Tallest cross in the western hemisphere to be in Rogers?

[KJW]

The church is constructing a Global Outreach, or GO, Center on a 40-acre campus off 26 th Street with plans to relocate from its Poplar Street location and expand its ministry offerings.

But the new building

[astrife]

A few thoughts:

- Hope this doesn't turn into another "Not another big cross" discussion. Without going into a discussion about Christianity, I'm deeply evangelical and have no problem at all with this. If it gets more people to a place where they're trained to spread the gospel worldwide, I've no problem. (Although these two situations aren't mutual in their timing, it's interesting that the new aviation school talked about yesterday in Springdale will as a specialty train missionary pilots...a plane is essential for travel in so many places in Africa and Latin America).

- I do have a problem with "targeting" groups for the church, but I'm willing to believe that the minister may have not had his full quote put in. Nuff said.

- However, it's interesting that he said the main groups in downtown Rogers right now are hispanics and the elderly. Betcha someday we see some interesting condos in that "design center" some day.

- These pastors at the church are also counting on continued growth in our area.

[razorbackfan]

Although the church has a right to do whatever it wants with its private property, I really dislike how it further portrays the NWA as a christian enclave. As an atheist I honestly cannot help but be annoyed by giant crosses that dominate the landscape. It is rather overbearing and unnecessary. How would the community feel if I put up a huge monument to Darwin on 540?

[mcheiss]

Although the church has a right to do whatever it wants with its private property, I really dislike how it further portrays the NWA as a christian enclave. As an atheist I honestly cannot help but be annoyed by giant crosses that dominate the landscape. It is rather overbearing and unnecessary. How would the community feel if I put up a huge monument to Darwin on 540?

[Julles]

Although the church has a right to do whatever it wants with its private property, I really dislike how it further portrays the NWA as a christian enclave. As an atheist I honestly cannot help but be annoyed by giant crosses that dominate the landscape. It is rather overbearing and unnecessary. How would the community feel if I put up a huge monument to Darwin on 540?

[zman9810]

My family in India, part of the 3% minority group of Christians, have never once thought to complain about the massive Hindu temples, the statues of the many gods, or the Muslim mosques. The last I heard, America was still predominantly Christian. Stands to reason that you might see signs of it.

[RemusCal]

Any other religious institution has a right to buy land and build something if it is approved by the city. So if you want to do something other than crosses, than build it. But be ready to fork out some serious cash. I don't mind the crosses. They are huge, I agree. But other institutions are not going to get people in them if you don't build them. So build a Mosque or Temple if you like. Everyone has a right, with enough money, to build what they want.

[CellarDoor135]

Great, just another setback from NWA's image. I mean do you actually thing that if someone wanted to build a giant mosque in rogers with a 200 foot turret that that would fly? Besides, the reason's behind building the cross (to draw parishioners to the church) seem rather faulty. I mean, how shallow does a person have to be to attend a church on the basis of the height of its cross? Anyone with enough money can build a huge cross. And as much as this cross is going to show that NWA is a christian community, it is also going to further make non-Christians uncomfortable and unwelcome (which in turn, will deter non-Christian future-residents from deciding to live there).

[Mith242]

I wonder if the crosses don't give the impression that this area is not only predominantly Christian but exclusively Christian. They reinforce the image of this area as a "Bible Belt" area instead of a progressive cosmopolitan area that is tolerant of all belief systems. That is not good for a world-wide corporation like Wal Mart or other local businesses that need top quality employees that may look elsewhere for a more inclusive environment. All the nice shopping areas, museums and other amenities are not enough to keep employees that can work anywhere if they feel unwelcome because they aren't in the mainstream belief system.

[mzweig]

Although the church has a right to do whatever it wants with its private property, I really dislike how it further portrays the NWA as a christian enclave. As an atheist I honestly cannot help but be annoyed by giant crosses that dominate the landscape. It is rather overbearing and unnecessary. How would the community feel if I put up a huge monument to Darwin on 540?

[Julles]

You know, there are plently of places in the world right now where Christians don't feel welcome, and in fact have to fear for their lives. I'm not particularly happy about the enormous billboards on some of our interstates (I'm thinking of Missouri, specifically) which advertise in 20 foot letters the adult bookstores, strip clubs, etc, but I have to deal with it. I have to be on my toes all the time to protect my kids from images I don't want them to see or have to deal with at their age. If someone feels "unwelcome" because of a cross, I'm sorry they feel that way. However, as I stated before, in India I expect to see mosques and Hindu temples, in China I expect to see Buddhist temples, and in the U.S., I expect to see crosses.

[Mith242]

You know, there are plently of places in the world right now where Christians don't feel welcome, and in fact have to fear for their lives. I'm not particularly happy about the enormous billboards on some of our interstates (I'm thinking of Missouri, specifically) which advertise in 20 foot letters the adult bookstores, strip clubs, etc, but I have to deal with it. I have to be on my toes all the time to protect my kids from images I don't want them to see or have to deal with at their age. If someone feels "unwelcome" because of a cross, I'm sorry they feel that way. However, as I stated before, in India I expect to see mosques and Hindu temples, in China I expect to see Buddhist temples, and in the U.S., I expect to see crosses.

[mzweig]

You know, there are plently of places in the world right now where Christians don't feel welcome, and in fact have to fear for their lives. I'm not particularly happy about the enormous billboards on some of our interstates (I'm thinking of Missouri, specifically) which advertise in 20 foot letters the adult bookstores, strip clubs, etc, but I have to deal with it. I have to be on my toes all the time to protect my kids from images I don't want them to see or have to deal with at their age. If someone feels "unwelcome" because of a cross, I'm sorry they feel that way. However, as I stated before, in India I expect to see mosques and Hindu temples, in China I expect to see Buddhist temples, and in the U.S., I expect to see crosses.

[Julles]

Great, just another setback from NWA's image. I mean do you actually thing that if someone wanted to build a giant mosque in rogers with a 200 foot turret that that would fly? Besides, the reason's behind building the cross (to draw parishioners to the church) seem rather faulty. I mean, how shallow does a person have to be to attend a church on the basis of the height of its cross? Anyone with enough money can build a huge cross. And as much as this cross is going to show that NWA is a christian community, it is also going to further make non-Christians uncomfortable and unwelcome (which in turn, will deter non-Christian future-residents from deciding to live there).

[Mith242]

It's a setback in image if you don't want to see crosses. It's not a setback to the millions of Americans who value the cross. Keep in mind that what may be a turnoff the the minority could be a drawing point for the majority. Also, look at Eureka Springs. A huge Statue of Christ overlooks the town, and do you really think non-Christians are turned away by it? One look at the culture, the festivals held there and the population in general will tell you otherwise.

[Julles]

True, I was wondering if someone was going to mention Eureka Springs. Although I think it might be more of an exception and not the rule. If there wasn't any negative stereotypic images of our area, then I don't think it would be as big of a deal. But this area is somewhat known for being a homogeneous area that also is within the 'Bible Belt'. I do think people are turned off by our area because it's not 'cosmopolitan' or at least they believe it isn't. To me this just seems to emphasize that image. I personally would prefer a more diverse cosmopolitan NWA. I just hope this isn't another factor that keeps some people from moving into our metro.

[Mith242]

I understand what you're saying, and I appreciate the gentle tone that is being kept in this discussion; it's quite refreshing . I know ours is a special situation, but I remember how excited my husband was 15 years ago to finally be living in a nation where Christmas was celebrated, where Easter is a big deal, a place where you can find a church in every neighborhood. I'm disheartened that so many want to do away with what makes us unique. It appears to be a matter of perspective, I guess.

[Julles]

I can't say I disagree with you about the awful billboards on 44 on the way to St. Louis. That used to be a beautiful drive. Now it seems like one could find "adult entertainment" every 50 miles!

[Mith242]

Yeah, mz, it's just too much. I'm no prude, believe me, I think um..er...marital relations is one of the greatest gifts God ever gave us , but I wish people would remember that there are kids walking around on this planet too, and to please show some discretion. The same goes for vulgar bumper stickers and tshirts.

[thewizard16]

Hmm. I consider myself Christian, but the giant crosses bother me for some reason. I don't think that having some crosses around is a bad idea, it might even help some people find what they're looking for, but 200 feet is a bit extreme, in my opinion. However, it's their right to do so, and I don't think being christian is a negative stereotype for the area at all. As was said previously, I'd much rather have crosses than "Adult Superstore 1 mile ahead" billboards. Somewhere people got the misconception that being in a christian area means being in an intolerant area, and I honestly don't feel that NWA is a hostile place to differing beliefs and lifestyles. And if it is viewed that way by some, I'd like to remind those people that that's not what Christianity is about, and that you can't judge Christianity by some hypocrites any more than you can judge the Muslim belief structure by some extremists.

I think that if people are turned off about moving to an area because there's a giant cross somewhere they might need to reevaulate what makes a city/area worth living in. I don't consider myself devout, and personally don't care for the giant crosses, but there are much worse things our metro could be advertised as being (even though I don't think it's "advertised" as being predominantly Christian).

[Julles]

Hmm. I consider myself Christian, but the giant crosses bother me for some reason. I don't think that having some crosses around is a bad idea, it might even help some people find what they're looking for, but 200 feet is a bit extreme, in my opinion. However, it's their right to do so, and I don't think being christian is a negative stereotype for the area at all. As was said previously, I'd much rather have crosses than "Adult Superstore 1 mile ahead" billboards. Somewhere people got the misconception that being in a christian area means being in an intolerant area, and I honestly don't feel that NWA is a hostile place to differing beliefs and lifestyles. And if it is viewed that way by some, I'd like to remind those people that that's not what Christianity is about, and that you can't judge Christianity by some hypocrites any more than you can judge the Muslim belief structure by some extremists.

I think that if people are turned off about moving to an area because there's a giant cross somewhere they might need to reevaulate what makes a city/area worth living in. I don't consider myself devout, and personally don't care for the giant crosses, but there are much worse things our metro could be advertised as being (even though I don't think it's "advertised" as being predominantly Christian).

[masons_dad1]

All I'll say about this subject is that over 75% of the United States population is Christian. There's a significantly higher percentage of Christians in Northwest Arkansas. The leading non-Christian religions in the US are Judaism (1.4 percent), Islam (0.5 percent), Buddhism (0.5 percent), Hinduism (0.4 percent), and Unitarian Universalism (0.3 percent). 14.2 percent are agnostic, atheist, or non-religious. Who knows what the rest are.

I say build more 200 foot Crosses. The Cross speaks an important message to the greatest majority of the population... It speaks "I'm still here... you are not alone"

[jdevers]

I'm an atheist so I get nothing out of the crosses, but they also don't really bother me in quite that way. They do bother me though and that is simply from an aesthetic perspective, they are quite gaudy.

I'll give an example of what I mean... Most of us like gold, might not be our favorite color but deep down in us the actual metal hits a nerve. Not many of us would turn down a free brick of it. However, I don't think a gold plated house, car, or mouth is a very attractive thing. Should people be able to do it? Sure, I'm all about personal freedoms...coat the outside of your house in velvet for all I care, I'll just laugh at it while driving by, give me something to be joke about. This is the same thing, a nice church where the patrons all know each other and develop a wonderful support system all while sharing common beliefs is a GOOD thing and this is from an atheist who shares none of those beliefs. On the other hand, a church with seating for 5,000 with 100+ foot tall crosses is more like some athletic venue gone awry than a church. Especially when one considers exactly why most Protestant groups split from the Catholic church in the first place it seems a little, um, off to hear about preachers with security details, expensive cars, and other very expensive toys.

Did anyone see the South Park episode where the boys decided to build a ladder to heaven? In many way this seems applicable, like building a giant cross gets people that little bit closer to their eternal reward. That is an entirely different argument though.

[Sammy00]

All I have to say is: Who Cares?

It would have no impact on my religious views (which is Christian if it matters) whatsoever.

If a rich Muslim wanted to build a huge shrine in the area, I wouldn't say anything. It's his prerogative, and probably good for the area, atleast reguarding tourism.

[hogwash]

I am Christian and I'll weigh in on a different angle. Does this not strike anyone as a "peeing" contest, - my huge tall cross is bigger than your huge tall crosses? Its almost like a competition of which church can be more ostentatious. Or is this just some strange suburban replacement for the church steeple dominating the skyline in a traditionally designed town?