Giant Cross Dedicated to Pope John Paul Crushes Pilgrim

[onager]

Since "giant crosses" have been a theme in the group this week.

Citizens of Groom, TX - watch your asses. Even better, watch Jesus' ass. And if it starts moving...RUN!!!

http://www.freep.com/article/20140425/NEWS07/304250089/pope-john-paul-crucifix-pilgrim

[uriel1972]

1. Where is yor God now? nt

[deucemagnet]

2. Put your trust in the Lord, but wear running shoes.

For He favors not the slow, and will smite them with ironic death.

[JNelson6563]

4. "For He favors not the slow..."

Lolz, many, many lolz.

And I feel bad for it cause some poor guy actually died. But tha was pretty fucking funny.

Julie

[deucemagnet]

7. Yes, 21 is far too young to die.

I hope that the parties responsible for this fiasco are either prosecuted or sued into bankruptcy.

[Arugula Latte]

3. The poor guy was only 21.

[TxDemChem]

5. Sorry someone lost their life, but the irony is too much to ignore.

[onager]

6. Yep. I'm not really an asshole...

I just play one on DU.

You're right, the irony was just too much for me to resist. Also this:

The local mayor calls the collapse of the cross, which bore a 20-foot, 1,300-pound statue of Christ, an "unexplainable tragedy."

Ah yes...the old "Gawd works in mysterious ways" unexplainable explanation.

But in the end - if there's even an investigation - we'll probably find it was perfectly explainable with some combination of the following:

1. Engineer: "This is a curved wooden cross supporting a heavy metal statue. According to our calculations, it might collapse..."

Believers: "No! Gawd would not permit that! Ignore your unspiritual demonic calculations and build the lovely statue of Our Lord & Saviour Jesus."

2. Contract went to the lowest bidder, a construction company based in Sicily.

3. Probably a company with ties to Silvio Berlusconi.

And if I am ever crushed by a giant atheist symbol, like the one in our avatars, I hope everybody in here gets a good laugh out of it.

[TxDemChem]

9. I'm so glad that many atheist monuments are benches or low-lying statues.

Much safer for us.

I think they may need to start calling these incidents "acts of god."

And is it just me, or does a cross seem to be one of the least sturdy shapes. Is be wary around any cross statues, especially if they are free-standing. Just saying...

[Curmudgeoness]

12. Not to worry...

we would all laugh our asses off if you are crushed by a giant atheist symbol. Some things just cannot be passed up.

[Rainforestgoddess]

16. Hmm, the closest you could get

Would be to be hit by a bus with an atheist message on the side.

Or a bill board.

Or be run over by Richard Dawkins....


OR!

In some kind of freak atheistic rube goldberg disaster, a bus with an atheist message on the side hits an atheist billboard, knocking it down. In the ensuing slow motion billboard crash, Richard Dawkins hits the gas so as not to be crushed, running into you, while you wear an A tshirt, carrying a book by Hitch, with a bookmark that's an old ticket from that time you saw Religulous.

I would laugh.

[Rob H.]

8. "The local mayor calls the collapse of the cross...

which bore a 20-foot, 1,300-pound statue of Christ, an "unexplainable tragedy.""

A wooden cross supporting a 1,300-pound weight on one side? Who could've predicted something might go wrong?

Edit: More seriously, why not use steel beams clad in wood? Same visual effect, much, much safer.

[RussBLib]

10. What message is God sending by this collapse of the cross?

If I were a devout believer, would I have to think that God did this, and what would be his message? I doubt if many in the church will give it much of a second thought, however, beyond "oh, that's very unfortunate."

Most in the Catholic Church, and especially the Vatican hierarchy, know the whole thing is bullshit, but it's comforting, and it brings certain benefits, so they are not inclined to do the hard thing and give it up.

What a way to go.

[Curmudgeoness]

11. It was the work of the devil.

I am sure that is the real explanation. God would never do anything like that, wouldn't he?????

And besides the "oh, that's very unfortunate" comments, there will also be many "I am praying for the family, etc."

[progressoid]

13. Didn't this happen to another parishioner a few years ago too?

I have a vague memory of something similar happening.

I'll search...

Here tis:

http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200508101533-1109...

<snip>
(AGI) - Oristano, Italy, Aug 10 - A woman died crushed by an iron crucifix at the entrance of the church of San Lorenzo while she was attending mass in the city's patron saint's celebrations. Paoletta Orru', 38, had returned to Mogorella, near Oristano, with her husband and two children especially for the celebration of San Lorenzo. Tomorrow was her birthday. This morning the woman was outside of the busy church, together with other devotees who did not manage to enter. Suddenly, around 12, the heavy crucifix about one metre wide fell from the entrance of the church where it was placed, crushing the woman. The emergency services immediately dispatched a helicopter, but when they arrived from the nearby Ales they warned that it was not necessary any more: the victim, hit on the head, died due to a strong concussion. Fire-fighters and police arrived and will inspect the scene. The accident is currently unexplained. A youth, who was grazed by the crucifix, suffered a slight injury to his ankle and will heal in 4-5 days. (AGI) .
<snip>

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x3830565

[Goblinmonger]

14. Better not laugh at this

lest you be called a Nazi.

[Act_of_Reparation]

15. Because when I think of Nazis, the first thing that comes to mind is their sense of humor...

... but I blame Mel Brooks for that.