Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis was a guest on American Family Radio today, where he discussed with Tim Wildmon his new project building a Noah’s Ark theme park in Kentucky. Ham insisted that the theme park, a complement to Ham's Creation Museum, has come under attack from “intolerant” liberals who want to deny it taxpayer funding.
Last month, Kentucky’s tourism board announced that the Noah’s Ark park wouldn’t be eligible for an $18 million tourism tax break because Answers In Genesis intends to use the site to proseletize and refuses to promise not to discriminate based on religion in its hiring. The board noted that “tate tourism tax incentives cannot be used to fund religious indoctrination or otherwise be used to advance religion," but Ham cried persecution, complaining that Kentucky had violated his “fundamental rights” by witholding the tax break.
In the American Family Radio interview, Ham continued to portray himself as the victim of “intolerant” liberals (like Bill Nye) while also inadvertently bolstering the tourism board’s case by announcing that the Noah’s Ark park will be “one of the greatest evangelist outreaches of our day, of our period in history.”
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In the American Family Radio interview, Ham continued to portray himself as the victim of “intolerant” liberals (like Bill Nye) while also inadvertently bolstering the tourism board’s case by announcing that the Noah’s Ark park will be “one of the greatest evangelist outreaches of our day, of our period in history.”
Thanks you for confirming why Kentucky’s tourism board was constitutionnaly prevented to give you tax breaks - along with the fact taxmoney shouldn't be used to promote pseudoscience.
Yeah Ham was the target of Nye's intolerance.
Ham doesnt see a difference between himself and creation science. There is no difference between the two. Nye did not even know Ham when he made his first rant against creationism. It's Ham who saw this as a personal attack when it wasn't.
It's simple: To be eligible for the tax break, you cannot discriminate based on religion when hiring. They demonstrated that they fully intended to discriminate based on religion when hiring. Any idiot (well, not Ham, obviously) can see that they are therefore not eligible.
Ham: Waaaahhh! We want taxpayer funds AND we want to discriminate in our hiring! You're being so intolerant! Waaaah! We're such victims!
Man, Ken Ham is going to hold that debate against Bill Nye until his dying day. I can just imagine him freaking out and screaming Bill Nye's name every time someone mentions that debate to him.
If that park is ever actually built, I hope Bill Nye shows up to it.
I love it: hambone eggs on Bill Nye. Bill Nye takes him on and curb stomps him. Now hambone claims the verbal beating was due to intolerant liberals.
And hammy, the second you get a dime of any of taxpayer money for this bullshit monstrosity, it will be a race among the various rationalist and atheist groups (and maybe even churches like the Unitarians) to see who files the lawsuit first. There are too many vets living in poverty to give a penny to a con artist like you.
"If that park is ever actually built, I hope Bill Nye shows up to it. "
Actually, I don't, or Ham will crow on every roof he can find he has managed to convert Nye to his sect.
As for the rest, another proof the real god of these bozzos is the green banknote itself.
I'm most concerned about the animal abuse that will accompany this enterprise. I don't think any reputable zoos, biologists, or veterinarians will have anything to do with this because they all support science, including evolution. Ham will be forced to get his animals from illegal smugglers and traders.
Thing is Ham knows this and is only now pretending he doesn't. At first he said he would not discriminate during the hiring process that's why there was the whole CAD engineer being hired by Answers in Genesis for the Ark project and Ham's claim it was not an ark position because he knew he could not discriminate hiring for the ark.
He's only acting like he never knew now and is removing all evidence of the contrary. That's what creationists are known for, ignoring all evidence that does not agree with their worldview.
Cry more. The sole purpose of the park is to evangelize, and you and your buddies swore that you would only hire Christians who believe what you believe. Now you whine that you don't get to do it with tax dollars. I bet you're just pissed that you're running out of money to build the place.
They never should have approved the tourism tax break to begin with.
Where's the "fundamental right" in getting tax-breaks for a theme park?
I bet he's against the actual fundamental right of women to decide what happens to their own bodies.
It's give and take, Hammy; if you want to have taxpayer funding for your proselytizing, you have to fight for taxpayer funding for basic healthcare for women, as well.
I guess you won't be supporting my Flying Spaghetti Monster based theme park, as funded by tax dollars and only with a projected cost of $20,000,000 (cheap as chips), any time soon, Ken.
"under attack"
Right, Ken, you're SO under "attack", being forced to follow the laws of the land and all. It's really annoying how you use that phrase to try to indicate that following the law and denying your tax break is unfair. Doesn't your book say something about following the laws? Haven't you ever read that book of yours?
Ken Ham, you whiny bullshit man...What about your violation of the "fundamental rights" of the taxpayers to not have their tax dollars used to fund your bullshit religious for-profit business that denigrates, lies about, and misrepresents science?
Would you be in favor of a Satanist group getting the same tax break and using tax dollars to fund a for-profit theme park that denigrates, lies about, and misrepresents the bible? If not, why not? Don't be intolerant and violate their fundamental rights...
Ken, just because jesus was a communist who wanted everybody to share, does not mean Kentucky is.
Find your own money. I'm sure you can scam your followers outa some more.
"promise not to discriminate based on religion in its hiring."
This is seldom noted since the refusal in the reporting. The fact is Hams group did agree to clause and were OKd for the tax-break, then the applications came out requiring "scriptural flood believers only" and they denied those were for the park, for about a week, until they kinda had to give that up as the applications clearly stated they were for the ARK PARK.
Since them Hams been playing the fundamentalist favorite game: Run to the media in full out Persecution whining.
This is going to be a hoot watching them trip over regulations and probably scores of civil suits against inappropriate use of state funds before they manage to fake the boat. I'm guessing Hams already cost Kentucky millions in support of his "private" Creationist Museum and fully intends to have most the parks cost shifted to the public.
There's is just nothing honest about his kind and wrapped in Christianity they're far too used to being above the laws and rules and preferential treatment.
I want to see Ken's ark filled with two of every "kind" of animal, with a year's worth of food and water for them all, and have him and his family put in and the thing floated in the roughest sea on the planet without any external assistance for a year.
Wait, never mind, I wouldn't want to hurt the animals...
@TimeToTurn
"If that park is ever actually built, I hope Bill Nye shows up to it."
I hope Nye shows up and applies for a job.
Maybe God can give you a tax break, Ken. Or would that be a tithe break? Either way.
@Yossarian Lives
Oh wow, this needs to be a real park! You could serve spaghetti at the concession stands, have pirates running around, have those flying Dumbo rides, except being flown around on noodles. Hats and T-Shirts and toys...the merchandising alone would make us richer than astronauts.
I bet we can buy Ham's Ark property pretty soon, going to guess he will be looking to unload it once he realizes he won't win against the heathen government.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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