6-story Jesus statue in Ohio struck by lightning

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.

SEE BELOW THE LINK FOR THE PHOTO:


http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/traffic-FILE-lightning-fiberglass/photo//100615/480/urn_publicid_ap_org0143718806704ee6b898076ac9c803cf//s:/ap/us_lightning_strikes_jesus_statue;_ylt=A0wNdOfNpBdMmDoAPQ5H2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTE5ZTBxdHRlBHBvcwMxBHNlYwN5bl9yX3RvcF9waG90bwRzbGsDc29saWRyb2NrY2h1

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Posted: at 15-06-2010 05:37 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming

I acknowledged that there is diety worthy of worshipping except Allah (S.W.T.).

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Posted: at 15-06-2010 06:09 PM (13 years ago) | Hero

Ehe! They will be the next to be striken by God. He is angry with them that they worship idol. IDOL WORSHIPPERS. Even devil is laughing at them (wawaye).

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Posted: at 16-06-2010 12:04 PM (13 years ago) | Hero

WHO NA BE FOOL

Posted: at 16-06-2010 06:31 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

EXODUS VERS 20 CARPTER 4_6 SAYS THOU SHALL NO MAKE UNTO THEE ANY LIKENNES OR ANY THIN THAT IS IN HEAVEN ABOVE, OR THAT IS IN THE EARTH BENEATH, OR THAT IS IN THE WATER UNDER THE EARTH, THOU SHALL NOT BOW DOWN THY SELF TO THEM, OR SERVE THEM FOR I THE LORD THY GOD IS A JEALOUSE GOD..VISITHING INIQUITY OF THE FATHER UPON THE CHILDREN UNTO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION OF THEM THAT HATE ME, AND SHOW MERCY UNTO THOUSANDS THAT LOVE ME, AND KEEP MY COMMADMENT........as u can see according to the word of God, GOD hate to be adentify by immage or anyting cross JESUS never permit churches to biuld any thing to repressent him or bow down to cross, he call it gravy image GOD Hate it so if lightning should born down graven himage i think it may be a warning from allmighty JEHOVA him self to some of our churches who are still bowing down to crosses and or making himage of the son of GOD JESUS, who also said that no man should repressent or make any thing on is behalf and worship it, so muslim short up we christian we understand everything is in the HOLY BIBLE.....

Posted: at 16-06-2010 07:32 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

... AND THEY THAT WORSHIP GOD MUST DO SO IN TRUTH AND SPIRIT, FOR GOD SPIRIT., (NOT PICTURE, IMAGE OR STATUS. NOTHING LOOKS LIKE HIM).

Posted: at 17-06-2010 08:52 AM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

SINCE IDOL WORSHIPING REMAINS THE ONLY CHOICE YOU HAVE, YOU CAN CONTINUE. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN CHOICE.

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Posted: at 17-06-2010 10:40 AM (13 years ago) | Hero

EH..EH, TELL MI SOMETHING... IN FACT I DON BECOME IMAM YESTERDAY. MY YASH!

Posted: at 17-06-2010 10:55 AM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

it is clear that u are stupid so i dont have to waist my time answering ur question, u are not a christian any way.....

Posted: at 17-06-2010 06:08 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Tell him bro.

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Posted: at 17-06-2010 08:10 PM (13 years ago) | Hero