This Will Make You Feel Dizzy
There is a group of steeple people in Kentucky who are furious that the government is discriminating against them by punishing them for discriminating.
Yeah, my head hurts. But, the story is cool.
These guys are building Noah’s Ark in Kentucky. They feel that it will be a great tourist attraction. Who knows? People go to Dollyworld. Need I say more?
So, they set themselves up as a non-profit and applied for $18 million in tax incentives from the good people of Kentucky.
One problem. They will only hire you to work there if you are a fundamentalist Christian.
Stewart explains that their application will not go forward because the state will not grant incentives to a company that openly intends to discriminate in hiring based on religion, saying it is a violation of the state constitution for these incentives to be used to advance religion.
Let the whining begin!
The mastermind of this park, Ken Ham, says he’s being persecuted.
Ken Ham penned a fundraising letter last week claiming the governor is launching a “massive attack” on their religious freedom and persecuting his organization “because of our Christian message.”
Okay, grab ahold of something because the spin is fixing to get wild.
Ham decided to take to the power of a fundraising letter! Of damn course. His letter says —
But as is clear settled law, churches and other religious organizations are allowed to hire employees who agree with their religious viewpoint!
Who would have ever thought that such governmental interference would come to America!
Wait! Wait! You can hired whoever you want, but you – who is asking for $18 million from the damn government! – is whining about government interference?
Wait! Wait! I thought y’all were the people who believe in free markets.
Dude, climb down off your cross of greed.
Thanks to Brian for the heads up.
Double negatives always confuse me.
1You can discriminate in hiring for your little funny farm, Ken boy, but don’t expect tax dollars to help you pay for it. It’s offensive enough that churches don’t pay taxes, even the ones that scream from the pulpit that their people will go to hell if they don’t vote for the Republicans. Or do you want to be taxed to support the tabernacle and mosque and Hindu temple down the road?
I think you should take another look at that “Render unto Caesar” verse, Kenny. Keep looking– it’s in that book you pick and choose from.
2This is fairly mild for Ken Ham & his “Answers in Genesis” organization. The National Center for Science Education has been recording the antics of Ham (and others of his ilk) for longer than Ham has been in business
3I would just say to Ken Ham, “have faith.”
Look at the birds of the air, and consider the lilies of the field, they do quite well without tax breaks.
4PUKE…. vomit… projectile vomiting.
5I’ll bet he’s 100% behind requiring anyone applying for welfare to submit to random drug testing and show that they’re actively seeking work. However, requiring his organization to adhere to certain conditions before giving him taxpayer money is unwarranted interference.
He must be part of the “Keep Government out of my Government Benefits” crowd.
6Imagine a Muslim group building a Mecca theme park with a huge Ka’bah in the middle of a Great Mosque replica–and asking for taxpayer help.
7Government money comes with government regulations. Duh!
8Ken Hamm, meet Fox not the News. You are the man they must be describing in their rants about those who pay no taxes wanting bigger chunks of guvmint cheese.
Repeat after me, “separation of church and state.” Now, keep repeating, until you withdraw your grimy mitts from the government coffers.
Tax the churches! Those small churches that actually feed the poor and help people wouldn’t be effected, while the horror houses of electronic bilge and mega millions would pay according to income.
9Why doesn’t Ham ask Jesus and skip all the middlemen?
10When did Ken (I’ve mistaken myself for God) Ham become a citizen of the United States?
11I, for one, would gladly crucify Ken Ham on a Cross of Gold, provided it was melted down and distributed to the poor afterwards.
12I’m with Miss Prissybritches; I don’t know if it’s the Fundamentalist State people or the vertigo, but I think I’m gonna puke too…
13I’m in Kentucky, where we have to look at his billboards. Google “noah’s ark billboard” – no quotes – in Google Images.
14He’s going to build an Ark? Big enough for two of every animal existing on the Earth in Biblical times? In Kentucky? Poor Ken doesn’t seem to have figured out how big it will have to be. He’d better start asking Tennessee for money, too. I’m just going to sit here and watch the fun.
15Stay in Kentucky with this crap, we do not want it in Tennessee.
16Will there be dinosaurs?
17Do you suppose it has ever occurred to the Ark guys that many, if not most of the taxpayers who would be required to contribute do not share the Ark’s religious beliefs?
Do you suppose they’d care if it did? For people like this money seems to trump purity of religion. Perhaps money is their religion.
18publius bolonius, there will be dinosaurs and they will be shown playing with the cave children and serving as beasts of burden for the adults.
19Ack. After reading about Kevin Swanson at Wonkette, I’m just disgusted with this crap. I’m really grateful for the snark mob, however, here at the WMDBS, and at Wonkette.
20@LynnN – “you cannot serve both God and Mammon!” Out of the mouth of their (?! Our?? Mine too damnit i!) own God, and Mammon is the Canaanite god of wealth. It’s in the GOSPEL of that book he claims to read and follow. Maybe he hasn’t got there yeti!
21Ham seems unaware that it was Jewish people on that tub.
22KH, o ye of little faith! Why in tarnation did you turn to the guvmint to help you out? That was spitting’ in the face of the Almighty! Shame on you, Ken boy!
23Hey, don’t dis Dollywood. It’s a fine and fun place and keeps a lot of the Parton family employed.
24Of all the unfettered chutzpah! Those fundamentalist nutjobs have some nerve expecting taxpayers to fund that monstrosity when families are hurting, children are going without basic necessities and the elderly are neglected. that guy needs a kick in the pants more than a government handout.
25Ken Hamm…perpetually persecuted. I am REALLY tired of the fake Christian “martyrs” like Hamm who are mortally wounded when someone wishes them a happy holiday. Or who thinks they’re entitled to a government grant just because they are Christian. As Juanita says, I hate them and I always will.
26Right wingers consider themselves oppressed any time they don’t get their own way 100%, no compromise.
27Ahhhh The secular world’s Golden Rule: ‘He who has the Gold makes the Rules.” Suck it up Ark boys.
28Matthew 6:5-6 is where Jesus says not to pray in public like the hypocrites do to show how “religious” they are. I wonder what he’d have to say about this little project. (Another story about the temple and moneylenders comes to mind. You were planning to charge admission, weren’t you, Ken?)
29Well, what about those fine religious Robertsons whose TV show just goes right along with their invitations to religious events and political conventions? I digress. I don’t keer if he has that ark place but if good private universities can’t get federal funds, surely those amusement parks shouldn’t. You know what just popped in my head? Some religious groups I think would lap over into entertainment. Hmm. Time for more coffee. Maybe entertainment places should not get FederaL funds. Would that include really great books funded by grants? I’m getting a headache.
30Perhaps he can move the park’s site to Florida – if the sea levels keep rising, they’ll be needing an Ark sooner rather than later.
31Is this the same idiot who ‘argued’ with Bill Nye the Science Guy about evolution?
32