Friday, January 11, 2008

Go to church or the Devil will get you!

On I-65 N on private property between Montgomery, AL and Birmingham, AL sits this amazing sign. (click photo for larger view)



I have wanted a picture of it for years but never had a chance to get one. Today, however, I had my new camera with me and I snapped this shot at around 80 miles per hour without even looking at my aim. It's a damn good camera.

This is one of the strangest signs I have ever seen. It is fear-based....but honest somehow. Look at that Devil and his scythe. And isn't it just great how the fear is used to get people through the doors of a religion that worships a God that is supposed to be loving and forgiving? But...if I don't go hang out with a bunch of hypocrites on Sunday morning and listen to some dull-ass man ramble on for what truly seems like an eternity...then I get burned in a lake of fire forever and ever and ever and ever.

Hmmmm....sounds like mafia fire insurance if you ask me.

Despite my extreme misgivings of religion and my total disbelief in God, Jesus and the Devil I really like this sign. It makes me laugh...and my daughter says the Devil on the sign looks like the "Deviled Ham" guy. You know....she has a point.

13 comments:

Unknown said...

I think the deviled ham guy is moonlighting!

(great pic!)

Carol ReMarks said...

LOLOL I've seen that sign many a times too but never thought to blog about it. LOL Good job getting the pic.

Loretta Nall said...

Y'all feel free to grab this pic for use on your own sites. I know how hard it can be to get a shot of the sign from the interstate so this pic is available for anyone who wants to use it.

Anonymous said...

what kind of camera did you get

Mandoki Realty said...

god, that sign irritates the piss out of me.. and i love the water wheel, so that makes it even worse.

what's better is the sign in anniston that tells you to show 3 people you love them today. (it used to say tell, but within the last 5 years since i moved, they changed it)

The Mad Patriot said...

I love that sign, despite hating the sentiment expressed by it. It's just so delightfully tacky, like a misplaced piece of Americana from an insane version of Route 66 or something. I think it's actually a replacement - the older sign was bigger and scarier.

Somewhere between Tuscaloosa and Carrolton a few years ago there was a huge sign that simply said "THE DAY IS EVIL". I'm not sure what that was all about - anyone else ever see that one?

Anonymous said...

I'm going to steal it for Alabama in Pictures.

Anonymous said...

Oh man... You atheists have been hanging around the Southern Baptists for too long! Stop by my church anytime and feel free to join the preacher for lunch. We know how to have a good time, I assure you... :D

Loretta Nall said...

and anonymous....the camera is a Kodak Easy Share C613. My friend's Christie and Mitch gave it to me for Christmas. I LOVE it!

Anonymous said...

VERY clear and sharp photo,
Excellent work, Loretta!!!

They don't list a church-name on that sign, though . . .

Deviled Ham LOL!
(It DOES look like that Underwood's Deviled Ham character. LOL!)

Now I'm HUNGRY!!!

- - -

Deviled Ham . . .

- - According to some . . .
Deviled Ham was said to have occurred when Jesus cast a legion of demons from a possessed man, into a herd of pigs,
as mentioned in Mark 5:8-5:13 and Luke 8:30-8:33 ;)

- - -

the mad patriot SAID:
"there was a huge sign that simply said "THE DAY IS EVIL". I'm not sure what that was all about"

Could be a misquote/typo from/of . . .

Matthew 6:34 (KJV english),
"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

I believe what is being said in Matt 6:34 by Jesus is . . .
"Don't 'worry' about tomorrow, tomorrow will take care of itself, today's got enough problems."

- - -
johanna SAID:
"what's better is the sign in anniston that tells you to show 3 people you love them today. (it used to say tell, but within the last 5 years since i moved, they changed it)".

That is better, (changed to 'SHOW' rather than just 'TELL' . . .).
- - -

loretta nall SAID:

This is one of the strangest signs I have ever seen. It is fear-based....but honest somehow. Look at that Devil and his scythe. And isn't it just great how the fear is used to get people through the doors of a religion that worships a God that is supposed to be loving and forgiving? But...if I don't go hang out with a bunch of hypocrites on Sunday morning and listen to some dull-ass man ramble on for what truly seems like an eternity...then I get burned in a lake of fire forever and ever and ever and ever."

Mere 'church-attendance' doesn't guarantee anyone a a reprieve from Hell.

I believe that the determination of 'who's going to Heaven and who isn't',
REALLY has more to do with how we treat, truly care about and show love towards other people . . .

Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

---
A personal PET PEEVE of my own . . .

Didn't God say 'EVERY' in the following verses,
(Regarding ALL of the PLANTS God created)

Gen 1:29 And God said, Behold, I HAVE GIVEN YOU you EVERY herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of ALL the earth, and EVERY tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat, (FOOD)*.

Gen 1:30 And to EVERY beast of the earth, and to EVERY fowl of the air, and to EVERY thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given EVERY green herb for meat, (FOOD)* : and it was so.

I wonder if there's any churches left that even STILL believe this, in its entirety, anymore?

Some relegate this validity of Genesis 1:29-1:30 concerning the more controversial plant-species,
to the realm of being of 'witchcraft' / 'sorcery'. (Greek: Pharmakeia)
(Especially those plant-species which may cause marked changes to oneself when consumed).

*FOOD:
Made by God to fulfil specific NECESSARY biochemical NEEDS of human and animal-life,
(NEEDS: Caloric/fuel, tissue-rebuiding/growth, proper-functioning/health ).

- - -Even some of the more reputedly 'dangerous', 'evil', and truly poisonous plants,
such as deadly nightshade species / belladonna,
(and also previously regarded as tools of 'witchcraft' / 'witches' many centuries ago, as well as botanically-related species, such as tomatoes and potatoes),
have modern medical applications:
Compounds naturally* derived from belladonna species are still used in some motion-sickness patches / pills,
and in most pupil-dilation drops administered before eye-exams.

*I believe it's a sin to use synthetics, they're just not as good/safe.

- - I agree with what almod had to say in comments about
"A Question about Slavery and the Ten Commandments" BLOGPOST
concerning possible corruption of Scripture / Christianity/religeon . . .
I believe this is also applicable to churches' incomplete belief / partial-belief in Genesis 1:29's validity:

" almod said...

Quite simple. The bible was written, interpreted, re-written, edited, interpreted, re-writte, and edited again over and over by mortal men. I'm a Christian, and I believe that (in its purest form) it was inspired by God and could have even been a direct word from God, but I also believe that it's possible that it has been corrupted by man over the centuries. The basic, purest message of the Bible has always been preserved for those who don't nit pick over the details. (There's truth to the saying that the "devil is in the details.") There is also a very noticeable emphasis throughout the Bible to "seek out the truth" and to learn as much as possible, as if there is some knowledge there that the message would someday be corrupted. Even Lucifer himself used scripture to his own means, and for those reasons, my belief is that the "false religion" that the Bible warns Christians so much about will stem from Christianity itself and possibly even consider itself to be Christianity."

Anonymous said...

"Mere 'church-attendance' doesn't guarantee anyone a a reprieve from Hell.

I believe that the determination of 'who's going to Heaven and who isn't',
REALLY has more to do with how we treat, truly care about and show love towards other people . . ."


And I believe he's hit the nail on the head.

european tourist said...

Loretta, thank you so much!!!! I saw the sign and was yelping out loud. I told so many people both here in the US and back home in Europe about it and finally i have evidence.

DeanJR said...

I have family there. I have seen it many times but never got a picture of it. Thanks for sharing.