NY Church Stirs Controversy With 'Jesus Would Stone Homos' Sign

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Tuesday, March 18, 2014

A New York City church has stirred controversy among members of the LGBT community because a sign at its location says Jesus Christ would have stoned homosexuals.

ATLAH World Missionary Church in Harlem recently posted the sign that reads: "Jesus Would Stone Homos. … Stoning is Still the Law," and includes a few scripture citations below.

James David Manning, pastor at ATLAH, told The Christian Post that the message was put up over a week ago in order to counter the "flat out lies" of LGBT activists regarding Jesus and the Bible.

"They have been spreading lies about what Jesus would do regarding homosexuality; whether Jesus ever addressed homosexuality, and what the Bible, in general, has to say about homosexuality," said Manning.

"So we thought we'd say what Jesus would do."

Manning also told CP that he plans to have the sign up "as long as we feel that the message is relative and suits the purpose of advancing the cause of Christ."

The sign garnered controversy as various LGBT online entities like The New Civil Rights Movement website, and blogger Joe Jervis posted entries about the ATLAH sign.

"Last month Harlem Pastor James Manning earned national headlines when he posted a billboard declaring that President Obama has 'released homo demons on the black man.' Today Manning upped the Christian Love with the above sign," wrote Jervis.

"We'll stand by for Christian leaders to denounce Pastor Manning, but don't hold your breath, there was nothing but silence last month."

At the website Americans Against The Tea Party, writer Jaxon Salander said that Manning "appears to be experiencing a bigoted temper tantrum of biblical proportions."

Salander and others took exception to both the church sign and an accompanying message made by Manning that can be found on the ATLAH website.

"[Manning's sign is] laced with hypocrisy and drizzled in idiotic anti-homosexual blatherings of disdain for his fellow humans. That, or he simply wants yet another free media fix," continued Salander.

Regarding the controversy, Manning acknowledged that such existed, but told CP that it was "mainly from the homosexual groups."

"They've had a lot of irate things to say. They've been most profane. They've been intellectually violent and they have been outraged," said Manning.

Short for "All The Land Anointed Holy," this is not the first time Manning's ATLAH church sign has been the subject of controversy.

Last month, ATLAH posted a message on their church sign that read "Obama has released the homo demons on the black man. Look out black woman. A white homo may take your man."