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OMG: This AL Church billboard is an accurate representation of a churchs moral bankruptcy! (Original Post) kpete Nov 2017 OP
not that donnie would enforce it, but this directly violates tax laws unblock Nov 2017 #1
This! Roland99 Nov 2017 #2
Or... assuming it is a real sign jberryhill Nov 2017 #7
always a possibility! visually at least, it's better quality than the usual fakes. unblock Nov 2017 #8
Yeah jberryhill Nov 2017 #9
i think you found the church if there's only one with that name at 1100 anything. unblock Nov 2017 #11
-don't know why anyone would bother to alter the name or even the address- jberryhill Nov 2017 #13
Not a Photoshop expert, but... Girard442 Nov 2017 #18
Yah, it appears to be real jberryhill Nov 2017 #19
Ah, got it.... jberryhill Nov 2017 #16
All you need to know dalton99a Nov 2017 #3
Call the IRS and get their tax exempt status removed crazycatlady Nov 2017 #4
Violation of tax laws? Adrahil Nov 2017 #5
Any idea where that church is? jberryhill Nov 2017 #6
He was never accused of molesting little girls world wide wally Nov 2017 #10
Bob Dylan's 115th Dream... kentuck Nov 2017 #12
And here I thought there was a federal law that a church couldn't endorse a sinkingfeeling Nov 2017 #14
Oh Lordy....... BoneyardDem Nov 2017 #15
Holy crap. frogmarch Nov 2017 #17
Call the IRS! backscatter712 Nov 2017 #20
There is a "Living Way Ministries" in AL with an 1100 address. Gore1FL Nov 2017 #21
It seems to have gone off the radar on Facebook's search, but you can still Google it. Girard442 Nov 2017 #22
No decent person can be an Evangelical or a Jihadi. Dawson Leery Nov 2017 #23
Update: Real but not authorized by the pastor Provasek Aug 2019 #24

unblock

(52,165 posts)
1. not that donnie would enforce it, but this directly violates tax laws
Thu Nov 30, 2017, 11:08 AM
Nov 2017

assuming the church claims to be a non-profit organization.

explicitly directing people to vote for a candidate is one of the few clear violations.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
7. Or... assuming it is a real sign
Thu Nov 30, 2017, 11:21 AM
Nov 2017

Church sign meme generators are pretty popular:



The only "Living Way Ministries" located at 1100 anything in Alabama does not appear to have a sign like that:

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x888ceb59d15ed3a1:0x7e907c61090282d0!2m22!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i20!16m16!1b1!2m2!1m1!1e1!2m2!1m1!1e3!2m2!1m1!1e5!2m2!1m1!1e4!2m2!1m1!1e6!3m1!7e115!4s/maps/place/%2522living%2Bway%2Bministries%2522%2Balabama/@32.6206457,-85.3520261,3a,75y,309.88h,90t/data%3D*213m4*211e1*213m2*211sJiDlRbzcKsRB5u1YgzAS0w*212e0*214m2*213m1*211s0x888ceb59d15ed3a1:0x7e907c61090282d0!5s%22living+way+ministries%22+alabama+-+Google+Search&imagekey=!1e2!2sJiDlRbzcKsRB5u1YgzAS0w&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwje3sfZy-bXAhWGPN8KHTjODioQpx8IdjAK

Shortened URL to Google street view:

https://goo.gl/SQGKG6

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
9. Yeah
Thu Nov 30, 2017, 11:28 AM
Nov 2017

I don't know.

But it's amazing how many people take things they see on Twitter at face value.

Should be a simple question to identify the church.

unblock

(52,165 posts)
11. i think you found the church if there's only one with that name at 1100 anything.
Thu Nov 30, 2017, 11:37 AM
Nov 2017

when people fake signs, they take real images of church signs and just photoshop the actual message. don't know why anyone would bother to alter the name or even the address.

so it's very likely that everything about the sign is real except quite possibly the text of the message itself.

i suspect that given that the sign has a slightly reflective covering on it, that would make it a poor choice for internet fake sign making, but i'd defer to a photoshop expert on that.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
13. -don't know why anyone would bother to alter the name or even the address-
Thu Nov 30, 2017, 11:43 AM
Nov 2017

...to avoid issues with the real church.

The reflections help give it a realistic look, and are in a lot of church sign generators:





But if you think I found the church, where is the sign?

Girard442

(6,066 posts)
18. Not a Photoshop expert, but...
Thu Nov 30, 2017, 11:55 AM
Nov 2017

...the Google imagery is dated July 2013, more than four years ago. The background of the "falsely accused" sign is consistent with the background of the entirely different sign shown by Google. Also, in the "falsely accused" sign, there is a reflection of a utility pole with a transformer and a street lamp that is visible in the 2013 Google imagery. The reflection overlays the "falsely accused" text.

If it's a fake, it's a mighty fine one.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
16. Ah, got it....
Thu Nov 30, 2017, 11:49 AM
Nov 2017

The sign must be new.

If you zoom in on the Google street view, and in the sign picture, that house on the knoll with the chain link fence seem to line up (along with the position of the telephone pole).

New sign replaced old sign in street view, and it's the only "Living Way" with an address of 1100 anything.

dalton99a

(81,426 posts)
3. All you need to know
Thu Nov 30, 2017, 11:10 AM
Nov 2017

Incidentally, the new tax bill would lift the 1954 ban on political activism by churches

kentuck

(111,069 posts)
12. Bob Dylan's 115th Dream...
Thu Nov 30, 2017, 11:43 AM
Nov 2017

Lyrics
I was riding on the mayflower when I thought I spied some land
I was riding on the mayflower when I thought I spied some land
I yelled down to captain arab, I'll have ya understand,
Who came running to the deck and said boys forget the whale
We're goin' over yonder. cut the engines. change the sails.
Haul on that bowline we sang that melody,
Like all tough sailors do when they're far away at sea.
I think I'll call it america. I said as we hit land.
I took a deep breath. I fell down, I could not stand.
Captain arab he starting writing out some deeds
He said let's build us a fort and start buying the place with beads.
Just then a cop come down the street crazy as a loon
They throws us all in jail for carryin' harpoons.
Aw, me, I busted out don't even ask me how,
I went lookin' for some help, I walked past a guernsey cow
Who directed me down to the bowery slums
Where people carried signs around sayin' ban the bums.
I jumped right in line, sayin' I hope that I'm not late
When I realized I hadn't eaten for five days straight.
I went into a restaurant lookin' for the cook
I told him I was the editor of a famous etiquette book.
The waitress he was handsome and he wore a powder blue cape.
I ordered up some suzette, I said could you please make that crepe
Just then the whole kitchen exploded from boiling fat
Food was flyin' everywhere I left without my hat.
I didn't mean to be nosy but I went into a bank
To get some bail for arab the boys back in the tank.
They asked me for some collateral and I pulled down my pants.
They threw me in the alley, when up comes this girl from france
Who invited me to her house. I went, but she had a friend
Who knocked me out an' robbed my boots an' was I on the street again.
I rapped upon a house with a u.s. flag upon display.
I said can you please help me out, I got some friends down the way.
The man said get out of here I'll tear you limb from limb.
I said you know, they refused jesus, too. he said you're not him.

Get out of here before I break your bones. I ain't your pop.
I decided to have him arrested and went looking for a cop.
I ran right outside and hopped inside a cab
I went out the other door this english man said fab
As he saw me leap a hot dog stand and a chariot that stood
Parked across from a building advertising brotherhood.
I ran right through the front door like a hobo sailor does,
But it was just a funeral parlor and the man asked me who I was
I repeated that all my friends were in jail, with a sigh.
He gave me his card and said call me if they die.
I shook his hand and said goodbye and went back out on the street,
When a bowling ball came down the road and knocked me off my feet.
A pay phone was ringin' and it just about blew my mind
When I picked it up an' said hello, this foot came through the line
Well about this time I was fed up at trying to make a stab
At bringing back any help for my friends and captain arab.
I decided to flip a coin, like either heads or tails,
Would let me know if I should go back to ship or back to jail.
So I hocked my sailor's suit an' I got a coin to flip.
It came up tails, it rhymed with sails, so I made it back to the ship.
Well I got back and took the parking ticket off the mast.
I was ripping it to shreds when this coast guard boat went past.
They asked me my name and I said captain kidd
They believed me but they wanted to know exactly what I did
I said for the pope of eyruke I was employed
They let me go right away, they were very paranoid
Well the last I heard of arab he was stuck on the side of a whale
That was married to the deputy sheriff of the jail
But the funniest thing was as I was leavin' the bay
I saw three ships sailing and they were all headed my way
I asked the captain what his name was an' how come he didn't drive a truck
He said his name was Columbus an' I just said good luck

sinkingfeeling

(51,444 posts)
14. And here I thought there was a federal law that a church couldn't endorse a
Thu Nov 30, 2017, 11:45 AM
Nov 2017

political candidate and keep their
tax exemption.

backscatter712

(26,355 posts)
20. Call the IRS!
Thu Nov 30, 2017, 12:07 PM
Nov 2017

Churches are not supposed to endorse political candidates. Especially while they pay no taxes.

Gore1FL

(21,117 posts)
21. There is a "Living Way Ministries" in AL with an 1100 address.
Thu Nov 30, 2017, 01:55 PM
Nov 2017
https://www.yelp.com/biz/living-way-ministries-opelika

I was trying to see if I could find a generator with that sign, but found the above in yelp.

I looked at the street view from Google. It was from 2013, and I didn't find a similar sign--but they did have 4 years to install one since the picture was taken.

The church's advertised (but now defunct) website is here: http://livingwayministries.com/

The church facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Living%20Way%20Ministry%20al

I originally was leaning towards this being fake. If it is, someone is going pretty far out of their way to hammer this specific church. I am leaning towards this being real.

Provasek

(2 posts)
24. Update: Real but not authorized by the pastor
Sat Aug 31, 2019, 04:29 AM
Aug 2019

This was real, apparently done by one of the many volunteers that serve the church. The church says this was not authorized by the pastor, and was removed in a day or two. But I am sure most of the church members supported Moore

https://wgno.com/2017/12/05/church-under-fire-for-they-falsely-accused-jesus-vote-roy-moore-sign/

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