MEMPHIS, Tenn. (ABP) — A Memphis-area megachurch has erected a Statue of Liberty lookalike — holding a cross instead of a torch — to remind Americans of their “spiritual liberation” and to show that Christianity should guide the nation.
The fiberglass-and-steel “Statue of Liberation Through Christ” was dedicated during a July 4 carnival and barbeque at World Overcomers Outreach Ministries Church. Standing 72 feet high, Liberty also carries a copy of the Ten Commandments, has a broken, gold chain at her feet, and bears a single tear on her cheek.
Alton Williams, pastor of the Memphis church, said he commissioned the statue — which required $260,000 and nearly five years to build — to declare to passersby that Jesus is the only way to salvation.
“I decree the spirit of conviction on this intersection,” Williams said during the unveiling ceremony. “This statue proves that Jesus Christ is Lord over America. He is Lord over Tennessee. He is Lord over Memphis.”
Williams, a prominent Memphis leader, has a reputation for public displays of faith. According to the Commercial Appeal, his church has bought full-page advertisements in the Memphis newspaper condemning homosexuality.
In The Meaning of the Statue of Liberation Through Christ: Reconnecting Patriotism With Christianity, Williams wrote that the teardrop on the statue represents God's response to the nation's ills — abortion, a lack of prayer in schools and New Age philosophy. A church flyer about the statue said it would help restore the value of prayer, reflect God's love and revitalize the Hickory Hill community near Memphis.
Some area residents have complained to local newspapers that they think the 12,000-pound structure is “ridiculous.”
But Jeremy Leaming of Americans United for Separation of Church and State said no church-state laws have been violated. Nonetheless, the statue could prompt action in a civil court, he said.
“If it's not done by the government, no church-state infraction has occurred,” he told Associated Baptist Press. “Really, if it's on their private property, that church can do whatever they want.”
On a special website devoted to “The Lord's Lady Liberty,” the pastor wrote that the statue gives a “silent sermon” to those who see it.
“We wanted an outward witness for Christ,” Williams wrote. “Many people who pass this intersection will never darken a church door. This statue with an uplifted cross is an evangelistic tool that will preach the gospel to many who pass by it.”
Some critics complain the $260,000 spent on the statue should have been given to the poor. Williams said his church gives a lot of money to charity and mission work, adding, “We believe in not only giving to the poor, but also preaching the gospel to the poor. This is more important than temporary assistance. God's desire is that everyone become self-sufficient.”
According to its website, the church plans to sell “souvenirs, artwork, and other materials” to help recover costs for the statue and pay for other church ministries.
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