The farmers of the American Heartland certainly know a great deal about corn, wheat and soybeans. Many have experience raising cattle, hogs and sheep. Some also fancy themselves as preachers.
Conscious of the captive audience that streams past their fields, these highway evangelists promote their beliefs with a self-righteous zeal. Scripture verse adorns the side of barns, images of Jesus rise above the corn stalks, anti-abortion signs line the fences and makeshift billboards advise us to repent and prepare for eternity.
As private landowners, they certainly have the right to take advantage of the exposure and express their beliefs. Of course, the great majority of these roadside preachers are Conservative Republicans, in favor of the death penalty, opposed to gun control and enraged by any "socialist ideas" that the government might propose; one wonders if Jesus would share their views. And, most disturbing, their underlying message is that America is a Christian nation; all others are unwelcome.
