I went to the Ark Encounter in Kentucky last month while on vacation. I was in total awe of the size of it. But I don't think I'm buying into the baby dinosaurs in the cages inside...

I'll bet there were 10,000 people there the Saturday I went. And at $50 a pop...

Macarthur said:

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I know they used private $, but every time I see that, I can't help but think that a lot of good could have been done with all that $.

Maybe food and clothes for the poor...maybe what Jesus would have done.

Oh, and I wonder if they're paying any property taxes.

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There was a dispute over that a couple years ago I believe. Some politician promised them benefits like tax exemption and it made a bunch of people mad.

However it's no different then cities rolling out the red carpet for corporations or sports teams.

Macarthur said:

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I know they used private $, but every time I see that, I can't help but think that a lot of good could have been done with all that $.

Maybe food and clothes for the poor...maybe what Jesus would have done.

Oh, and I wonder if they're paying any property taxes.

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It's an evangelistic and apologetic tool. Christians can walk and chew gum.

I'm going to assume you didn't get your handle from John.

Frok said:

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Macarthur said:

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I know they used private $, but every time I see that, I can't help but think that a lot of good could have been done with all that $.

Maybe food and clothes for the poor...maybe what Jesus would have done.

Oh, and I wonder if they're paying any property taxes.

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There was a dispute over that a couple years ago I believe. Some politician promised them benefits like tax exemption and it made a bunch of people mad.

However it's no different then cities rolling out the red carpet for corporations or sports teams.

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How about a park to celebrate Mohammed going into the mountains? Same thing?

If the city found it beneficial and wanted he business then yes. But I doubt you'll find any lining up for that.

wargograw said:

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Macarthur said:

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I know they used private $, but every time I see that, I can't help but think that a lot of good could have been done with all that $.

Maybe food and clothes for the poor...maybe what Jesus would have done.

Oh, and I wonder if they're paying any property taxes.

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It's an evangelistic and apologetic tool. Christians can walk and chew gum.

I'm going to assume you didn't get your handle from John.

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So you don't think that's a waste compared to charity? I mean, it's promoting a VERY specific view of Genesis and life on Earth that the vast majority of Christians disagree with and is more a joke than an "apologetic tool." Seems like crappy gum.

Quote:

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Dinosaurs on a boat.

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Jurassic World 3? Can we bring back Samuel L. Jackson?

wargograw said:

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Agree with dermdoc. Certainly the vast majority of evangelicals (of which Ken Ham is a part) do believe in it.

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I was curious and did some googling. I couldn't find anything on the flood/Noah, but according to a recent Gallup survey, only 50% of Protestants hold YEC views. And the National Association of Evangelicals found that 90% of evangelical leaders believe it's okay to have different views on creation, just as long as one holds that God is the creator of the universe.

RetiredAg said:

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wargograw said:

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Agree with dermdoc. Certainly the vast majority of evangelicals (of which Ken Ham is a part) do believe in it.

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I was curious and did some googling. I couldn't find anything on the flood/Noah, but according to a recent Gallup survey, only 50% of Protestants hold YEC views. And the National Association of Evangelicals found that 90% of evangelical leaders believe it's okay to have different views on creation, just as long as one holds that God is the creator of the universe.

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That sounds about right.

Ah, okay. So your "vast majority of evangelicals" statement was regarding belief in Noah and the flood, but not necessarily Hamm's views on YEC?

RetiredAg said:

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Ah, okay. So your "vast majority of evangelicals" statement was regarding belief in Noah and the flood, but not necessarily Hamm's views on YEC?

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No I still think it would be the case with YEC as well. What you posted was just "leaders" saying it's not heretical to believe something else, not that they thought that themselves. I'm open to other info though.

wargograw said:

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RetiredAg said:

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Ah, okay. So your "vast majority of evangelicals" statement was regarding belief in Noah and the flood, but not necessarily Hamm's views on YEC?

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No I still think it would be the case with YEC as well. What you posted was just "leaders" saying it's not heretical to believe something else, not that they thought that themselves. I'm open to other info though.

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Well, you made the claim that the "vast majority of evangelicals" support Hamm's views. Do you have anything to support that? All I was able to find was a survey that showed only 50% of Protestants (which includes evangelicals) support YEC. Having grown up in the Baptist world, it doesn't surprise me that a majority would support it, but I think it's a stretch to say "vast majority".

I attend a Church of Christ, and while we don't even discuss about the subject, knowing the people here, I'd be surprised if even half our church held to YEC views.

Protestant=/=evangelical

wargograw said:

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Protestant=/=evangelical

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Which is why I said evangelicals are part of the 50% of Protestants that are YEC. Obviously not all Protestants are evangelicals. Again, do you have any data to support the claim that the "vast majority" of evangelicals are young earth creationists? You may be right, but I haven't seen anything that would lead me to believe it's a "vast majority".

Macarthur said:

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I know they used private $, but every time I see that, I can't help but think that a lot of good could have been done with all that $.

Maybe food and clothes for the poor...maybe what Jesus would have done.

Oh, and I wonder if they're paying any property taxes.

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Taxation is theft. HTH.

Aggrad08 said:

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We have museums of reason, they are called natural history museums.

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Yep. Put one of those next to it. Whatever it takes to apply pressure to this farce.

AstroAg17 said:

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Why not?

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Rights are protected in a society. That society requires input from all members to properly function and avoid free rider problems. Taxation is the method of funding that society. It is not theft in a government that respects rights.

Something I can't find online (not that I searched that hard) is how business is going for Ark Encounter. One person posted about there being "10,000" people there. Sometimes people post pictures of an almost empty parking lot.

RetiredAg said:

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wargograw said:

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Protestant=/=evangelical

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Which is why I said evangelicals are part of the 50% of Protestants that are YEC. Obviously not all Protestants are evangelicals. Again, do you have any data to support the claim that the "vast majority" of evangelicals are young earth creationists? You may be right, but I haven't seen anything that would lead me to believe it's a "vast majority".

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Because the most fundamental part of being an evangelical is believing what the Bible says...

wargograw said:

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RetiredAg said:

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wargograw said:

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Protestant=/=evangelical

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Which is why I said evangelicals are part of the 50% of Protestants that are YEC. Obviously not all Protestants are evangelicals. Again, do you have any data to support the claim that the "vast majority" of evangelicals are young earth creationists? You may be right, but I haven't seen anything that would lead me to believe it's a "vast majority".

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Because the most fundamental part of being an evangelical is believing what the Bible says...

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I'm not sure how that addresses my question. And which Christians here don't believe what the bible says? I know I do. Or are you talking about a flat & superficial interpretation of what the bible says?

But, again, do you have any data to support your claim? I think it's clear that a majority of Christians don't hold YEC views. And if you believe in YEC, that's fine. But the same is true for us old earthers, and it doesn't mean we don't believe the bible.

dermdoc said:

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And all this time I thought it meant to evangelize, spread the Good News. So maybe they should be called inerranticals?

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May be a new direction!

But Catholics evangelize. I don't argue that. But I'd strongly argue against them being evangelicals.