Kentucky has given preliminary approval for $18 million tax incentive to creationist theme park

[RA92]

The Ark Encounter theme park, run by Answers in Genesis, is based around creationism, claiming the world was born on fire-breathing dragons on the ark.

And this institution receives city tax breaks, along with the parcel of land sold to the project being sold at a discount by Williamstown, plus $200,000 cash given by the Grant County Economic Development Commission... and now it's asking for $18 million in tax incentives, with the preliminary approval already given.

While the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance claims it's about creating jobs for the area, only fundamental Christians (requirements include a salvation testimony, a "creation belief statement" and a requirement that applicants agree with the organization's "statement of faith")are allowed to be employees - excluding the likes of Catholics, mainstream Protestant Christians and homosexuals (regardless of their religious views). So this is basically state-sponsored religious discrimination.

Answers in Genesis also happens to have connections with the white supremacist group League of the South.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/08/17/3383746_non-christians-need-not-apply.html?rh=1

 

[Thaluikhain]

Fire breathing dragons? On a wooden ark? Which presumably survived the flood...

Now, if there were multiple arks, and the one the dragons were on mysteriously was destroyed in a fire, and all the animals on it went extinct...that's good material for a Work Health and Safety video.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Well, to start off with, I discount the whole 'connection to white supremacist' thing. Where in the ell else are they going to just pick up dino bones?

For everything else... Jesus Christ, Kentucky. I know your a Southern state, but it seemed like you were doing so well. State funded religiously motivated job creation... you can do better Kentucky. You can do better.

 

[RA92]

Well, to start off with, I discount the whole 'connection to white supremacist' thing. Where in the ell else are they going to just pick up dino bones?

Bones worth a million dollars given to them for free. Just sayin'.

 

[catalyst8]

Poor US America, as if persecuting their intellectuals wasn't enough they now promote their anti-science conspiracy nuts.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/01/26/3742910/judge-orders-state-to-give-millions-in-subsidies-to-creationist-amusement-park/

 

[Queen Michael]

What I look forward to the most is the arguments there are gonna be among the creationists about the details of the park. In-fighting among members of fringe groups can be bloody hilarious. "They say the world was created September 21 in the morning? All true believing Christians know it was in the afternoon! Clearly, this theme park was built by Satan!"

 

[Silvanus]

What I look forward to the most is the arguments there are gonna be among the creationists about the details of the park. In-fighting among members of fringe groups can be bloody hilarious. "They say the world was created September 21 in the morning? All true believing Christians know it was in the afternoon! Clearly, this theme park was built by Satan!"

In fairness, if there were a Satan, I would imagine he would be obsessive about pointless minutiae.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Besides the obvious...

Poor US America, as if persecuting their intellectuals wasn't enough they now promote their anti-science conspiracy nuts.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016/01/26/3742910/judge-orders-state-to-give-millions-in-subsidies-to-creationist-amusement-park/

Sadly not as bizarre as one would think. Religious exemptions to many laws, including faith based discrimination, are nothing new, so the only thing here extraordinary is the scale of the tax breaks, and the overall strangeness that is the Creation Museum that allows it to claim that its both a tourist attraction and a church at the same time.