Community | December 02, 2010 | 30 comments

Will Kentucky taxpayers subsidize religious theme park teaching creationism?

source: http://www.examiner.com/progressive-in-portland/will-kentucky-tax-payers-subsidize-religious...

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Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear announced Wednesday the building of a religious theme park teaching creationism, and using tax payers money in the form of tax subsidies to do it. The park’s developers are seeking $37.5 million in state tourism development incentives.

The park will be called "Ark Encounter" and is expected to feature a huge replica of Noah's Ark. The park is scheduled to open in the spring of 2014.

Governor Beshear is selling the venture as an economic development project. Preliminary indications are that the attraction could draw as many as 1.6 million guests per year and would cost at least $24.5 million to complete.

However, there are legal and ethical concerns about the state sponsoring a religious enterprise that threatens the intellectual health of the public. In addition, advocates for church-state separation argue the tax incentives violate the spirit of the First Amendment.


http://www.examiner.com/progressive-in-portland/will-kentucky-tax-payers-subsidi...
  1. groups:
    Community,   Humanism
  2. tags:
    Creationism
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30 comments // Will Kentucky taxpayers subsidize religious theme park teaching creationism?

  • Nick19
    • 0
      Nick19  

    • Kentucky subsidizing Creationist theme park? That sadly enough doesn't surprise me considering this is Kentucky.

    • 1 year ago
  • Radical_Centrist
    • -1
      Radical_Centrist  

    • One can assume this Park will create Hundreds of jobs and pump Millions of dollars into the KY economy. I think it will be a win win for Christian and Atheist Kentuckians alike,

    • 1 year ago
  • pissedoff
  • Itsbatman_Durr
    • -1
      Itsbatman_Durr  

    • also this isnt a church, its a buisiness group, so no one is getting tax free benefits here lets not get nuts. i mean honestly the church of mickey mouse in florida sets a lot of tax breaks and incentives for being there, and kentucky as a state should invest in business ventures that could turn a profit for the state as well as help the local economy. i just think this whole idea is kind of stupid, but if the gov said hey you can believe that the wwe is real, you can let your kids believe in santa the easter bunny the tooth fairy hannah montan or mickey mouse, so why not a lovable goof like noah? that i would be more ok with i think

    • 1 year ago
  • Itsbatman_Durr
    • -1
      Itsbatman_Durr  

    • Perhaps the governor is supporting the development of the new attraction because of the economic impact it will have on Northern Kentucky: Estimates suggest that the park will attract 1.6 million visitors annually and provide at least 900 new jobs to the area. (Supporters like to point out that the Creation Museum brought 2,100 jobs to the area and had an economic impact of $65 million per year. In fact, it attracted upwards of 1 million visitors just in its first three years.)

      BUT i dont think my tax money should go to this or any other unilateral belief system that automatically denies the possibility for any other belief system to be right or even exist, including athiestic endeavors.

    • 1 year ago
  • Mark701
    • +1
      Mark701  
    • Itsbatman_Durr:

      I have to disagree. There is no good rationale for institutionalizing ignorance, no matter how many jobs or $$ it's anticipated it will bring in. Kentucky could also make tons of money by legalizing drugs and prostitution too, but won't because there are some barriers that can't be crossed.

      It's telling that the barrier they ARE willing to cross is one of scientific consensus about the creation of the universe because it's threatens to shatter their world view.

    • 1 year ago
  • lil_RASKAL
    • +2
      lil_RASKAL  

    • No wonder our majority is dumb, we continue to allow teachings that are myths (things that are while widely believed yet false) to lead at the forefront of our history. Yeah many of the religions have some morals we can all agree with, however, that should not stop us from truly understanding our past; something which is ahead of us and we can change it. There is no reason why the average individual shouldn't know who they really are, we are extremely empowered creatures all that needs to be done is become aware of it and begin to exercise what counts and it's not what many would think.

    • 1 year ago
  • Stoneyroad
    • +6
      Stoneyroad  

    • A tax funded monument to ignorance ?
      Only if Kentucky agrees to start taxing churhes to raise money for math & science.
      But if the churches aren't willing to foot the bill for this 'amusement park' why should anyone else?

    • 1 year ago
  • sffsmessiah
    • +2
      sffsmessiah  

    • AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA......ha ha ha ha a ha ha....

      BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

      Kentucky...so stupid...ahahahahahahahahahah

    • 1 year ago
  • Dejan_Croatia
  • ayipis
  • Ihatethemall
  • ThatCrazyLibertarian
  • freecrack
  • EdJoyProductions
  • ThatCrazyLibertarian
  • EdJoyProductions
  • kyackr
    • +3
      kyackr  

    • the dinosaur and bearded human is a confusing picture .. i believe humans had not yet evolved at the time of dinosaurs and wearing woven fabrics even??
      if this is an example of the kind of displays in the proposed park.. it should prove quite the amusement

    • 1 year ago
  • pjacobs51
    • +5
      pjacobs51  

    • If churches payed taxes like any other business, it wouldn't be a problem.

      But that's NOT the way it is. You can't have it one way, and not the other.

    • 1 year ago
  • freecrack
    • +1
      freecrack  

    • god i hope so, or we will lose one of our national treasures.
      i mean we have a basis for stupid.dont take that away, and leave us guessing what the idiots are thinking.

    • 1 year ago
  • EdJoyProductions
  • Debra_
    • 0
      Debra_  

    • Being religious is a result of stupidity, ignorance and inbreeding and proves you can't think for yourself. A theme park based on these ideas is even more ignorant and hateful.

    • 1 year ago
  • Itsbatman_Durr
  • Debra_
  • Itsbatman_Durr
    • 0
      Itsbatman_Durr  
    • Debra_:

      i do, but i tire of all the blanket statements on both sides. noone knows. equal rights also means equal wrongs, as in the equality to believe in something someone else thinks is wrong as long as you dont infringe on my rights to do the same or force your beliefs on me to get some advantage over another belief structure. but to make a statement like yours to me sounds the same as anything jerry foulwell and his ilk would say, if he wasnt dead and rotting like the waste of humanity that he was

    • 1 year ago
  • Mark701
    • 0
      Mark701  
    • Itsbatman_Durr:

      Nobody is preventing them from believing what they want. If they choose stupid over enlightened, I see no reason to try to change their mind. HOWEVER, I suspect there are millions in the state of Kentucky who DON'T view religious mythology as fact. Subsequently,if the proponents for this "amusing" park wish to canvas their churches and communities for the money to build this, more power to them. But to allow them to use the tax dollars of people who are against encouraging myth over science is pure arrogance.

    • 1 year ago
  • Ian_Judge_Lord
  • kennymotown
  • timetide
    • +6
      timetide  

    • WTF... i don't care if you're religious as long as you don't bother me and don't use my tax dollers to fund something that can't be proven through facts and tests.

    • 1 year ago
  • Itsbatman_Durr
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