Noah's ark project in Ky. to move forward

http://www.arkbonds.com/

Opinion: A shameful way to raise $$. And a shameful use of municipal bonds

Details (PDF)

Why, Jim?

Really, TylerR, $150 million for a Bible theme park?

Glancing through the prospectus, their own research states that Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry (which they cite as a comparable attraction) draws about 1,400,000 visitors per year…

Their projection is that to maintain financial viability for the Ark Encounter, they need to sustain 1,200,000 visits per year…

Yet the Creation Museum, about 45 miles away from the proposed site, has had a maximum annual attendance of 394,000 (per their own figures)…and attendance is now down from that peak…

make a floating ark and people will come from all around to see the miracle

[Larry Nelson]

Glancing through the prospectus, their own research states that Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry (which they cite as a comparable attraction) draws about 1,400,000 visitors per year…

Their projection is that to maintain financial viability for the Ark Encounter, they need to sustain 1,200,000 visits per year…

Yet the Creation Museum, about 45 miles away from the proposed site, has had a maximum annual attendance of 394,000 (per their own figures)…and attendance is now down from that peak…

I have been going to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry ever since I was a little kid. I remember when the whole place was free every day. With that said, that museum is not only one of the best in the world (and I have been in the best museums all over the world), but it is also in a highly concentrated population zone. There is no way the ark will receive these many visitors.

I’m not sure why folks are so derisive about the idea of the Ark Encounter. They’re raising the money by donation. They’re not receiving local, state or federal funding. Their purpose is unashamedly evangelistic:

Frankly, we can’t think of a more effective way to share the gospel with many millions of people today than by using an Ark. The Ark of Noah is a picture of salvation, which allows us to share with future visitors that Christ is our modern-day Ark of salvation. People who might not ever attend a church service will be powerfully presented with the gospel message at the Ark, where they will learn about Christ.

I don’t think you can say they’re “in it for the money.” You may not like the idea, and you may never go, but what is the problem?

[TylerR] They’re not receiving local, state or federal funding.

This seems to be a routine tax-break given to tourist sites, no doubt to encourage such sites in their state:

The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority, which oversees tax credits for tourism and film-related projects, unanimously approved the tax credit for the Ark Encounter project, which is scheduled to break ground in August outside Williamstown in Grant County.

A tax break isn’t funding. My church gets a tax break too, and I’m quite happy it does.

How would you feel if municipal bonds were used to fund a mosque? Catholic project? et cetera

[TylerR] You may not like the idea, and you may never go, but what is the problem?

ChrisC, what makes you think that a boat that floats is a miracle? That’s been a pretty common occurrence for millenia.

a boat that floats is not a miracle, but an all-wood pre-historic boat with those dimensions and cargo on open seas for 12 months with an 8-person crew that had never seen rain (or boats) is.

Based on what, Chris?

There is nothing out of the ordinary about it, aside from perhaps getting the animals to the ark. There is nothing that requires a miracle (though I am not sure why that would be a problem for miracles to take place). It’s large for its time, but again, not sure why that’s a problem either. It seems to me a perfectly reasonable story, not to mention it is what the Bible says happened. That would seem to be pretty important, wouldn’t it?

I am not a big fan of the Ark Encounter. I think there are better ways to go about things.

The worldwide flood itself was a miracle. The head’s up Noah got was a revelation from heaven. And as you mention, getting two or seven of every kind was probably the result of divine intervention. Plenty of the miraculous all around.

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You may not like the idea, and you may never go, but what is the problem?

The problem is that God ordained the foolishness of preaching, not spectacular tourist attraction, to be the means of reaching the lost.