JONATHAN CHAIT JUNE 15, 2010
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In 2004, Solid Rock Church in Monroe, Ohio had erected a gigantic, 62' statue of Jesus alongside I-75, the north-south freeway that runs from Florida to the upper peninsula of Michigan.
Last night it was struck by lightning and destroyed:
I found this comment from the news story hilarious:
“I can’t believe Jesus was struck,” said his brother, who noted the giant Hustler Hollywood sign for the adult store across the street was untouched. “It’s the last thing I expected to happen.”
Click here if you want to watch a local woman proclaim her belief that "it's a sign, and not a good one." Let me spell it out for you: God hates Ohio.
14 comments
But apparently, even God can't get the Wolverines to beat the Buckeyes on the gridiron.
- benjamin81
June 15, 2010 at 2:12pm
Wasn't there something about "graven images" in the Ten Commandments?
- icarusr
June 15, 2010 at 2:18pm
But things got better there after the election of Ted Strickland and Sherrod Brown.
- liberal reformer
June 15, 2010 at 2:21pm
This theological extravaganza was likely more localized than hatred of all Ohio. It had been reported that the near by King's Island thrill park had offered admission to either gays or fornicators, so it is clear that Jesus would rather burn that oversee such a situation.
- danbd
June 15, 2010 at 2:56pm
According to the local fire chief, the thing was made of styrofoam. Which means the church needs to remember Leviticus 22:34-36: "Erect no tabernacle or alter to the Lord of styrofoam, nor of styrofoam covered with fiberglass. For truly the Lord says to you, those materials do greatly risk catching fire, and once alit, shall not be extinguished until reduced to ash. The anger of the Lord your God shall accrue to you and your children to the seventh generation if, by using cheap and inflammable materials, you do cause a tabernacle or alter of the Lord to be consumed by flames."
- rhubarbs
June 15, 2010 at 3:13pm
They made a 62' tall wood, styrofoam and steel statue, and didn't take into account any precautions in case of lightning strike? This wasn't an act of God; it was an act of stupidity.
- zardoz67
June 15, 2010 at 3:16pm
This statue was a gigantic lightning rod. If God was involved, it was His grace that prevented the thing from going up before now. BTW, rhubarbs, the word is "altar", not "alter."
- zardoz67
June 15, 2010 at 3:20pm
I like how they're planning to rebuild it the same way. The lightning strike must have been a sign from God that everything is going great and they should just keep on truckin'
- Simon Greenwood
June 15, 2010 at 3:33pm
D'oh! I'm a Congregationalist, so I don't have regular cause to spell words like "altar" or "liturgy" or "Old Testament."
- rhubarbs
June 15, 2010 at 4:00pm
Up until I saw this, I was having a very trying, nothing-works-for-sh** sort of day. Suddenly I'm cheered and laughing: Either Mother Nature or God, whichever is in charge in Ohio, has a sense of humor after all. 62' of styrofoam, plywood and fiberglass: must have been on hell (pun intended) of a hot fire. Sure glad no one was hurt.
- IowaBeauty
June 15, 2010 at 4:50pm
All we need now is for the Archangel Gabriel to appear at a Tea Party rally and announce that the health care reforms have won the approval of the Boss.
- ironyroad
June 15, 2010 at 5:19pm
I drove past this stutue at Easter time and it really freaked me out. You had to see it from I-75 to appreciate it. It's only Jesus from the waist up, but he is rising out of the water of a pond. And there is a part of a cross in there somewhere, but he is not on it or carrying it, it;s kind of leaning against his waist. The statue is larger than the church. It may turn out the 'Lightning' was helped out a little for publicity.
- CRS9TNR
June 15, 2010 at 5:58pm
Way to go, Thor!
- mdicanio2
June 16, 2010 at 11:59am
maybe God was angry that they made the Jewish Jesus look like a beefy Scandinavian?
- blackton
June 16, 2010 at 12:48pm