9 replies to this topic

[Great Ape]

Branson Cross: World's Largest Cross Gets Go-Ahead From Missouri Officials

Huffington Post | May 11, 2012

The "God-given vision" started out simply enough: build a 7-foot-tall cross on a mountain and invite people to meditate there with the Creator. Now, 20 years later, the cross will cost $5 million and rise nearly 200 feet once complete, making it the largest cross in the world.

Complete with two elevators, developers promise free admission and an encounter with Jesus at the mammoth, monumental "Branson Cross" in Branson, Missouri.

Kerry Brown, the executive director of Images at the Cross, the organization responsible for the project, explains to Fox News:

“I know St. Louis has the Gateway Arch and San Francisco has the Golden Gate Bridge, and those are all fantastic monuments, but they’re all secular monuments," he said. "This will be the first monument to the spirit of man and there’s a reason why it’s being built in the heartland of the nation. It’s absolutely in the right place at the right time and it’s going to have ten times the spirituality as any one of those monuments.”

Developers say they've raised more than $400,000, a fraction of the goal, and are committed to finishing the project through donations only according to Charisma News, a Christian news source.

Dean Brown, Kerry Brown's father and the project's founder, says the Branson Cross is a response to a "vocal minority" that is "in the process of taking over the family spiritual foundation" of the United States. In short, the Branson Cross is being promoted as an antidote to the War on Religion.

[Source]


Dean Brown explains the importance of the building of the world's largest cross near Branson Missouri. Christians in America and all around this world should rally around this cause to complete the building of this landmark cross dedicated to Christian Values and the life of Jesus Christ.

Dean Brown's disturbing facts and trends are music to my atheist ears. The Branson Cross on the other hand, is a monument to man's monumental reliance on superstition.

Edited by Great Ape, 13 May 2012 - 10:54 AM.

[Joe Bloe]

It's a nice little earner:

$400,000 sitting in the bank accruing interest - and I'll bet the organisers are using the interest to cover "administration costs" (which are probably very loosely defined).

This current drive for donations will increase the principle and thus increase the amount of interest available for use by the administrators.

Probably the last thing they want is donations totalling $5million - because then they'd have to build the bloody cross (and lose all that lovely interest).

[Ungodly]

Somebody has to take money from the credulous since they seem in such a rush to be rid of it. The Jesus industry is very well qualified as a service that receives funds. There are many decades of historical incidents that should convince even the most skeptical among us that Jesus industry businesses are universally willing to accept donations and generally do so with only moderate threats of condemnation and eternal torture.

Few dwell on the torture part, but it should be noted that the foundational document of Christianity includes child molestation, rape, murder, genocidal wars, merciless killing of civilians, endorsement of slavery and a psychotic super-antihero as the central character. One of the most popular stories involves this same invisible sky monster destroying all land-based animal life on an entire planet in a fit of rage, sparing only an eccentric old man who tells tale talls about his cargo. With all of this for comparison having a Jesus industry criminal who only takes your money without even molesting any children or suppressing any civil rights must seem like a mere doddle.

In the process lots of stupid gets promoted, so the Jesus industry does benefit.

As a small businessman I bet Kerry Brown votes Republican.

[Great Ape]

Damn, I'm in the wrong business! I should open a Church or maybe build a religious monument in my back yard, so that I can pull in money hand over fist. I could probably do it from my home garage. Set up a little religious looking area in the garage and start taping shows. I bet I could sell salvation as well as the next guy. I could sell prayer cloths or something like that too. Why, I bet I could make some easy money that way! It sure beats the hell out of working for a living.

Now where did I put my video recorder.........

Edited by Great Ape, 16 May 2012 - 08:15 AM.

[Ungodly]

Here at Geek hill there is a screened in patio area that in partially covers Koi Pond #1, it extends into a wider area with 1970's looking leather-like couches by a very large barbecue pit.

When I first set foot in that space I thought it was perfect for starting a New Age religion.

[Great Ape]

We could team up. I will scare the muggles with hell and damnation and you save them with Jesus. Sort of a good guy, bad guy scenario. We might just pocket a tidy sum of free cash.

[Ungodly]

Seems like since I'm providing the redemption from the harsh nonreality of your fiction, the muggles would be rendering Caesar unto me, but I'll split it with you because that is in my self interest. When you get a cut of the proceeds it will motivate you to scare the muggles even more, this will propel them toward larger donations, which you share - thus closing a positive feedback loop.

I could print all the fairy tales I'm selling in a book and then build up claims that the book is holy. Sounds like a lot of fun, and easy money.

We could call our brand of religion Chumpianity.

[Great Ape]

Seems like since I'm providing the redemption from the harsh nonreality of your fiction, the muggles would be rendering Caesar unto me, but I'll split it with you because that is in my self interest. When you get a cut of the proceeds it will motivate you to scare the muggles even more, this will propel them toward larger donations, which you share - thus closing a positive feedback loop.

Brilliant! You shall be in charge of all things financial.

I could print all the fairy tales I'm selling in a book and then build up claims that the book is holy. Sounds like a lot of fun, and easy money.

Love it!

We could call our brand of religion Chumpianity.

Chumpianity sounds awesome. I've already worked up some advertising, and I made it appropriately dark and scary. That should bring the muggles to us in droves, with all their lovely cash.




 

Edited by Great Ape, 18 May 2012 - 08:46 AM.

[Ungodly]

I love the No Refunds tag line. We should consider selling special dispensations so that our sheeple can avoid a temporary torture facility modeled after an Afghanistan prison.

[Great Ape]

I love the No Refunds tag line. We should consider selling special dispensations so that our sheeple can avoid a temporary torture facility modeled after an Afghanistan prison.

So let it be written, so let it be done!


Our get out of jail free card for those special cases.




Our go directly to Hell card that will be used to intimidate and fleece the stupid and unsuspecting muggles.