Ohio Debuts 50-Foot Hug Me Jesus Statue

Ohio Debuts 50-Foot Hug Me Jesus Statue - as part of the news series by GeoBeats.

Religious statues are usually understated.

A church in Ohio had a different approach with their newest masterpiece. Taking residence along a major highway rests a 50-foot high Jesus statue.

Constructed of fire resisting elements with an accompanying lightening rod it is titled ‘Hug Me Jesus’.

The new statue is taking the place of “Touchdown Jesus”, a prior sculpture that burned down in the summer of 2010 due to a lightning strike.

‘Hug Me Jesus’ has open arms facing the highway, looking like he is ready to hug all travelers. It weighs in at nearly 30,000 pounds and it was built to endure winds at speeds up to 80 miles per hour. The statue’s designer states “It's kind of like a reminder for people to get along with each other."

The former “Touchdown Jesus” was even larger than the new statue. It stood over 60 feet tall and was 40 feet wide at the base. It got the infamous name because Jesus had his arms up, resembling a referee signaling a touchdown.

How do you like the new statue?