The World's Biggest What (Monaghan Crucifix barf alert)

The Michigan Daily ^ | February 5, 2002 | Peter Cunniffe

[cebadams]

The world’s biggest what?

Peter Cunniffe
One for the Road

One for the Road (Peter Cunniffe)

Of all the weirdos and self-righteous ideologues who populate Ann Arbor, one stands above all the rest. He shares the eccentricity and propensity to induce rampant eye-rolling that so many Trotskyist affirmative-action supporters and screaming street preachers share, but puts them to shame by being about the only one of our local wackos to be able to bring his grandiose schemes to fruition. Unlike those dedicated, but under-funded, champions of this-or-that cause, Tom Monaghan has the money to turn his repellant delusions into reality.

The Domino’s Pizza founder and right wing sugar daddy has long planned to move his currently Ypsilanti-based Ave Maria School of Law to his Domino’s Farms property in Ann Arbor Township, where it will anchor Ave Maria University. The best part, of course, is that besides programming his students with rightist, politicized Catholicism, he wants to jam it in everyone else’s faces too with the world’s largest crucifix. If the Ann Arbor Township Planning Commission and Trustees approve of the project, the intersection of US-23 and M-14 may soon be the site of a 250-foot tower, with a 40-foot Jesus on top.

Why do I get the feeling that what he’s actually building is a giant middle finger pointed right at our going-straight-to-hell campus?

There was a time when if a devout Catholic had a lot of extra money lying around, or a lot of peasants to force into laboring for him, he would build things that were at least attractive, like cathedrals, that had some ostensibly worship-related purpose. The world’s tallest crucifix isn’t something that anyone needs to further his faith and Monaghan is likely smart enough to know that the spectacle is so unlikely to convince anyone to start following Catholicism that it can’t possibly be erected to proselytize.

The probable goal of Mega-Jesus is to be a show of defiance: That, though this is a largely liberal area, Monaghan and his minions are right here too and driven to change our world into theirs. That is after all the point of Ave Maria University. Not only to train people to be more personally religious, but to train them to push conservative causes through political, social and legal advocacy. That’s also why he started the Ann Arbor Political Action Committee to fund pro-theocracy political candidates and founded the Thomas More Law Center to push for state-supported religion (his religion, mind you) in the public schools through the courts. The big cross symbolizes his goals well; an in-your-face display that forces itself into the lives of innocent and uninterested bystanders. Monaghan is an enthusiastic member of the crowd that sees their religion as something to beat other people over the head with.

Most people in Ann Arbor respect those of other faiths. Hell, they even respect those with no religious inclinations (gasp). But being religious and putting up a giant religious icon that towers over everything else in town are two very different things.

Monaghan has made perfectly clear over the years that there’s not enough religion, at least his favored brand of overtly politicized religion, anywhere. And what better place to base his crusade for more than notoriously lefty Ann Arbor?

Monaghan is known for advocating such charming views as “Marriage should be permanent, for better or for worse” and regarding abortion, “this country is committing a million and a half murders a year. If I were God I would send another flood,” as he told the Detroit News in 1999. He also likes complaining about nuns not wearing habits anymore.

He’s certainly a traditionalist, though ideologically only. Building a huge Jesus to glare down at the unbelievers, not-fervent-enough believers and infidels among us is quite an unusual tactic. I’ll admit it’s slightly more tasteful than the huge cross put up next to I-275 that’s really a cellular tower, but a giant advertisement for anything, including a religion, isn’t what an area otherwise devoid of tall buildings and other structures needs.

Hopefully the Planning Commission can see that and prevents an area of low buildings and woods from being dominated by this thing.

I can hear the complaints already: “You’re just saying this shouldn’t be put up because it’s about religion, if it was anything else it would be fine.” I wouldn’t say anything else would be fine, but yes, this is different because it’s about religion. I don’t think anyone’s particular religious symbol should loom over a community. It carries an exclusionary tone, says something about who has power (or who should) and suggests a character about an area. Whatever the religious symbol was, it would convey a great deal of negative meaning to a lot of people in the way a tall building never would.

This isn’t about excluding someone’s religion, but not letting one literally tower over us. I don’t really know what Monaghan had in mind when planning his huge crucifix, but if he was trying to get people to think about religion, especially his idea of it, I don’t think it will work. If you’re into right wing politifaith, you are and if you aren’t, the sheer size of something won’t change your mind. But for me and I suspect a lot of people, it will indeed get us to think about something more frequently than we normally would: What a tool Tom Monaghan is.

Peter Cunniffe can be reached at pcunniff@umich.edu.

[cebadams]

In today's edition of the Michigan Daily (2-5-02), an editorial column written by Peter Cunniffe attacks Mr. Tom Monaghan, the founder of Dominos Pizza and native Ann Arborite, for his recent plans concerning the building of the world's LARGEST crucifix on the property of Dominos Farms here in Ann Arbor. Cunniffee attacks Mr. Monaghan for his Catholic views, including his devout pro-life stance and calls his plans for evangelizing Ann Arbor as "repellant delusions."

I know everyone at Freerepublic is not Catholic or Christian but this attack on Mr. Monaghan is an attack not only on his faith, but also on his very active pro-life stance. We must stand up for Mr. Monaghan, who has pledged to "die broke." He uses his money for spreading the gospel, helping the poor, and standing up for the unborn. He deserves our support.

What is the definition of hate speech if not this editorial!

[ladyjane]

Who do we email/fax/call?

[Rain-maker]

I suppose if he wanted to erect a giant pizza it would be no problem.
Amazing that symbols of hope and spirituality bring out the worst in some.

[speedy]

His e-mail is right at the end of the article. Fire away -- hit his eye like a big pizza pie. That's a moron.

[krodriguesdc]

I think there is a rather large crucifix on I35 before one of the truck stops...

it is really quite a beautiful site...

There is a big flood light is at its base...

I use to look forward to seeing it every time I traveled by that way...

it was quite comforting...

[kassie]

I can't believe this article was even published.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

If mommy and daddy are paying his tuition, they deserve a refund.

[Seruzawa]

Cunniffe is what we've come to expect from liberals of his ilk- unhousebroken, ill-mannered and self-important. He even seems to think that he is full of biting insight and witticism.

I doubt that Sam Clemens would be much worried that his pre-eminent legacy as a superior wit is threatened by such literary geniuses as Pete.

And I doubt that to Monaghan that 'ol Pete has any more nuisance value than a housefly.

[Publius6961]

...he wants to jam it in everyone else’s faces too...

Well well.
Now you know how us normal folk feel, Mr.Peter Cunniffe.
How did I know you were a member of the pervert brigade?
Easy. The choice of words and the venom expressed is the standard lexicon of the deviants.

Good for Mr. Pizza...

[Dumb_Ox]

Why bother with a shrill college newspaper when you can listen to Ave Maria Radio or read Credo Magazine, both in the Michigan area.

[Publius6961]

Not if he has two mommies...

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Monaghan is known for advocating such charming views as “Marriage should be permanent, for better or for worse” and regarding abortion, “this country is committing a million and a half murders a year. If I were God I would send another flood,” as he told the Detroit News in 1999. He also likes complaining about nuns not wearing habits anymore.

This is supposed to be damning evidence of Monaghan's right-wing extremism? Where do I sign up?

[Dumb_Ox]

What a tool Tom Monaghan is.

"Huh-huh, huhuhuh. Beavis, he said tool. Like, I do that all the time. I could be a college journalist."

American universities: raising the next generation of Buttheads.

[The Real Eddie01]

That, though this is a largely liberal area, Monaghan and his minions are right here too and driven to change our world into theirs.

Quite possibly the most pathetic sentence ever written.

..., Tom Monaghan has the money to turn his repellant delusions into reality.

Quite possibly the most pathetic sentence fragment ever written.

Sooo... Smart = Atheist?

He's just jealous that HE doesn't have anything to put on top of a tower, except maybe mega-peter.

[JmyBryan]

I do not understand why this is such a big deal. If a guy wants to build a big cross, why not? I mean, as long as he does it legally, where's the harm? This is America isn't it?

[cebadams]

The Michigan Daily is indeed a college rag and I wouldn't normally even bother with it. But this opinion piece just hit the wrong way. What gives ANYONE the right to say the things this writer does? And this same rag will be the first to define hate speech when anyone has a difference of opinion toward any of their favored groups.

[cebadams]

Monaghan owns acres and acres of land in Ann Arbor. It is large enough that there is a free roaming herd of buffalo on it. This proposed cross could fall over and not hit anything or even leave the property. But to some just having to LOOK at a religious symbol is offensive!! If you think about it, this same concept could be extended easily enough to churches and other symbols.

[real saxophonist]

Yo Pete - How much 'za U scarf.

[Campion]

besides programming his students with rightist, politicized Catholicism

Funny ... I thought "diversity" was a good thing?!?

[marshmallow]

"......an in-your-face display that forces itself into the lives of innocent and uninterested bystanders."

Innocent? LOL. He makes it sound like they've been assaulted or raped.

Where has this gentleman been? Has he nothing to say about that huge "Marlboro Man" billboard which assaults my eyes each morning? Nothing to say about that obnoxious advertising hoarding for a local "gentleman's club" which is visible to all and sundry? Does he have a problem with the Statue of Liberty, or is it only large religious symbols which raise his hackles? Is it only secular things which we are free to advertise?

It's called freedom, my friend. Nobody has a right not to be offended. Your rights do not extend to gazing only on things which you find pleasureable. Those priveleges are reserved for people like Caesar, Nero and Hitler who want to make the world obey their will.

You Mr. Cuniffe, will just have to "deal with it".