Does This Church Really Look Like a Chicken? (There's an Actual Debate About It)

The idea that a church building could resemble a chicken seems both bizarre and impossible -- that is until you see pictures of the Church by the Sea in Madeira Beach, Fla.

The house of worship has been making international headlines over the past week after a photographer noticed some structural attributes that supposedly make it look exactly like a rooster.

From just the right angle, supporters of this notion argue that the rounded windows at the top of the church's tower look like eyes and that the tiles that comprise a portion of its roof resemble a beak and wings, The Huffington post reports.

Photo Credit: YouTube

Now, hundreds of tourists are reportedly showing up to take pictures of the building. At least one member of the Church by the Sea is happy about the newfound attention the church is receiving. In fact, parishioner Dee Dee Parker told the Daily Mail that she finds it comical.

"It's so funny -- we were completely unaware that it had become a hit on the Internet," she said. "We had no idea, but I'm glad we can make people smile."

Watch a video compilation of images of the Church by the Sea, below:

And while the Daily Mail also notes that "the church's committee" (presumably referring to staff members and leaders) find the comparison comical, HuffPost Weird News found one alleged staffer who doesn't like the chicken-based notoriety.

"We're not fond of it being called the 'Chicken Church,'" the employee said. "It's attracting people to us for all the wrong reasons. I don't think they're attracted to come in and worship, I think they're making fun of it."

So, it seems there's some division on the matter.

Regardless of whether it looks like a chicken, the building's design does have some practical uses that fall outside of the theological realm. A lighted cross tops the building and the church is used by sea workers to help them navigate the waters. It's "wings" are representative of East and West, with its purported "beak" and tail symbolizing North and South, the Daily Mail notes.

What do you think? Does the church look like a chicken? Take the poll, below: