MONROE, Ohio – A six-story-tall statue of Jesus Christ with his arms raised along a highway was struck by lightning in a thunderstorm Monday night and burned to the ground, police said.
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., Monroe police dispatchers said.
The sculpture, 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 early Tuesday.
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. The fire department would release a monetary damage estimate Tuesday, he said.
Travelers on Interstate 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.
The 4,000-member, nondenominational church was founded by former horse trader Lawrence Bishop and his wife. 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 and they spent about $250,000 to finance it.
THIS TOPIC HAS CARRIED ONE OF THE LARGEST COMMENT CONTRIBUTION ON YAHOO, THIS IS BY NO WAY A MOCKERY OF CHRISTIANITY OR CHRIST HIMSELF(PEACE BE UPON HIM) BUT I WANT TO KNOW YOUR VARIOUS OPINIONS ON THIS MATTER.
God is the Light, Everlasting.....
Posted: at 16-06-2010 09:45 AM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
It is wonderful and suprising and Something must be wrong somewhere. How could this happen? They said he is the only begotten son of God. To my suprise, God sent lightning to strike and burnt His only son's stature and levelled it to the ground. Something must be wrong somewhere. Somebody clear my doubts please.
IN ZAKA FADI, FADI GASKIYA, KOMAI TA JA MA A YI MAKA
Posted: at 16-06-2010 02:01 PM (13 years ago) | Hero
bomsiluv at 16-06-2010 03:05 PM (13 years ago) (f)
Quote from: cadanre on 16-06-2010 02:01 PM
It is wonderful and suprising and Something must be wrong somewhere. How could this happen? They said he is the only begotten son of God. To my suprise, God sent lightning to strike and burnt His only son's stature and levelled it to the ground. Something must be wrong somewhere. Somebody clear my doubts please.
What has this man (Jesus Christ) done to you?
Posted: at 16-06-2010 03:05 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
@ Cadanre believe it or not, Jesus is the son of God Most High. It is just a statue, it is not Jesus Christ
NONE OF MY BUSINESS. The statue of Jesus was striken and burnt by lighting. God is watching as lightning destroy the statue of his son?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IN ZAKA FADI, FADI GASKIYA, KOMAI TA JA MA A YI MAKA
Posted: at 16-06-2010 03:33 PM (13 years ago) | Hero
sabiti
cadanre
divineproject
yakubuarome
bomsiluv
Agatex
nicestobi
blings_is_back
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