Last month we told you about the campaign run by the social media persona “God” to erect a “God Loves Gays” billboard in Topeka, Kansas, the hometown of the hate mongering Westboro Baptist Church. The campaign, which sought to raise $50,000 for this project, has been wildly successful, already raising over $80,000. On Monday, God's billboard went up as promised. Mashable reports:
Despite his omnipotence, God actually got the idea for the billboard from his social media followers. "One day I asked them, what would you like the LORD to do in the real world? Well, the top suggestion (with over 1,000 ‘likes') was to put up a billboard in Topeka, Kansas that says ‘God Loves Gays.' I shared this idea and asked them if I should do it, and the resounding answer was, ‘Yes please, for the love of all that is holy, yes.' “
The additional funds God raised will be used “toward ‘stretch goals' of buying bus ads, donations to an LGBT suicide prevention organization, and the National Alliance to End Homelessness.” The Westboro Baptist Church meanwhile embraced the billboard, attempting to spin the story in their typical hateful way on Twitter and in a written statement:
Many #Christians wrongly think that God has one law for them and another for #Israel – He doesn't and He never will! pic.twitter.com/MzpQN8bBrs
— WBCSays (@FalseReligions) September 8, 2014
"Thank God for that lying billboard! Every soul that sees it will either rejoice for the lie and the vain hope of afflicting the servants of God at WBC," Shirley Phelps-Roper, a spokesperson for the Church tells Mashable via email. "Or, they will sigh and mourn for that awful sin and all the parts of it, knowing that every single soul that weighed in with money or words, in favor of that lying billboard, will stand before God in the Judgment, so very ashamed. Knowing also, that when they stand before God in the judgment, it will be TOO LATE for repentance, and eternal torment will follow."
Meanwhile, Lamar Advertising, the billboard company who sold the space, had a few reservations about the billboard according to God:
"They seemed a tad nervous," He writes. "Thus far they have only let Me purchase the billboard through March of 2015. I wanted to purchase the full year. I also wanted to investigate other bigger billboards around town. But before they'll do that the billboard company wants to see if the community accepts it and likes it first.”
Lamar, however, insists,
“We support the First Amendment right of advertisers and believe that it is in the best interest of our company and the communities we serve to accept advertising copy openly. We do not accept or reject copy based upon agreement or disagreement with the views presented. We are firmly committed to our copy acceptance policy.”
Q Salt Lake also reports that should the project reach $100,000 in funding, God will put up another billboard in Provo, Utah.
You can still contribute to God's IndieGoGo campaign HERE.
And ICYMI, check out the video message from God about his billboard project, AFTER THE JUMP…
