The owner of a small Southern grocery store chain is standing by a quote he put in an ad, saying the intention of it all was to get people to think about where they will spend eternity.
Mac’s Cash Saver published a controversial ad last week with a quote that said:
“Heaven has a wall, a gate and a strict immigration policy. Hell has open borders. Let that sink in.”
Advertisement - story continues below
Accordng to KARK in Little Rock, Arkansas, the ad was sent to four Mac’s locations in Southeast Arkansas.
TRENDING: Arrest Made After Mail Carrier Is Brutally Beaten by Women 'Trying to Get Stimulus Checks'
It was not universally well received, with one customer telling KARK, “It just doesn’t make any sense.”
However, owner Reggy McDaniel told The Western Journal that the whole point of the quote wasn’t political, it was spiritual.
Advertisement - story continues below
“We put a Christian heading in our ads every week. We have for 20 years,” McDaniel told The Western Journal.
He said, “I’d make them use their brains to think about, are they going to get through those pearly gates in heaven or not.”
Here are some previous Mac’s mailers:
Advertisement - story continues below
“The only way they can get through them gates,” McDaniel said, “is through Jesus Christ.”
McDaniel told The Western Journal that he doesn’t put these type of statements in his mailer to sell groceries.
In fact, he said that “it probably wouldn’t do it if you wanted it do.”
Advertisement - story continues below
He said that he did it so that people could “think about their salvation.”
McDaniel added that he felt that most people don’t know that heaven has a wall and has a gate. He just wanted to help people think about how they would get through that gate.
McDaniel says that he has received a very positive reaction to the ad, citing responses from Arkansas all the way to California and even Ukraine.
“I’d say it’s been 80 percent positive, or better,” McDaniel told The Western Journal.
Advertisement - story continues below
He added, “I have churches calling all over this community saying, ‘We’re praying for you every day because you know what you’ll be faced with when you make these things.'”
McDaniel said that his Facebook traffic is also up since mailing the ad.
“I didn’t know it would do this,” he said.
McDaniel teased his ad for next week saying that he was going to publish a quote by Ronald Reagan.
Advertisement - story continues below
The ad should be in stores by next Wednesday.
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.