“Stoning homos” is not still the law

 

Our much discussed Pastor James David Manning put the sign above in front of his Harlem church. As one Christian to another, I reprove Pastor Manning for his error.

The history of the early church is told in the in the Bible’s Book of “The Acts of the Apostles,” believed to have been authored by St. Luke as a “part 2” of the “Gospel of Luke.” The book talks about the introduction of non-Jewish members into the Christian community and deals with the question of whether one had to be Jewish and follow the laws in the Hebrew scriptures in order to be a Christian. The debate is recounted in the 15th Chapter of Acts. Here is part of the conclusion:

For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."
(ESV) Act 15:28-29

Now while sexual immorality (whatever that means) is prohibited, the rest of the burden of the Law of Moses, including any requirements for stoning anyone, were no longer binding on non-Jewish Christians.

It is rather ironic that Manning cites John’s Gospel, Chapter 81, on his sign because in that text Jesus intervenes to stop a stoning:

Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such [adulterous] women. So what do you say?" …  And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."
(ESV) Jn 8:5-11

The self-righteous folks even tried to stone Jesus:

The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?"
(ESV) Jn 10:31-32

In this season of Lent, let us strive to forgive the wayward ones like Pastor Manning.


1The oldest manuscripts of John’s Gospel do not contain this particular text. It is believed that it was part of a separate tradition, later added.

About Dr. Conspiracy

I'm not a real doctor, but I have a master's degree.
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22 Responses to “Stoning homos” is not still the law

  1. Keith says:

    It would appear that Pastor Manning’s shower buddy in Kansas (Fred Phelps) is about to permanently retire to warmer climes. Much deserved, much warmer, climes, if you get my meaning.

    I am making a singular exception about speaking ill of the dead: when Phelps goes may he RIP (where ‘P’ stands for ‘Pain’).

  2. Greenfinches says:

    not sure about the hashtag here…. christian love, in talking about stoning????

    I knew that I disagreed with all birthers on many many issues, but this suggests Manning and I come from different planets!

  3. I think irony is intended.

    Greenfinches: not sure about the hashtag here…. christian love, in talking about stoning????

  4. J.D. Sue says:

    This sort of thing is really a pet peeve of mine–selective misuse of Jewish holy scriptures to suit a very non-Jewish agenda. I assure you Manning did not consult a rabbi (or any Jew) in reaching his ridiculous conclusion. Even the most orthodox Jewish rabbis are confounded by the right wing Christian obsession with homosexuality. We have 613 laws, not just 1, and it is generally understood that nobody can comply with all of them. Sheesh, I’ve never even heard anyone talk about homosexuality in a synagogue. (As an aside, abortion is permitted under orthodox Jewish law).

    If Manning ever works on Saturday or Yom Kippur, etc., he is violating a much more essential Jewish law than any law re homosexual sex. Moreover, Jews have considered scriptural criminal law to be unenforceable since the Temple was destroyed about 2000 years ago.

    I expect that stoning in NY is–at the very least–aggravated criminal battery.

    Manning has said a lot of awful things over the last several years. IMO, he really should stop taking G-d’s name in vain and bearing false witness. And if I were a man in his neighborhood, I would totally kick his ass for the way he talks about Obama’s mother–it is outrageous and unacceptable, particularly since Obama while President cannot seemly do the ass kicking. I might have to go to jail for battery, but I’d probably be a hero in the jail and the larger community. That guy is bad news.

  5. Fred Flintstone says:

    There is another huge slant to this story. “Dr.” Manning is also on the Election Committee for your friend and mine, Orly Taitz, which suggests that Ms. Taitz agrees with the viewpoints expressed by “Dr. Uncle Ruckus” Manning.

    Comrade Taitz has yet to discuss or rebuke Manning.
    By logical thought, she agrees 100% with him.

    This is another reason not to vote for Orly Taitz.

  6. The Magic M says:

    J.D. Sue: particularly since Obama while President cannot seemly do the ass kicking

    I would, however, feel great satisfaction if he sic’ed his lawyers on the worst birthers after January 20th, 2017.

  7. Fred Flintstone says:
  8. Crustacean says:

    Fred Flintstone: This is another reason not to vote for Orly Taitz.

    True. But that’s kind of like saying, this is another reason to not drink boiling-hot motor oil.

    And the hits keep a-comin’! Here’s a pearl of wisdom that she excreted today: “First, it is time to reconsider allowing gay men in the military, because such high percentage of gay men committed sexual assaults.”

    What an amazing set of stones she must have!

  9. Steve says:

    All I said was that the halibut was fit for Jehovah.

  10. Andrew Morris says:

    She also has Willey Drake endorsing her. The one who thinks Hitler wasn’t such a bad guy. So, she’s guaranteed at least two votes. Followed by her petition to the International Court of Justice to overturn the result because 300 million illegals were allowed to vote.

  11. The European says:

    Mrs. Taitz is the textbook case – for the next 1000 years – of ODS.

  12. The Magic M says:

    The European: Mrs. Taitz is the textbook case – for the next 1000 years – of ODS.

    She has DSO. It’s like ODS, only “Obama” comes last, as he should*. *lol*

    *(In her opinion, of course.)

  13. Fred Flintstone says:

    This is incredible. Manning is doubling down on this matter and Orly Taitz tried to put some distance from Rev. Manning. This was on her site today:

    Press release, response to an article in OC weekly
    Posted on | March 19, 2014 | No Comments
    Press Release by Attorney Orly Taitz in response by a publication by Matt Colker in OC weekly
    Attorney Taitz has posted on her campaign site RunOrlyRun.com two video endorsements of her by religious leaders: a prominent African-American pastor and talk show host James David Manning and Baptist pastor and a talk show host Pastor Wiley Drake.
    Colker published an article in OC weekly attacking Taitz, because someone took a picture of something inappropriate written about gays in the Manning church in New York city.
    Taitz had absolutely no knowledge and has nothing to do with something written by someone in a church on the other side of the continent. Taitz does not condone any inappropriate statements and any violence against gays or against anyone else for that matter. Taitz believes that every member of the society should be respected and should be protected from any violence against him or her. As a matter of fact Taitz is running for the Attorney General of Ca specifically in order to protect the citizens of the state and protect their constitutional rights. Please, see the Declaration of Candidate below.
    For example, Pastor Wright in the First Baptist Church in Chicago repeatedly stated that that 9/11 attacks meant that chickens came home to roost and “God Damn America”. Barack Obama sat in that church during services for 12 years. Does this mean that Obama is responsible for everything said by pastor Jeremiah Wright? Moreover, the same Matt Colker and all the liberal press to boot never doubted Obama as a candidate in spite of what was said by his pastor.

    Here’s the problem – I look for Manning to ratchet it up. I understand that something is getting ready to go down soon about Manning. He has ordered his congregation to stone homosexuals and now he acts like he was against it before he was before it.

    MANNING IS GOING TO CAUSE THE LOSS OF LIVES – OF WHICH HE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. He said today: “I’m calling all pastors to a call of arms…”

  14. The Orly Taitz Super PAC has the story:

    http://orlytaitzsuperpac.com/index.php/endorsement/taitz-distances-herself-from-manning/

    Fred Flintstone: This is incredible. Manning is doubling down on this matter and Orly Taitz tried to put some distance from Rev. Manning. This was on her site today:

  15. Andrew Vrba, PmG says:

    Did someone say, Super PAC? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIE5CG6yobk

  16. Majority Will says:

    “Jennifer Louise Lopez Asks Anti-Gay Harlem Church To Stone Her”

    (excerpt) When Jennifer Louise Lopez first saw the horrific anti-gay sign go up on The ATLAH Worldwide Missionary Church in her neighborhood in Harlem, she knew she had to take action.

    Run by Dr. James David Manning, a man who has been outspokenly critical of the Obama administration and the progression of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights over the course of the past six years, the church made headlines in late February when religious leaders posted a polarizing sign that read “Obama has released the homo demons on the black man. Look out black woman. A white homo may take your man.”

    The rest of the article: http://alturl.com/ifr3r

    P.S. The man who answered the door said he didn’t have any stones.

    Oh, the irony.

  17. The European says:

    Jennifer Louise, you may be homosexual. But you are no man. The Bible discriminates against you. No stoning for lesbians.

  18. bgansel9 says:

    Fred Flintstone: Taitz does not condone any inappropriate statements and any violence against gays or against anyone else for that matter. Taitz believes that every member of the society should be respected and should be protected from any violence against him or her. As a matter of fact Taitz is running for the Attorney General of Ca specifically in order to protect the citizens of the state and protect their constitutional rights.

    so, while the BR commentors are talking about revolt and killing Obots, is Orly against them too? Will she come out and denounce them should anything happen?

  19. Arthur says:

    Here’s an update about vandalism to Manning’s “stone the homos” sign:

    Article at slate.com.

  20. I am still trying to figure out how vandalism of hate speech is itself a hate crime.

    Arthur: Here’s an update about vandalism to Manning’s “stone the homos” sign:

  21. Jim says:

    Dr. Conspiracy:
    I am still trying to figure out how vandalism of hate speech is itself a hate crime.

    Charge them a lot, settle for a little. Usual DA practice.

  22. Dave says:

    My reading of these news stories is that it’s being investigated as a hate crime, not that anyone has been charged with one.

    And it is, after all, vandalism of a church. I believe the congregation is mostly black. Vandalism of black churches is a thing that happens in this country, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the police don’t just make a habit of routinely looking into the angle of whether it’s a hate crime.

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