PORTLAND, Tenn. (AP) — An anti-gay billboard is stirring a debate over bullying and religion in a rural community about 30 miles north of Nashville, Tennessee.

The Tennessean (http://tnne.ws/1uI0KbV ) reports that the message reads: “You shall not lie with a man as with a woman. It is an abomination. — God.” The sign says it is “paid for by concerned Christians.”

Portland resident Ronny Monday helped initiate the placement of the billboard. He says the Old Testament message was “necessary” to balance against the message from celebrities and President Barack Obama supporting gay marriage.

But Shannon Lynch, who has taught religion, ethics and philosophy for 14 years, says she sees the sign as a “form of bullying” that could have negative effects on young people struggling to find their own identity.

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Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com

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