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"As drivers wait for a green light on Winchester Road, they automatically lean their heads forward to view the 72-foot sea-foam-green Statue of Liberation overlooking Hickory Hill.
The towering replica of the Statue of Liberty -- with a few Christian touches -- is being erected in front of the 12,000-member World Overcomers Outreach Ministries Church at Winchester and Kirby Parkway.
Replacing the recognizable torch, Lady Liberty holds a cross.
A beige sheet veils much of the $260,000 statue and will be removed during a Fourth of July ceremony.
Lady Liberty's uncovered eyes already peer down on the community. A tear falls from her right eye representing her concern for America.
Church members said the mixture of the statue and Christian symbols represent "America belonging to God through Jesus Christ."
The statue's famous inscription -- "Give me your tired, your poor ..." -- has been replaced with Roman numerals representing the Ten Commandments.
The seven-spiked crown that represents the seven seas of the world, has been changed to signify the seven redemptive names of Christ, according to church pastor Apostle Alton R. Williams.
Inscribed on the crown is the name Jehovah.
Workers are still assembling the Statue of Liberation for her Independence Day debut, but not all members of the community are happy.
"That church is trashing the meaning of America," said 11-year Hickory Hill resident Evelyn Douglass.
"The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of the United States of America," she said. "The cross represents a specific religion. It's not right that they are mixing the two."
Douglass now takes the long way home to avoid "the big green thing."
Across the street at Mapco Express, manager Mary Preyer awaits the final product.
"I like the idea of the Statue of Liberty holding a cross representing freedom through Jesus Christ," Preyer said. "I just think its funding could have been put to better use for the neighborhood. It's definitely got people talking."
Conversation is exactly what Williams hopes the statue will spark.
"People don't talk about Christ anymore and our morals are gone," Williams said. "People cannot drive by our statue without thinking about their relationship with God."
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