Back in 2010 Ken Ham, who believes everything in the Bible should be taken literally, announced that his organisation Answers in Genesis would construct the 510-foot-long ship in Kentucky.
Since then, scientists have been arguing that it would be detrimental to children’s education – taking particular umbrage with the fact that it was granted state tax incentives.
However, it was opened to great fanfare on Tuesday – with a high school marching band performing before a ribbon cutting.
‘I believe this is going to be one of the greatest Christian outreaches of this era in history,’ Ham, president of Answers in Genesis, said.
The attraction, called Ark Encounter, is based on the Old Testament tale about a man who got a warning from God that a flood would destroy the world.
Ham says the ark will now stand as proof that stories in the Bible are true.
Answers in Genesis believes that God created everything 6,000 years ago – including humans and dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs became extinct around 65million years before the first humans appeared.
Jim Helton, leader of the atheist group Tri-State Freethinkers, said: ‘Basically this boat is a church raising scientifically illiterate children and lying to them about science.
‘It’s a clear violation of separation of church and state. What they’re doing is utterly ridiculous and, anywhere else, I don’t think it would be allowed.’
No comments:
Post a Comment