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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2010 > June > 15 > Entry
Editorial: In life and in flames, it grabbed eyes
In a part of the country sometimes associated with understatement — where “down-to-earth” is a high compliment — the statue sometimes known as Touchdown Jesus was not everybody’s cup of wine. Some people like their religion a little softer, quieter and perhaps more private.
But even if understatement is a traditional Midwestern quality, it is certainly not a 2010 quality. The spirit of the times calls for putting it out there loud. And that goes for religious as well as secular points. The statue was designed to smack drivers — over time, millions of drivers — in the eye. It succeeded, though competition among would-be eye-smackers is intense.
Differences over how and whether to display religious commitment are as old as religion. Even traditional houses of worship cause some congregants to wonder whether the effort and money that went into making them beautiful might have been put to better — even more godly — uses. Across the world are shrines and temples that were the work of generations — and that still attract travelers from afar. The Jesus with the upstretched arms on Interstate 75 didn’t have to attract travelers. It intercepted them.
As if that attention wasn’t enough, the statue caught the attention of untold millions more when it burned late Monday, June 14. The news spread across the Internet, the airwaves and in print media. The story was one of the top 10 hits on Google — internationally.
For a day, the Dayton-Cincinnati area attracted the rotating news spotlight that comes to every community periodically these days.
Some people were just interested; one could hardly help but be. Some were disturbed. Some were amused, pretending to wonder what God is trying to tell us. Believers and skeptics vied to come up with one-liners.
Some noted that the destructive bolt of lightning left other less holy sites still standing, such as a nearby Hustler sign. That fact might have something to do with the wood and Styrofoam aspects of the statue.
This society has become used to arguing about whether religious artifacts should be part of public property. In the case of private property, though, there is no public-policy argument to be had, so long as zoning requirements are met.
So, from some stretches of interstate in this country — including a spot farther north on I-75, near Toledo — beautiful Muslim mosques are visible, obviously having been planned for visibility. That must drive some people nuts.
To the degree there’s a dispute over appropriateness — over taste and style — those on the put-it-out-there side have an advantage. No matter how many people and institutions decide not to put up a six-story statue of Jesus in an eye-grabbing pose, it only takes one decision to set the tone on, at least, one strip of highway.
Some Ohioans might find that distressing in this case, worrying, among other things, about the impression that passers-by might get about a community.
However, given what else is visible on I-75, it’s hard to imagine the serious case that the stretch would be better off with — what? — one more flea market sign?
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Editorials, Martin Gottlieb, Religion and Faith, Suburban Communities
Comments
By Bubba
June 15, 2010 7:24 PM | Link to this
Your editorial staff is goofy. Ya’ll have declared that June 15th is “Make fun of Jesus Day”. Amen to that.
By Max
June 16, 2010 8:17 AM | Link to this
I think DDN has a firm grasp on all this. Taste and style, to whatever degree, are judgments usually more revealing of the commentator than that being commented upon. However, in the case of Monroe I don’t think drivers along I-75 ponder the ‘Jesus’ beyond the next rest stop. How this ‘may’ reflect on the Monroe community may be more a lack of a sign ordinance if anything. Also, as DDN points out, the large flea markets add a musty, tacky feel to the brief stretch of I-75 which isn’t a very interesting highway anyway. But, the ‘Jesus’ does approach the visual icon level of, say, a large scale Andy Warhol portait but falls short of Greco-Roman sculpture. Its design used the same materials and construction used in amusement parks such as Disney World. Whatever its intent and however it was received, its succeeded in its purpose; it got attention. The problem now will be it is a hard act to follow and the ‘second coming’ of the ‘Jesus’ will never be judged on its own merits but upon that of its predecessor and how it met its demise. In a way, this is an appropriate metaphor for some things embedded in the Christian faith which really doesn’t encourage secular analysis.
By irishguy
June 16, 2010 6:13 PM | Link to this
This story on Yahoo had over 15,000 comments. I’m sure Jesus is enjoy the publicity.
By Dore
June 16, 2010 7:10 PM | Link to this
The Goddess has spoken! It was an ugly blight on the landscape. If this church had anything to do with Christ they could have found a much more meaningful way to spend their money than commissioning an “artist” best known for amusement park art. I am very curious as to how many accidents were caused by drivers trying to get a look at it?
By Max
June 17, 2010 9:16 AM | Link to this
Ok, this story has run its media marathon. Yesterday, a 15-year old girl was shot to death on Dayton’s West side……Perspective, folks.