http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/09/noah-ark-theme-park-employee-believe-flood-bible-kentucky
Noah's Ark park warned over suggestion nonbelievers need not apply
Kentucky warns company it could lose millions for asking employees to sign faith statement about creationism and flood
QuoteThe developer of a Noah’s Ark-based theme park in Kentucky said on Wednesday he would fight for his religious rights after state officials warned he could lose millions in potential tax credits if he hires only people who believe in the biblical flood.
Ark Encounter, which is slated to open in 2016 in Williamston, Kentucky, is not hiring anyone yet, but its parent company Answers in Genesis asks employees to sign a faith statement including a belief in creationism and the flood.
State officials and Ark Encounter lawyers have exchanged letters in which the state threatened not to proceed with tax incentives for the park if there was discriminatory hiring practices, a state official confirmed on Wednesday.
The letters between the parties came to light after the Louisville Courier-Journal and the Lexington Herald-Leader obtained them through open records requests.
“We’re hoping the state takes a hard look at their position, and changes their position so it doesn’t go further than this,†Ark Encounter’s executive president Mike Zovath told Reuters.
Zovath, who is also co-founder of Answers in Genesis, said that if tax incentives for the project are withdrawn because it does not give written assurances the state now seeks, it would violate the organization’s first amendment and state constitutional rights.
Plans for the park include a wooden replica of the ark during the $73m first phase and other biblical-themed attractions will be added in phases. The project has been financed through donations and bonds, but Zavath said the state’s incentives could help finance future phases.
In July, Ark Encounter LLC, received preliminary approval to collect a rebate from a portion of the sales tax revenues generated at its park.
The tourism tax credit is potentially worth more than $18m over a 10-year period.
Zovath said the state has added a requirement about hiring practices that is not part of the existing tourism tax credits law.
But a state official said on Wednesday that everybody knows laws regarding hiring practices and that the states doesn’t need to elaborate them for companies seeking incentives.
“We expect all of the companies that get tax incentives to obey the law,†Gil Lawson, communications director for the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, said.
So apparently the people they hire can't be nonbelievers. And that isn't discrimination? Any venue that is opening its doors to the public and asking for tax credits not allowing anyone not a believer to work there? And the rights of the Answers In Genesis people is being violated?
Wooden replica?
(http://www.noahtherealstory.com/uploads/2/6/5/4/26542466/1942123_orig.jpg) (http://im.ft-static.com/content/images/1694a605-8939-4141-b757-9016444cd1ab.img)
(http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XEzMW5mJcXA/0.jpg) (http://cfnewsads.thomasnet.com/images/medium/841/841844.jpg)
Wooden I beams. Assembled with wooden riveted steel plates and built with wooden, donkey powered heavy equipment. :biggrin:
$73 million just for the first phase? I wonder how much of that the executives of "Answers in Genocide" are paying to themselves in salaries and bonuses.
I'm not sure I'd want my taxes to go to a religious organization in the first place. But then I suppose there's lots of things I wish my taxes didn't support. But I suppose I see their other point. You wouldn't want an electrician working on the ark project if he hadn't been reborn.
Noah had a back hoe?
Quote from: Minimalist on October 09, 2014, 01:52:53 PM
Noah had a back hoe?
Noah was a pimp?
Oh wait a minute.....
It would be hilarious if this thing were washed away in a flood. A flood of..............
wait for it.............
biblical proportions!
It's actually possible that the Ark replica would be smashed to bits by an oncoming flood, especially if it were anchored to the ground like a proper building would. After all, they ain't building in no dry-dock.
And if a nonbeliever is applying to work on any part of the Ark... they're probably desperate enough to swallow their pride and rattle off the spiel, faith statement or no. The statement proves nothing.
It is located near the Ohio River between Petersburg and Cincinnati. Don't know much about how often the Ohio floods.
All I hear this guy whining about is, "laws for thee, not for me."
Sent from Monster Island. Titty sprinkles.
Quote from: stromboli on October 09, 2014, 06:05:53 PM
It is located near the Ohio River between Petersburg and Cincinnati. Don't know much about how often the Ohio floods.
It used to flood quite a bit, but there's shitloads of dams along the way blocking up almost every major tributary with cities, towns, counties and of course industries siphoning off a biblical floods worth..
Don't worry though.. Mitch will fix this pesky fair labor law shit for them.
Can't we be reasonable and make a deal here?
No non-religious arc-builders? Fine. We'll grant you that.
But! In return we get no creationist/intelligent design and/or young-earth sience-teachers.
I'd make that deal.
It's four hours drive or so from here. I'm going there just as soon as I have bail money saved up.
I bet nobody realized that Kentucky isn't the highest point on earth.. They should have to move the whole damned thing to the top of Mt Everest.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on October 10, 2014, 06:14:23 AM
It's four hours drive or so from here. I'm going there just as soon as I have bail money saved up.
Are we talking sledgehammers or verbal harassment? The latter, I suspect.
To bad the Romans didn't offer Noah tax incentives. Oh wait! He was before the Romans time...what, about 9 months or so? Maybe an hour and 15 minutes in bible time.
You want public benefits but you don't wanna abide by public rules? Go fuck yourself!
And I thought only our government could waste so much money on ridiculous projects. I wonder if the people working on it will have their life insurance and health insurance paid for out of the money not used for taxes? This reminds me of the baseball stadium built in Phoenix from tax money that is making money for the owners. :wall: :fU:
The stadium in Dayton, Ohio was built on the dole too and has been sold out since opening back in the 90s. The problem is the public has never been able to buy tickets on game days because every last ticket is corporate owned.
Quote from: AllPurposeAtheist on October 11, 2014, 03:04:33 PM
The stadium in Dayton, Ohio was built on the dole too and has been sold out since opening back in the 90s. The problem is the public has never been able to buy tickets on game days because every last ticket is corporate owned.
Probably true of many if not most venues.
In other words you have to believe in a lot of horse shit, literally. And elephant shit, giraffe shit, hippopotamus shit, emperor penguin shit and the list goes on.
I remember when Seattle built a new stadium. They voted on a state wide tax increase to build it so they could have another sports team, the Seattle Something or Others. So the huge west coast population over powered all the poor schmucks in Spokane 400 miles away on the east side of the state, and built a stadium for a privately owned team with public money. It's actually common practice. The owner of a team wants a new stadium, so he plays major cities against each other. Whoever gives him the most money gets to have the team with their city's name on it. This is capitalism. I had a friend from the Seattle area. He said he thought it was a good idea. I lived in Montana, so I was unaffected.
Government tax coffers still represent a source wealth for the 1%. This is nothing new.
Too many christians...not enough lions.
These people would be the first to stomp their feet and cry like a wittle baby if they were refused a job because of their silly superstition they call their religion.
Somebody make them go away now.
Quote from: St Giordano Bruno on October 11, 2014, 11:34:56 PM
In other words you have to believe in a lot of horse shit, literally. And elephant shit, giraffe shit, hippopotamus shit, emperor penguin shit and the list goes on.
But no kangaroo shit. Remember that, cause it be important.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on October 10, 2014, 06:14:23 AM
It's four hours drive or so from here. I'm going there just as soon as I have bail money saved up.
Be sure and ask, "what's behind this fascia here? Steel Ibeams? Gopher Wood was steel Ibeams?"
Quote from: Desdinova on October 09, 2014, 04:20:16 PM
It would be hilarious if this thing were washed away in a flood. A flood of..............
wait for it.............
biblical proportions!
Ever notice how stuff of biblical proportions is never anything good?
Quote from: Gray on October 29, 2014, 07:49:10 AM
Ever notice how stuff of biblical proportions is never anything good?
I once got a blowjob of biblical proportions, but couldn't find anything about it in scriptures so I just assumed it was just a great blowjob, but da lord werks in misteerius wayz..
Quote from: Gray on October 29, 2014, 07:49:10 AM
Ever notice how stuff of biblical proportions is never anything good?
I don't know, I wish I had a dick of biblical proportions instead of fortune cookie proportions.
So is this thing going to be registered in Liberia or what?...
(http://cdn77.eatliver.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/suicidal-bunny4.png)
This gives me some great ideas for the 'ark' grand opening.. A few thousand atheists all show up dressed in beach attire..
I'm no architect, but this monstrosity is something like a 45 story building laying on its side. I think the first priority would be qualified people to build it, not what their religion is. If I've got a certified structural welder in a turban with a foot long beard, he'd be a better choice than an xtian that can't strike an arc. I'd say Ham's priorities might be a bit misplaced.
How about several thousand people show up dressed up in various animal costumes..in pairs.. Or even space alien costumes.. Oh the mockery.. :biggrin:
I just had a thought. Maybe the reason we don't have unicorns is because the pair that showed up were a gay couple and couldn't breed. :think:
Nah, Noah would've just helped them 'pray the gay away'. :p
Would David Letterman pass it on the will it float test?
Quote from: stromboli on October 31, 2014, 09:52:26 PM
I'm no architect, but this monstrosity is something like a 45 story building laying on its side. I think the first priority would be qualified people to build it, not what their religion is. If I've got a certified structural welder in a turban with a foot long beard, he'd be a better choice than an xtian that can't strike an arc. I'd say Ham's priorities might be a bit misplaced.
Qualified? HA! No need for qualifications my son.. The good lord will protect those shitty welds and the faithful who stand under tons and tons of unstable building materials.. And if it DOES fall and kill thousands then it's gods will and Mr Ham was just a vehicle of gods plans drawn up on a church bake sale napkin.. :pray:
Repealing churches’ tax exemption makes sense, given that they are unlike not-for-profit organizations. Churches are fundamentally unlike the other kinds of groups that usually declare not-for-profit status. Charities and educational institutions, for example, serve all people equally. However, churches do not. They are free to discriminate, and do discriminate, against people who do not share their beliefs (this is called the “ministerial exemptionâ€). They can and do discriminate against people for being gay, for being women, for being unmarried, for their age, for having health problems, or for virtually any other reason. (A recent New York Times article, “Where Faith Abides, Employees Have Few Rights“, gives more information on the liberties given to churches that would never be granted to any other employer.) At the very least, these groups should pay taxes if they intend to treat their employees in this way. Even better, this special treatment should end, and they should be held to the same anti-discrimination rules as any other business.
Read more: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/daylightatheism/2006/10/tax-the-churches/#ixzz3HpWDLzSJ
You're gonna drown, but the good Christians are all gonna get to cruise on the ark with all those millions of well behaved animals..
The Great Flood: http://youtu.be/I225Vcs3X0g