A NEW BILLBOARD: CHRIST OF THE OZARKS STATUE

In Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a stone colossus of Jesus was the centerpiece of controversy for the whole state. In Arkansas, there is only one 65-foot statue of Jesus. There is also only one abortion clinic. No professional sports teams. Just a bunch of angry men with no outlets, writing outrageous laws about vaginas. That, and the second highest rate (by state) of infant mortality.

It was the brainchild of a man named Gerald K. Smith, a religious activist, white nationalist and fanatic anti-Semite whose final dream was to give Jesus his own theme park, though we think it would have been better as a water park.

“The Christ of the Ozarks is visible from miles away, so we just treated it like a billboard. We aren’t necessarily 'pro-choice' or 'anti-life,' those terms are double-speak. We just think abortion is a goddamn miracle worth celebrating. It saves lives, but those lives are usually female.”