James David Manning, also known as Pastor Manning from the ATLAH World Missionary Church, is a controversial figure in his neighborhood. Some of his recent remarks did not sit well with the local Black community in Harlem, New York City, leading to criticism online.
In a video, Pastor Manning can be seen speaking in the church. He is caught in the middle of a rant in which he repeatedly says that “Black people are stupid.” According to the pastor, “Now they’re saying Jesus is Black, does anybody take the time to look at how stupid Black people are?”
This is far from the first time the Black pastor said something that could be considered racist. In another viral video, Manning can be seen saying that “Black people should thank the White man.” He argued that if it were not for White people, “we would all be dead from disease and sickness,” or that Black people would kill each other.
During other shocking segments of the second video, Manning said, “The White man built America. You say the slaves built America. (…) Half of the time, what you did build as a slave, the White man had to whoop your [expletive] to get you to do it.”
Internet Has Mixed Reactions to Pastor Manning
These statements have deeply offended members of the Black community, and many people have criticized the pastor online: “You have frauds like this preaching in the Black community.”
While most people were not interested in debating whether Jesus was Black or White, many were angered by the way Manning spoke: “If a pastor wants to challenge a belief system, he should do it with facts and theology and not by calling people stupid.”
Others added, “You can question a doctrine without demeaning a people. When the argument relies on insults instead of reasoning, it weakens the message,” and argued that the framing used by Manning “overshadows whatever the substance is.”
Regarding the second video, viewers were enraged by the pastor’s comments about slavery, saying, “That guy is way off base and terrible. White people systematically destroyed prosperous Black towns.” Others complained that it was “hard for African nations to build cars when the rest of the world is taking all their resources.”
In any case, it is unlikely that Pastor Manning will stop sharing controversial opinions anytime soon. In the past, the religious figure has also been slammed for criticizing former U.S. President Barack Obama, homosexuality, and Black people on several other occasions.
