Cactus Wren
12th July 2008, 11:51 AM
Plans to build 200-foot crosses along highway (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5880283.html)
Grace Community Church is raising money to build two enormous crosses that its pastor says will mark the entrances to Houston on Interstate 45. The crosses will likely rank among the largest in the world.
Counting their bases, the crosses would reach up to 200 feet. Each would dwarf I-45's current symbol of Texas largeness. "Big Sam" Houston, the colossal statue in Huntsville, stands 77 feet tall with its base.
[ ... ]
Riggle sees the crosses as a symbolic stand against moral decay. "The freeways are littered with sexually oriented businesses," he said. "I'd rather see something that stands for hope, life and faith."
He hopes that other churches follow Grace's lead. "What if there was one of these at every entrance to the city?" he asks on a YouTube video. "You talk about marking our city for God!"
I thought "marking" was what male dogs did, buthasjustme.
But it's nice to know that even in the community of believers there are reasonable voices being raised:
The plan has its critics. The Rev. Matt Tittle, who leads Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church, headlined a recent blog posting at HoustonBelief.com, "City of giant crosses? No thanks!"
"Not everybody feels honored, or even safe, in a city fortified by crosses," Tittle elaborated on the phone. "The crosses don't offend me. But they're a symbol of intimidation to some. And Christians don't need a monstrosity to seal their faith."
[ ... ]
Grace has the "right to do anything they want" on its property, said Elliot Gershenson, the leader of Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston.
"I would question, however, whether in the times of scarcity that we are in, there aren't better ways to express the way each of us, in our own way, walk in God's path," said Gershenson, president and CEO of Interfaith Ministries.
Do click on the link, BTW, there's an "artist's rendering". That thing is so ugly it's ART.
Grace Community Church is raising money to build two enormous crosses that its pastor says will mark the entrances to Houston on Interstate 45. The crosses will likely rank among the largest in the world.
Counting their bases, the crosses would reach up to 200 feet. Each would dwarf I-45's current symbol of Texas largeness. "Big Sam" Houston, the colossal statue in Huntsville, stands 77 feet tall with its base.
[ ... ]
Riggle sees the crosses as a symbolic stand against moral decay. "The freeways are littered with sexually oriented businesses," he said. "I'd rather see something that stands for hope, life and faith."
He hopes that other churches follow Grace's lead. "What if there was one of these at every entrance to the city?" he asks on a YouTube video. "You talk about marking our city for God!"
I thought "marking" was what male dogs did, buthasjustme.
But it's nice to know that even in the community of believers there are reasonable voices being raised:
The plan has its critics. The Rev. Matt Tittle, who leads Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church, headlined a recent blog posting at HoustonBelief.com, "City of giant crosses? No thanks!"
"Not everybody feels honored, or even safe, in a city fortified by crosses," Tittle elaborated on the phone. "The crosses don't offend me. But they're a symbol of intimidation to some. And Christians don't need a monstrosity to seal their faith."
[ ... ]
Grace has the "right to do anything they want" on its property, said Elliot Gershenson, the leader of Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston.
"I would question, however, whether in the times of scarcity that we are in, there aren't better ways to express the way each of us, in our own way, walk in God's path," said Gershenson, president and CEO of Interfaith Ministries.
Do click on the link, BTW, there's an "artist's rendering". That thing is so ugly it's ART.