Verizon might be installing a cross-shaped cell tower in New Jersey.

And it’s definitely not often that a town is forced to balance its respect for a religious symbol against a cell phone company’s reliability, but that’s exactly what’s happening in Pequannock Township.

At Bible Christian Fellowship Church, there is a proposal to develop a 100-foot cell phone tower that would be disguised as a cross and provided by Verizon. Not everyone in the town has dialed into the idea.

“As a Christian, I wouldn’t want to do anything that would denigrate the idea of a cross,” said Pequannock resident Walt Coyne.

Talk about offensive. Now they’re going to want one in the shape of a menorah or a star of David or something over in the Jewish part of town. I love the phrasing on the part of Mr. Coyne: “the idea of a cross.” Wonder what he thinks of a crucifix?

As for the tower itself, Verizon Wireless spokesman David Samberg tells CBS 2 HD that their locations are not chosen randomly, but are specific to network coverage needs. In his statement, he says cross-like towers don’t “happen that often, and it’s not a growing trend. In fact, stealth antennae are more expensive to build. But it’s something we always consider when it makes sense.”

Y’know, my mother-in-law was at a Catholic event of some sort, and there were vendors selling religious paraphernalia. She was looking at a cross, and the vendor explained that, “we have this kind and also the kind with the little man on it.” Clearly didn’t know much about the product being sold.

What do you think? Cross cell phone tower? If this was Fark.com, I would start a photoshop contest where you could submit images of various other religious symbols being made into cell towers.  Heck, you can use the combox to do it if you’d like.

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