AMJ not watching his post monday night
 

6-story Jesus statue in Ohio struck by lightning

MONROE, Ohio – A six-story statue of Jesus Christ was struck by lightning and burned to the ground, leaving only a blackened steel skeleton and pieces of foam that were scooped up by curious onlookers Tuesday.

The "King of Kings" statue, one of southwest Ohio's most familiar landmarks, had stood since 2004 at the evangelical Solid Rock Church along Interstate 75 in Monroe, just north of Cincinnati.

The lightning strike set the statue ablaze around 11:15 p.m. Monday, Monroe police dispatchers said.

The sculpture, about 62 feet tall and 40 feet wide at the base, showed Jesus from the torso up and was nicknamed Touchdown Jesus because of the way the arms were raised, similar to a referee signaling a touchdown. It was made of plastic foam and fiberglass over a steel frame, which is all that remained Tuesday.

The nickname is the same used for a famous mural of the resurrected Jesus that overlooks the Notre Dame football stadium.

The fire spread from the statue to an adjacent amphitheater but was confined to the attic area, and no one was injured, police Chief Mark Neu said.

Estimated damage from the fire was set at $700,000 — $300,000 for the statue and $400,000 for the amphitheater, Fire Capt. Richard Mascarella said Tuesday.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol was at the scene Tuesday to prevent traffic jams and potential accidents from motorists stopping along the highway to take photographs.

Some people were scooping up pieces of the statue's foam from the nearby pond to take home with them, said church co-pastor Darlene Bishop.

"This meant a lot to a lot of people," she said.

Keith Lewis, of nearby Middletown, arrived at the church around 7 a.m. Tuesday to photograph the remains for his wife. Lewis said he had viewed the statue as both an oddity and an inspiration.

Cassie Browning, a church member from Dayton, said she was driving home when she saw smoke and noticed the statue was missing.

Travelers on I-75 often were startled to come upon the huge statue by the roadside, but many said America needs more symbols like it. So many people stopped at the church campus that church officials had to build a walkway to accommodate them.

Bishop said the statue will be rebuilt.

"It will be back, but this time we are going to try for something fireproof," she said.

The 4,000-member, nondenominational church was founded by Bishop and her husband, former horse trader Lawrence Bishop.

Lawrence Bishop said in 2004 he was trying to help people, not impress them, with the statue. He said his wife proposed the Jesus figure as a beacon of hope and salvation.



Before

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ofkingssta.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...6_jesusbig.jpg

During

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...uedestroye.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...de9a60b4d9.jpg

After

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...1510jesusN.jpg

The "after" looks like it's giving someone the finger... you sure he wasn't watching his post? That sounds like his humor.

He'll be back in 3 days.

:lol :lol :lol


Nicely done.

They excluded the turkey from that. Fuck em.


Doesn't matter if they use something fire proof. It'll just explode when stuck.

Maybe this then ?

http://www.vividideas.net/jeeebus/im...rocjuggler.jpg

A few facts....

1. Jesus wasn't the name of the Messiah/Savoir. In fact in the original Hebrew bible, his name was never even mentioned. They always called him teacher or Lord.

2. The name Jesus was added (Jesus answered...Jesus said to the crowd..etc. ) in the King James version of the bible in the 1600s. It came from Greek meaning a male God Ies. The "J" doesn't exist in Hebrew, Greek or Latin. The word "Christ" was added, based on the word Christo meaning annointed. It's amazing how many people think Jesus Christ was the Messiah's actual name.

2. Idolitry should be forbidden anyways....You don't worship a statue so let it burn.

this thread now has potential :lol:

WOW... I just rode past that twice down and back from rally. Use to always get a kick out of it when I rolled past it.

The 911 tapes....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miK-j...layer_embedded

uh yeah... The Jesus is on Fire...

I want a sticker that says... "uh yeah... the Jesus is on fire" or... "The Jesus was struck by Lightening"


wonder if that'd piss anyone off... :lol:

Yeah like what did that church do to piss off God???

REAL TALK

:lol: Nice.

I still wish in all the trips Ebbs and I made down one stretch in shitville we'd have gotten a pic of the billboard with the big red devil saying "Go to church, or the devil will get you!"

I wanted one that says something I heard from Dave Attell. "I don't worship the Devil, but I do agree with a lot of the things he tells me"

I can see an epic battle now. Burning Man vs Burning Jesus!

Ever seen the big neon cross on the hill, on your way down there? :lol:

I dont know if I recall that one. Most of those rides were done in the daytime, so if it was a light up thing no.

I really like some of the uber religious billboards here in the south. I grew up with the mindset, but dayum theres some odd mindedness round here!

you mean like these folks. LOL
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...ehandlers.html