'Young earth' creationists making $90m full-scale ark to 'bring the Bible to life'

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

'Young earth' creationists making $90m full-scale ark to 'bring the Bible to life'

Adam Gabbatt in New York
Thursday 12 November 2015 19.08 GMT

Once Noah had built his ark, so the story goes, God gave him just seven days’ notice to load all the planet’s animals two by two into the vessel.

The fauna of today’s world will be pleased, then, to hear that they have been given much more time to prepare their journey to the “full-scale” ark replica currently under construction in Kentucky.

The modern-day ark will open in July 2016 in Williamstown in the north of the state, it was announced on Thursday.

“Some supporters who have been watching the construction of the huge ship have said they believe this Ark will be one of the ‘wonders of the modern world’,” said Ken Ham, president and founder of Answers in Genesis, the group behind the plan.

The sea-faring craft is being built according to the dimensions provided in the Bible, according to Answers in Genesis. Specifically, it will be 510ft long. It is unclear if the ark will actually float, although the “long-range forecast” section of the National Weather Service’s website makes no mention of an imminent flood.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/12/kentucky-creationists-full-scale-ark-bible

[opiate69]

1. Ah.. good old Ken Ham....

Warren D. hands down won the internet once and forever for banning him when he dropped in here a couple years ago.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1230&pid=46381

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. The banning message is a thing of beauty:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=297882&sub=trans

[opiate69]

5. Indeed! I so wanted to find that but couldn't.

Thanks!!
Destined to go down as some of the best writing in DU's history.

[procon]

2. Kaching! Kaching! Let that holy cash register ring.

If this huckster can bilk religious ignoramuses out of $90 million of their hard earned cash, more power to him. It's a fitting testimony to the overripe miasma of greed and faith that lets the faithful believe they they've already provided enough food and shelter to those in need, succored the sick, and given generously to the poor rather than enriching this self serving con man.

[TlalocW]

7. The Ark exhibit will keep Ham's enterprise - pardon the expression - afloat for a while longer

But I think it's doomed. Before the Ark project started, his "museum" was already beginning to lose money so they put in a zipline... y'know just like they have at the Smithsonian or the Field Museum in Chicago. Since there's no real research in "Creation Science," (it's primarily arguing that the stuff science says about things isn't true), there are no other "museums" on its level to borrow exhibits from like real museums do so it's pretty much static. And let's face it, fundamentalist families will go there once or twice, and they'll remember the overall message of the museum (God did it!), but it's not like they're going to be interested in the "science" presented in the exhibits and want to keep coming back to understand it better. There are NASCAR races to go to, and hey, Branson and Silver Dollar City aren't that bad of a drive, etc. Ironically, since it can't evolve, it won't survive.

Plus Kentucky took away any tax help because they came right out and said, "We're going to discriminate based on religion on whom we hire." They're suing, but even with the insane governor they're going to have, I doubt they'll get anywhere.

TlalocW

[SwissTony]

3. So, our redback spiders made it from Australia to Noah's hosue in 7 days.

Sheesh, even the kangaroos would have been hard pressed.

Luckily, they all had a perfect sense of direction.

[Yorktown]

6. Will building an Ark hide the grotesque inconsistencies of the Noah story?

- how do one guy and his sons build a huge ark? Remove the dung during the sailing?
- 2 of each kind: what is a kind? How many kinds? How do they fit on the boat?
- below 50 specimens of a species, the species dies.
- what did Noah feed the tigers on the boat? And after the flood?

Etc. Etc. Too dumb for words.

[MisterP]

8. there's only only museum with an Ark that's any good

http://www.thatgirlcarmel.com/offbeat-l-a-museums/

[struggle4progress]

10. Replica arks seem to be popular

There's one in Hong Kong



At least two in the Netherlands




Frostburg MD has been busily working on one for decades



Here's one underway in Florida



There's one in Florenceville Canada



Here's Mt Ararat In Turkey



And Turkey actually has a Noah's Ark National Park! But please do not expect to see Noah's Ark. We lead legitimate Noah's Ark searches annually on Mount Ararat by geologists, archeologists, and Biblical scholars from around the world. We are not involved with Noah's Ark Ministries International (NAMI) and the Kurdish guide nick-named Parasut, who announced they discovered Noah's Ark in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. We hear they are planning to discover it again in 2012

[struggle4progress]

9. '... The state had awarded an $18 million tax incentive to the project before withdrawing it

last year over concerns of "religious indoctrination.'' The ark's builders are suing in federal court to get the incentive back ...'
Noah's Ark Religious Attraction to Open in July
Published 09:33 PM, Thursday Nov. 12, 2015
Updated 06:24 PM, Thursday Nov. 12, 2015
By The Associated Press

We're opening very soon! But we really really do need that $18 million for our theme park!

[edhopper]

11. Kentucky can use

all that money they save when they kick 400,000 people off of Medicaid.

[struggle4progress]

13. These lunatics are simply incredible

... The state .. approved $18 million dollars in .. sales tax credits .. then withdrew the offer, citing .. hiring practices ... Governor-elect Matt Bevin favors reversing that decision. “There's no reason to discriminate against the Ark park, and that's essentially what this administration has done” ...Ark Encounter is suing the state, and Ham says he prefers to let the matter play out in court ...

[Act_of_Reparation]

12. If these clowns want to win the culture war, they're looking for the wrong ark.

They should be looking for this one: