Pastor James David Manning made this statement last year in his online broadcast series of the 'Manning Report'. More recently, in an interview with The Daily Show, he was asked about it again, and given a chance to retract or correct his statement. No can do. If anything, he affirmed it even more that 'Starbucks laces their lattes with semen" to give them extra flavor'.
Manning is the pastor of the ATLAH World Missionary Church in Harlem, New York. The acronym stands for 'All The Land Anointed Holy', referring to Harlem. Their church is famous for billboards opposing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
When asked how he knew about Starbucks usage of semen, he says,'... let's just say I know."
Manning was born in 1947 in North Carolina, which during then, practiced segregation according to skin color. After high school, he got on the bus and made his way to New York. In the 60's, he became a radical, hating white people. He spent three years in prison for various charges including robbery, burglary and criminal possession of a weapon. In an interview in February with the 'Young Turks' on YouTube, he talked about his experience inside jail. He was asked if ever he felt attraction for another man. The pastor said 'no doubt about it,' but clarified that he didn't yield to temptation. He was in jail for three years, and while in there, claims he became a 'Christian'.
Manning calls himself the 'sodomite slayer'. He urged his parishioners to boycott Starbucks. He says the mega-coffee chain uses semen as a marketing ploy. He alleges that the marketing gurus know that many people think semen tastes good, which is why it is added in the coffee for flavor.
Starbucks apparently gives little value to the rantings of this infamous Pastor. It has not made any comment to his accusations.
