Effing Around in Effingham

I'm on my work-related, round-the-state trip around Illinois and am currently in the southern part.

On the way to southern Illinois is a town called Effingham. Every time I mention Effingham to anyone, giggles seem to ensue. I can picture the following scenario:

"Are we having turkey for Christmas dinner?"

"No. We're having an effing ham!"

Anyway, the most notorious thing about Effingham is this giant, 200-foot cross that some guy constructed there on the side of the highway. It's really huge. I tried taking a photo of it from my car:

Here's another photo of it from their website:

Like I said, I don't know why it's there, but it is.

I do have one idea as to its presence, though.

If you drive just a little farther south on Interstate 57, you'll see a giant billboard for an adult super-center. It's pretty skanky, so I couldn't help but to pull over for you and take a couple of photos of their signs.

Just like the cross, one cannot help but notice them:

I really get a kick out of the juxtaposition between these two notable sights in Effingham. But here's why I think the cross was put there:

If anyone from Effingham visits Adult Time Porno Emporium, they have to drive right past the giant cross in order to get back into town. Maybe the producer of the cross envisioned Adult Time patrons seeing his cross and suddenly feeling compelled to empty their back seats full of adulty entertainment items that they had just procured.

Who knows. . .

Here's another thought I had:

If Jesus had been crucified on the Cross in Effingham, perhaps his last words would have been:
"Hey. I can see Adult Time from up here!"