'll even let married priests stay married! So how does that work? Never mind. The big question is: why? Is it an historic outreach from Catholic to Protestant? Is the pope getting senile?

Maybe - just maybe - it's the money. There are over 70 million Anglicans in the world and the British Anglicans have the most power. They also control most of the assets which are, in part, ladled out by the monarchy since Queen Elizabeth II is the titular head of the Church of England. Maybe the pope's bucking for a lordship or two.

Trying to emulate the pope, Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron of Guam came out with the most shocking "pastoral letter" the other day and basically condoned Iran and Iraq's execution of gays since it was necessary to save Western Civilization from "imploding' (one of his favorite words). Guam has had an identity crisis for the last hundred years and now has a new image: homophobic center of the Pacific Islanders.

And finally: the week wouldn't have been complete if Sarah Palin wouldn't crop up with not one but two instances involving her persona: 1. she created another PAC:

Sarah Palin fans can expect to see a new Palin political organization surface as her memoir, “Going Rogue: An American Life,” hits the shelves next month. “There will be an announcement about it coming up,” Palin associate Tim Crawford said Wednesday.

Oh joy! More Sarah Palin! When she goes on the talk show circuit, perhaps she'll tell us why she hates polar bears so much!

Yep, it was an incredible week. I can't wait for another one to top it!