Kentucky Cuts Education; Preserves Tax Breaks For Creationist Theme Park

[Syt]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2012/01/23/kentucky-cuts-education-preserves-tax-breaks-for-creationist-theme-park/

In one of the most spectacularly mis-prioritized state budgets in recent memory, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear (D), is suggesting over $50 million in cuts to education – while preserving $43 million in tax breaks for the Ark Encounter, a creationist amusement park centered around a life-sized Noah's Ark. The park is sponsored by Answers In Genesis, a non-profit organization that promotes a "literalist" interpretation of the Book of Genesis while promoting an anti-evolution (and other sciences) agenda.

There are a number of reasons why this is a bad idea. First of all, it makes no sense to cut education at this point without reforms that go along with it to ensure that education services don't suffer as a result. This budget doesn't do that. Education dollars are an investment in the future – both culturally and economically. Moreover, a tax subsidy in support violates – in spirit if not in letter – the sacred American principle of the separation of Church and State.

Moreover, in a time of austerity, surely it makes most sense to eliminate wasteful subsidies first, rather than essential public services. Especially subsidies that are of dubious value to begin with, whether its this "Ark Park" or a football stadium.

There are religious considerations, too. I'm not an evangelical myself, but hostility to evolution has caused a rift among evangelical Christians. For example, Liberal evangelical Fred Clark has a problem with this and other anti-science promotions by his fellow evangelicals, because he thinks that they're not only factually wrong, but also drive people away from evangelical churches.

Interestingly enough, this is actually quite an old conflict within the Church. The great Church Father Origen, among others, argued for allegorical interpretations of Genesis. Even back in the 4th century, St. Augustine took his fellow Christians to task for literally interpreting Genesis. He wrote in his, On the Literal Interpretation of Genesis:

"It not infrequently happens that something about the earth, about the sky, about other elements of this world, about the motion and rotation or even the magnitude and distances of the stars, about definite eclipses of the sun and moon, about the passage of years and seasons, about the nature of animals, of fruits, of stones, and of other such things, may be known with the greatest certainty by reasoning or by experience, even by one who is not a Christian. It is too disgraceful and ruinous, though, and greatly to be avoided, that he should hear a Christian speaking so idiotically on these matters, and as if in accord with Christian writings, that he might say that he could scarcely keep from laughing when he saw how totally in error they are. In view of this and in keeping it in mind constantly while dealing with the book of Genesis, I have, insofar as I was able, explained in detail and set forth for consideration the meanings of obscure passages, taking care not to affirm rashly some one meaning to the prejudice of another and perhaps better explanation.

With the scriptures it is a matter of treating about the faith. For that reason, as I have noted repeatedly, if anyone, not understanding the mode of divine eloquence, should find something about these matters in our books, or hear of the same from those books, of such a kind that it seems to be at variance with the perceptions of his own rational faculties, let him believe that these other things are in no way necessary to the admonitions or accounts or predictions of the scriptures. In short, it must be said that our authors knew the truth about the nature of the skies, but it was not the intention of the Spirit of God, who spoke through them, to teach men anything that would not be of use to them for their salvation.

This goes back to points that Karen Armstrong made in her tour de force book, The Case for God – the idea that religion isn't about teaching facts – it's about teaching truths in the form of mythos. That is, teaching truth in the form of practice and symbolic language.  It's about using poetry and allegory to guide people in understanding the universe and their place in it, whether those allegories are about seven days of creation, the will of Allah, the divine truths of Brahma, achieving Nirvana, or following the Tao.

[Faeelin]

I think that person doesn't understand Kentucky Christians if he thinks they view the Bible as mythos.

[Razgovory]

Good Job, Cal.

[Neil]

That's democracy.

[Malthus]

Further legislative hilarity: proposed law against using aborted fetuses as food:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2012/01/oklahoma-lawmaker-ban-fetuses-food.html

So much for the dream of opening a fetus restaurant. 

[dps]

I wonder how many other businesses and projects are also getting tax breaks in this budget.

[The Brain]

Further legislative hilarity: proposed law against using aborted fetuses as food:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2012/01/oklahoma-lawmaker-ban-fetuses-food.html

So much for the dream of opening a fetus restaurant. 

Can we keep Jew news in a single thread?

[Richard Hakluyt]

An interesting experiment, involving children throughout the state, would be for the kids to make lifesize models of all the animals in the world (two of each unclean species and 14 of each clean species). Then, at the end of the year, there could be demonstration of how they won't all fit in the life-size ark.

[Monoriu]

An interesting experiment, involving children throughout the state, would be for the kids to make lifesize models of all the animals in the world (two of each unclean species and 14 of each clean species). Then, at the end of the year, there could be demonstration of how they won't all fit in the life-size ark.

I'm sure they'd find a way to explain that away.  Animals were smaller back then.  The real ark is a lot larger.  Saint performed miracles.  Pigs could fly.  Etc.

[Valmy]

I'm sure they'd find a way to explain that away.  Animals were smaller back then.  The real ark is a lot larger.  Saint performed miracles.  Pigs could fly.  Etc.

Well they cannot argue the real ark is a lot larger.  God is pretty anal about the size he wants Noah to build.

Noah sucks though.  Moses wanted to go down with his people and God saved them.  Noah just lets them all drown the selfish fuck.

[The Brain]

I'm sure they'd find a way to explain that away.  Animals were smaller back then.  The real ark is a lot larger.  Saint performed miracles.  Pigs could fly.  Etc.

Well they cannot argue the real ark is a lot larger.  God is pretty anal about the size he wants Noah to build.

Noah sucks though.  Moses wanted to go down with his people and God saved them.  Noah just lets them all drown the selfish fuck.

You seem to know an awful lot about Jew stuff. Why is that?

[MadImmortalMan]

I didn't realize that thing was paid for with state money.   

[dps]

I didn't realize that thing was paid for with state money.  

It's not state money per se, because it's not a direct subsidy.  Instead, it's tax breaks.  Not at all uncommon for new businesses to get them.  If tax breaks = state money, then your local Wallmart was probably built with state money, as well as any other large businesses.

[Valmy]

It's not state money per se, because it's not a direct subsidy.  Instead, it's tax breaks.  Not at all uncommon for new businesses to get them.  If tax breaks = state money, then your local Wallmart was probably built with state money, as well as any other large businesses.

Well they were.  It is an investment in expectation of future returns.

[The Brain]

It's Kentucky. It will make its money back many times over.