God's Little Acres

I'm not big on Creationism but I love a good theme park. And if this one gets off the ground, it promises to be a doosey!

Imagine a full-scale, according to biblical dimensions, recreation of Noah's Ark, built from wood, by hand, employing techniques that would have been used in 2200 BC. Three floors of interactive and interpretive exhibits would deal with such topics as "how did Noah fit the animals on the Ark, and how do you feed them, and get rid of waste products, and so on."

So says Ken Ham, president and CEO of Answers in Genesis and The Creation Museum, perhaps best known for the clobbering he recently took, in a debate with Bill Nye, the Science Guy, over Creationism vs. Evolution.

Ken Ham is a 62 year old "Young-Earth" evangelist, who promotes the belief that the initial chapters in Genesis should be taken as literally true and historically accurate. Ham espouses that the Universe was created 6,000 years ago, and that dinosaurs co-existed with modern humans.

[Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't point out that the Bible refers to Ham as one of the sons of Noah, and the father of Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan, who populated Africa and parts of Asia.]

Ham is no stranger to taking on controversial projects. His Creation Museum, located in Petersburg, Kentucky, is a 70,000-square-foot museum, opened on May 28, 2007. In addition to the museum, the facility also houses a special effects theater, a planetarium, and a gift shop. The museum proper includes representations of biblical people and events, videos, explanatory signage, and fiberglass and animatronic dinosaurs.

The museum's website (http://creationmuseum.org/) states:

The state-of-the-art museum brings the pages of the Bible to life, casting its characters and animals in dynamic form and placing them in familiar settings. Adam and Eve live in the Garden of Eden. Children play and dinosaurs roam near Eden’s Rivers. The serpent coils cunningly in the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Majestic murals, great masterpieces brimming with pulsating colors and details, provide a backdrop for many of the settings.

Ham's newest project is Ark Encounter (http://arkencounter.com/), a Creationist theme park of, if you'll pardon the expression, biblical proportions. In addition to the showcase Ark, the park will include:

Journey Through Biblical History, where "guests will take a floating journey down the Nile River, winding through scenes from Old Testament history - experiencing special effects thrills to help tell the story. Beginning after Noah’s Flood with Abraham, the journey through time depicts: the formation of Israel; Moses and the ten plagues in Egypt; and the parting of the Red Sea."

The Tower of Babel, a 100+ foot tall structure depicting what the Tower may have looked like. "Guests enter a highly themed interior and weave along a path that shares the story of man’s efforts to elevate himself, and his abandonment of God (Genesis 11). It also introduces exhibits on the origination of languages and people groups. The path leads to a 500-seat special effects theater presentation of “Who is God?”

First-Century Village, "an area providing guests with the opportunity to experience a typical village that would have been found in the North Galilee area of Israel, where Jesus conducted the majority of His ministry. It is complete with period-costumed villagers, houses, a synagogue, a sheepfold, an olive press building, watchtowers, terraced farming, and a first-century dining facility."

The Children’s Area, "a unique setting next to the zoo and aviary. Highly themed with bridge nets, climbing areas, slides, and zip lines, it has an indoor and outdoor discovery center where children can learn about God’s provision for His creation."

The Aviary, "a fascinating walk-through attraction, with several viewing platforms inside three types of bird sanctuaries. Each sanctuary will allow guests to get close to the birds in a natural setting. A nearby butterfly emporium will give visitors additional learning experiences."

Noah’s Animals, "a wonderful attraction that will provide guests the opportunity to learn more about some of the animal kinds that were on the Ark. This area will be similar to a petting zoo, complete with barns, a petting animal area, an open grazing area, a stage for daily live animal and bird shows, and meet-and-greet areas for close-up encounters with unique animals and birds."

The Walled City, "that depicts the pre-Flood lifestyle of the people of Noah’s day. This 14-acre area is the entry point to the facility for all guests and becomes its central gathering point. The Walled City features highly themed shops, restaurants, and venues that bring to life the city and times in which Noah lived."

The Ark attraction itself will feature a “Special Effects Lake” that will “mimic the explosion from the depths of the earth, which triggered a worldwide flood” and promises to be a real “crowd-pleaser,” according to Ham.

Ark Encounter will be located in Williamstown, Kentucky, off Interstate 75, about a 40-mile drive south of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. The park will be situated on an 800 acre parcel of scenic property amidst rolling hills and ravines.

Although the park will be developed over a period of years, construction of the Ark will begin this year, with a projected Phase One opening date sometime in 2016.

As with Ken Ham's Creation Museum and other Ministry programs, behind the fun of Ark Encounter will be ominous warnings of God's imminent judgement and the rapidly unfolding end times. Considering that Ham plans to fund the park through long-term bond issues, he's going to have a hard time reconciling with investors that profits will accrue in a future that might not exist.

Be that as it may, I for one, already have my bags packed!