Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Kentuckians, kennie ham is making a mockery of you!

OK, I haven't written to much on the Ark Encounters, more because there have been so many other things to bring up. But I think kennie ham and his supporters in the government of the Great State of Kentucky are smoking crack and they seem to think they can get away with it.

OK, what has me so annoyed. I really don't care if little kennie wants to spend more of other folks money and create his little monument to his own inadequacies. It really doesn't bother me that he formed a public company in order to solicit money from the State of Kentucky. I don't even care that their vote pandering Governor is going along with it. The reason none of that bothers me is because while I disagree with it, they still have the right to be as foolish as they wish. If the people of Kentucky want to support them -- that's their right.

However; and you knew there had to be a however. Little kennie is advertising job openings at the Ark Encounter. Now please remember this is a park supposedly being done by a secular company and using some amount of public funds and tax incentives to do so. So can anyone tell me why do:

"All job applicants need to supply a written statement of their testimony, a statement of what they believe regarding creation and a statement that they have read and can support the AiG statement of faith."
Yes, if public funds and tax incentives are given for this park, the employment opportunities should follow State guidelines! I don't have a link to those guidelines handy, but isn't that the law in Kentucky?

Suppose someone asked you to do this during a job interview? How quickly would you be looking for a lawyer to sue for some sort of discrimination? And you would be justified! Little kennie can get away with it for folks working at his ministry -- and make no bones about it AiG (AiG's about page) and the Creation 'Museum' (an outreach of AiG) are nothing but ministries. However Ark Encounters isn't supposed to be one. During a recent interview on Anderson Coopers 360 little kennie side stepped the question about trying to convert people to remind us, yet again, that the company running it is a separate for-profit company, not a non-profit ministry. So this requirement makes it plain that Ark Encounters is an extension of the Creation 'Museum' and AiG and so there should be no question of public assistance. Tell kennie that the till is closed.

Anyone else feel more than a little bit of not-particularly-ethical Pinocchio-ism going on here? I think now is the time for the folks in Kentucky to start telling the Governor and his cronies that enough is enough. Either kennie ham plays by the rules, or he can build his little playhouse without any state money or tax incentives! Come folks from Kentucky, it really is time!

2 comments:

  1. Just caught PZ Myers (Pharyngula) and Jen McCreight's (Blag Hag) coverage of this same issue. Check out:

    http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/02/great_jobs_in_kentucky.php

    http://www.blaghag.com/2011/02/yep-definitely-not-ministry.html

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