Giant ark just the start; creationists have a bigger plan for recruiting new believers

[TexasTowelie]

WILLIAMSTOWN, Ky. — Ken Ham built an ark, a Noah-sized ark, in the verdant, landlocked hills of the American heartland.

At the sight of the wooden vessel, tourists — decidedly more than two-by-two, a caravan of buses surrounding the site — gasp in wonder. Christian school students storm the ramps, many completing science quizzes based on anti-evolutionary teachings.

The founder of Answers in Genesis, an online and publishing ministry with a strict creationist interpretation of the Bible, employed 700 workers to erect the $120 million Ark Encounter, which is five stories high and a football field and a half in length, and packs a powerful “whoa” punch. He had the massive boat designed by a veteran of amusement park attractions, commissioned an original soundtrack to enhance the experience, and stocked the interior with an animatronic (and freakishly real) talking Noah, along with lifelike models of Earth’s manifold creatures. Including dinosaurs.

And he saw that it was good.

The ark opened last summer and is on target, Ham says, to attract more than a million visitors in the first year.

Read more: http://www.gadsdentimes.com/news/20170602/giant-ark-just-start-creationists-have-bigger-plan-for-recruiting-new-believers

[shenmue]

1. Is he still in jail for not paying taxes on his park?

[Vogon_Glory]

2. What is this Ham dude's immigration status, anyway?

Enquiring minds want to know.

[TlalocW]

3. As I understand it

They've readjusted their numbers as to what will be considered a great first year because they're not matching what they said they would.

The Creation Museum was already having problems when Ham started the Ark Encounter. When you're not a real museum yet you're the pinnacle of creationism, your exhibits don't change as there are no other museums to get exhibits from - and there ARE other Creationist Museums - normally sheet metal buildings in the deep south. When things don't change, even the most fervent creation-believing Christian out there isn't going to make it a habit to come back to it. The same is already happening to the Ark Experience. The local young Earth churches will go every year, but kids under a certain age get in free so that's not helping them.

It will go underwater (tip your waitstaff) sooner rather than later.

TlalocW