Kentucky's tourism finance authority gave preliminary approval to incentives applied for by The Ark Encounter, a creationist theme park that requires employees to agree to a statement of faith and a "creation belief statement."
Daniel Phelps, of the Lexington Herald-Leader, writes that the religious requirements are so stringent even locals will have a hard time getting work there:
The fact that Kentucky is considering granting a tax incentive to a group that has a policy of religious discrimination in hiring is unacceptable.
The tax incentive, along with the city tax breaks, and the parcel of land sold to the project at a discount by Williamstown, plus $200,000 cash given by the Grant County Economic Development Commission is clearly a case of government entanglement with religion.
I have expressed these concerns to Kentucky Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rob Stewart and have only received a form reply letter that did not address them. I ask the tourism cabinet not to violate civil rights laws and the separation of church and state.
The Creation Museum's other exhibits present a literalist understanding of the events of Genesis, whereby the Earth is approximately 6,000 years old, and the dinosaur whose skeleton was donated to it by white supremacists died in Noah's Flood.
