There are two conversations here:

1) Is communicating hard line core beliefs an effective form of evangelism in current culture?

2) Is street advertising the best use of resources to communicate(anything)?

#1 …NO

As for number 2? No way!!!

Considering the cost of the land and the massive carved granite piece we're looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars.

give me 200,000 grand to hire a web dev, community manager and a film maker and I will explode your message all over the globe via the internet!

If it's at a busy intersection, how can you read it except if you're stopped there? And if you're driving through, does it create an additional hazard if you're trying to read it while driving by?

To me, it seems like the type of stunt that gets you on the 6:00 news one time as the "crazy Christian of the week". Like Vince said, there are better ways of getting your message out in long-lasting fashion.

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tim Stevens. Tim Stevens said: Putting up ten commandments on busy intersection–effective? or waste of money? http://ow.ly/3vHoF [...]

If the idea is to reach people this is not effective, especially since it's KJV wording, which your average person tends to block out. What's a graven image? What does covet mean? What is the sabbath day? People won't take the time to ask those questions, and if they did, who would they ask? The CVS employees? The money spent could have built a few wells or fed the hungry or clothed the naked or given hope to the lost. This doesn't do any of those things.

If the idea was to create some attractive landscaping, I'd still have to say no.

I think it was a good investment and a good reminder.

This couple obviously hasn't read Galatians. What would it look like if the Beatitudes were posted on street corners instead of the Ten Commandments?

Maybe if churches taught these Laws of God, private citizens wouldn't feel a need to do it themselves.

I don't understand why Christians would make a ten commandments display. An explanation of the Gospel would be better. "The Law" is what Jesus set us free from. Read Romans and think about it. Someone should graffiti "Your sins are forgiven by Christ" on top of the commandments.

If we had a way to track lives transformed by the grace of God/$ spent on that or per $ given to a church that's actually reaching people, I bet we'd find that churches are much better investments.

If I give $1 to my church I know that someone will come to know Jesus in part b/c of my gift. I bet no one comes to know Jesus b/c of that display. Will it help people behave better? Maybe. Will some people see it as evidence that Christians are judgemental? Yep. Jesus didn't come to get us to behave. He wants us to be His. Once that happens, following the ten commandments is actually possible. Trying harder never leads to success.

It really is up to that couple. Are they are listening to God's voice in their lives? If He wants them to do it, obedience is your only choice, not pragmatism. If they are not listening to Him then the pragmatism comes into play.

Kind of funny how conservative things are now OK to scrutinize and even bash but lets not dare do it with our own sacred cows.

Get it. Cows. Aaron. Golden cow…

Here is a quote from the story…

"In this day and age, when economics are tough, we're looking across the board at so many things and it gives people encouragement, it gives them hope," said Shelly.

Are we against hope? Are we the authority on what the culture views as hope? Do we get to decide what is a waste of money for our fellow brothers and sisters?

thanks, out…bb

People don't care how much we know until they know how much we care. Gray granite slabs don't do a lot to convey care. The only other thing typically on gray granite slabs like the ones in your picture are grave stones. The irony shouldn't be lost. Invest the money in transforming lives via an embodied Christology.

As a new resident in the Kendallville area, I saw the commandments at that intersection and smiled. It gave me comfort and hope and pride that I live in a country where freedom is alive, in a community where something like this can sit as a reminder of the freedom of religion I and others have. The organized church may be dying, old testament laws may seem out of touch with today's society, and Christians are not always the best representatives of Christ. But the Word is God is truth and I am glad that I can see this simple reminder of the Word when I am in Kendallville.

i think a tombstone with "our deepest regrets…we're sorry" signed by christians may leave more of an impression and evoke thought for those without Christ than anything else.

I have to be honest, I can't imagine this sparks much in the way of useful conversation. How much better would the time and money spent here be if used to connect with their neighbors, serve their community in some way, and to SHOW Christ to people, rather than TELLING them about laws. This is tantamount to having someone read a manual on flying a plane in order for them to experience flying. They won't really know anything (and nothing they read will mean anything) until they have actually been in the air. These laws are pretty ineffective, alienating even, unless you first know and experience God's grace. If scripture began and ended with these laws, then I wouldn't be a Christian – I'd have failed along time ago and so would have everyone else. Why do we think telling people half the story (the depressing, you're-out-of-luck half) leads them to God? God didn't end the story there, so why do we?