Yesterdays Redding Searchlight, (local daily paper), ran a front page story about a man who, "wants", to erect a 200 foot Jesus statue on top of Iron Mountain. He owns the iron mountain mine, ( a superfund toxic cleanup site ), and said he envisions a 200 foot Jesus on the mountain top that would surpass the one in South America. The people who post comments below the stories, "on line", went crazy.
Here's the first part of the story;
Mine owner wants to erect statue of Jesus
Iron Mountain site could be home to 200-foot Jesus, mineral extraction
Photo by Greg Barnette / Record Searchlight
Water is treated Tuesday at Iron Mountain Mine. The mine’s owner said he has plans to pull minerals from the famously acidic water, as well as put the world’s tallest statue of Jesus Christ atop the mountain.
Ted Arman
IRON MOUNTAIN MINE -- Ted Arman has big plans for his Iron Mountain Mine and the acidic water that seeps from the federal Superfund site.
They include a return to mineral mining at the site nine miles northwest of Redding and a 200-foot Italian marble statue of Jesus Christ atop the 3,500-foot mountain that Arman says would be the largest in the world. Next to the steel-framed Christ would stand a 100-foot crucifix made of a material yet to be named.
"I hope to make the property a Garden of Eden,' " Arman said.
But a federal official says that none of Arman's changes is in the works at the mine, home to what scientists have called the world's worst water and whose iron-red scar is visible from much of Redding.
"He has always had a number of plans for the mine," said Rick Sugarek, project manager for the Environmental Protection Agency's cleanup of Iron Mountain.
Sugarek said Arman hasn't made any proposals to the EPA detailing how he would extract minerals -- such as copper, zinc and cadmium -- from the mines' acidic water or for erecting the massive statue.
As long as the statue doesn't interfere with the cleanup effort at the mine, Sugarek said Arman should be free to build it -- it is his property.
This got the people talking, and writing stuff like;
Posted by Workingman on June 11, 2008 at 6:03 a.m.
I hope this doesn't happen...This guy is a nut job.
Posted by linda1005 on June 11, 2008 at 6:11 a.m.
This always gets me...how unsafe is Iron Mtn. Mine? Growing up in Redding, we would go there on field trips with school. I think I may still have a few of the pretty rocks we got to take home. I guess I should consider myself lucky to have viewed it firsthand.
Posted by downtowner on June 11, 2008 at 6:30 a.m.
No way.
Posted by justmy2cents on June 11, 2008 at 6:38 a.m.
Awesome!
Posted by shsjuniorAP on June 11, 2008 at 6:43 a.m.
disgusting
Posted by ConfirmedPassword on June 11, 2008 at 6:56 a.m.
ugh
Posted by Sparky on June 11, 2008 at 7 a.m.
Millions in our tax dollars over the past twenty years to clean up this mess, and he wants to spend his money on a giant Jesus (and giant accessories). If he wants to redeem himself by blowing tons of money, he should do something on behalf of the downtrodden the way Jesus supposedly would want him to do. Nobody needs another man-made thing around here to "enhance" the area's natural beauty. Nature did a pretty good job on the first try.
It gets better;
Posted by Treebones on June 11, 2008 at 7:14 a.m.
Maybe the statue can make wine out of that water?
Posted by terrydoo on June 11, 2008 at 7:15 a.m.
AWESOME
Posted by downtowner on June 11, 2008 at 7:16 a.m.
This is Redding, from what I see many locals would have no use for catholic symbols. Me for one. I have always considered it one of the more mixed-up religions. Cash to redeem yourself which means you can sin all you want if you are willing to pay for it.
Posted by CPeterka on June 11, 2008 at 7:21 a.m.
Freedom of Speech !!
It's just not for High School Students anymore.
I have my own version of a saviour, but I won't stop him as long as the statue does not fall on my home.
Posted by downtowner on June 11, 2008 at 7:22 a.m.
Another thing, 200 foot italian marble statue. Is Bill Gates catholic? Maybe he can get some of the oil billionaires in the middle-east to contribute.
Posted by jusdafactspls on June 11, 2008 at 7:23 a.m.
Jesus Christ!
Posted by paul52 on June 11, 2008 at 7:24 a.m.
Treebones..good line.
Posted by alvin_karpis007 on June 11, 2008 at 7:28 a.m.
Worst idea ever
This is just the warm up to two days worth of ranting and raving about statues of King Kong, Jesusland, and so forth. But wait...what's this?
Posted by HappyPhil on June 12, 2008 at 4:11 p.m.
H. P. Barnum would be proud of these guys. "Suckers never read the fine print".
These guys are trying to sell shares in a mine that they say "might" produce great riches if they are allowed to try an experimental, untested method of extraction.
That they,"want to erect a 200 foot statue of Jesus", is a monumentally brilliant publicity stunt that is working wonderfully.
Posted by Treebones on June 12, 2008 at 6:09 p.m.
HappyPhil,
I think you are on to them.
Thanks for your perspective.
I read the whole article and visited http://www.ironmountainmine.com/. The main purpose of the "news" article was to bring the mine to the attention of possible investors. I seriously doubt that Ted Arman ever actually intends to erect the proposed statue.
What I did take away from two days of contentious religious debate was a clear definition of my belief in God.
I believe in a creator of everything from microbes to mountains.
I believe the 10 commandments are good instructions for social behavior and spiritual focus. (At the moment I don't have a servant, maidservant, ox, ass, cattle or a stranger that sojourns with me, but I would give them a day off once a week if I did.)
I believe that God created you, me, Jesus, Buddah, Mohammed, Moses, etc., and is quite capable of using evolution to do so.
Jesus did not create me so I don't pray to him, but I follow his teachings.
If I were to feel the need to pray to a life form, it would be the microbe. Life on earth cannot exist without microbes.
I don't need to sacrifice, fast, grovel, punish myself, or mumble repetitive beseechings to maintain contact with God. God is within and without me. I converse, commune with and express my thanks to God always.
God, as I know Him, doesn't need money, churches, statues or ritual to guide me and nourish my soul, I am blessed.
I love what God has bestowed upon me, I am thankful and happy.
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