|
Advocacy Blog
Friday, September 05, 2008
IRS Complaint Filed Against Harlem Church for Attacking Obama During Sermon
Earlier this week, we mentioned that American's United Against the Separation of Church and State filed an IRS complaint ($$) against Atlah World Missionary Church in Harlem, New York for engaging in prohibited electioneering. Several videos posted on the church's website and on YouTube show Rev. James Manning, who is African-American and the pastor of the church, making crude and derogatory comments about Senator Obama.
Religious organizations, which are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, are prohibited from promoting or opposing a candidate for political office. A charity or religious organization that violates this prohibition may have its tax-exempt status revoked.
Some of the comments that Manning made about Senator Obama from the pulpit are that he is a "pimp" and a "long legged mack daddy." When speaking about Obama, he also said, "you don't get your campaign started with a big-chested white woman," a reference to the popular Obama Girl YouTube video, which was done without the consent of the Obama campaign. One particularly demeaning comment Manning made was that Obama's "African, in-heat father went a whoring after a trashy white woman. He was born trash."
In another statement from the pulpit, Manning seems to clearly tell the congregation not to vote for Obama. In that statement, Manning says, "I want to say to you, black America, that Barack Hussein Obama is not the one. God has not sent him. He is a diversion from the truth."
To see some of the derogatory comments that Rev. Manning made against Senator Obama, click here and here.
Posted by Lateefah Williams
|