Three years ago, the fine state of Kentucky blessed us with the Creation Museum, and now they're at it again.
Indeed, another Christianity-based tourist attraction is going to be built in the Bluegrass State, and this time, it's a lot more ambitious.
It's a full-scale of replica of Noah's Ark.
The estimated cost for the park is $150 million, which will come from two organizations: the for-profit group Ark Encounter LLC, and the non-profit Answers In Genesis, which was also behind the construction of the Creation Museum.
The planned park has been stirring up controversy because Ark Encounter seeks to recover 25 percent of the project's cost by recouping sales tax revenue paid to the state on tickets, lodging, and other goods.
Many people believe it's wrong for a park promoting Christian beliefs and ideals to receive money from the state. It has been viewed as a violation of the separation of church and state.
We at The Spectrum agree with this sentiment.
We have no problem with the park being constructed, but we believe that when a park promoting the ideals of one specific belief receives funding from the state, it crosses the line between church and state in a manner that is simply unacceptable.
If the park was simply going to be giving the history of Christianity, it would be a different matter. But this is not the case; the park is specifically promoting values and ideals from the Bible.
By giving money to an endeavor that specifically promotes Christianity, the state would be implicitly endorsing Christian beliefs.
One of the reasons why this project is receiving funding is simply favoritism toward Christianity.
If a tourist attraction with a Muslim or Jewish theme was being built, it would be unlikely to receive such state support, as seen from the outrage over the proposed Islamic center near Ground Zero, which was never considered for state funding in the first place.
Admittedly, Kentucky is a very Christian state. Out of all Kentucky residents who attend church, less than 1 percent belong to a denomination that is non-Christian.
Additionally, the park would do wonders for Kentucky's economy. Not only would the construction of the park create many new jobs, but also Kentucky's large Christian population would likely visit the park in droves. It would bring in a lot of tourism dollars, too.
Unfortunately, none of these things make the state funding any less problematic. It is wrong for a religious organization to receive funding from the state under any circumstance, no matter much it would help the economy.
We have no problem with the park being built; we simply believe the state government should not play a role in it. It would violate the spirit of the Constitution, and it would not be fair to other religions.
