If you did or didn’t do a certain thing, being told something bad would happen, or the bogeyman would get you was more than a warning. When Mama said it, it was convencing; it was prophetic.
Did the warnings result in behavior changes that made us better children?
The bogeyman warning made me get in line and be obedient.
Who wouldn’t be afraid of something bad happening when your momma said it would?
These warnings were good reasons to consider one’s actions to avoid immediate or future consequences.
Did you ever wonder why it was always the boogeyman and not the bogeywoman?
Who would want to lay eyes on such a monster, whether male or female?
One profound warning associated with doing or not doing something towers above weeds and briars on I-65 near Montgomery, Alabama.
The unusual sign got my attention when I first saw it!
GO TO CHURCH OR THE DEVIL WILL GET YOU!
The sign is an attention-getter, regardless of whether one goes to church.
If the words don’t make you do a double-take, the red devil silhouette with a scythe will.
The warning sounds like something Mama would say, and is quite prophetic.
Is the sign a warning for non-churchgoers?
I’m sure people have mixed feelings and opinions about the billboard. If nothing else, the sign adds color, sizzle, and character to the roadside.
Some people may find it humourous or intriguing and love it; others may find it distasteful or unsightly and hate it.
The sign makes for a great I-Spy call-and-response game for kids.
I-Spy with my little eye something red straight ahead.
I-Spy with my little eye something red that will make you scared.
Maybe it will improve more than their observational skills.
One can purchase T-shirts, tote bags, pillows, mugs, caps, hoodies, and other items bearing the ominous warning.
W. S. “Billy” Newell, a real estate developer and owner of W. S. Newell Construction Company, erected the sign in 1988.
The sign’s design was created from a neon sign from the Tan-Kar gas station, a part of the Red Devil Laker Recreational Park. The park is located between Montgomery and Prattville.
The devil or church sign was not Newell’s only roadway creation. At various times, other billboards included “America, Love It Or Leave It and “Stand Up For America, We Need Your Pride.”
When asked why he erected the choose the devil or church sign on the National Public Radio Station (NPR) in 2005, Newell said, “Well, my mother, she told me, ‘On Sunday, if you don’t go to church, the old devil’s going to get you.’ It always stuck in my mind.” Newell added, “I’m just trying to wake up the people. So many people have dropped out of churches, I’m trying to get them back to churches.”
Some people may thank Mr. Newell for the reminder, and others may not care for the message. Like other billboards, motorists who see it are entitled to their opinions, and the billboard’s message has become a part of Alabama’s folklore.
Check out what people are saying about the “Go To Church Or The Devil Will Get You” Sign on its Facebook Page.
Is Satan a bogeyman or something much worse?
Let’s do what it takes to stay away from both.
I hope that you are happy and well.