Are school trips to Ark Encounter legal? Ken Ham and group wage battle

[riversedge]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by DonViejo (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Louisville courier-journal

Updated 7:37 a.m. ET Jan. 22, 2019


Ken Ham, the creationist founder of the Ark Encounter in Northern Kentucky, is sparring with a national group over whether public schools are legally allowed to visit his religious attractions.

Earlier this month the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which promotes the separation of church and state, sent letters to more than 1,000 public school districts in Kentucky and four other states saying that field trips to Ham's Ark Encounter and Creation Museum are unconstitutional.

The letters, sent Jan. 8, were prompted by Ham encouraging public schools to visit his theme park, which features a 510-foot-long model of Noah's Ark.

"It is unacceptable to expose a captive audience of impressionable students to the overtly religious atmosphere of Ham’s Christian theme parks," wrote Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker, co-presidents of the Wisconsin-based foundation. ..................................

Read more: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2019/01/19/kentucky-ark-encounter-freedom-from-religion-group-fights-school-field-trips/2615675002/

[Moostache]

1. They can go to the Ark thing...

Right after they get to go to Allah's Flying Carpet (*and Magic Horse-y Ride)....or any other cult's theme parks. The Flying Spaghetti Monster's Pirate Emporium is supposed to be great this time of year.

And if they do not offer the opportunity for ALL religions AND non-belief systems, then they do not have a Constitutional RIGHT to offer ANY of them...period.

[Farmer-Rick]

2. And Ham made millions off of the government by building it.

From the link:

"The foundation was one of several groups outraged when the theme park won more than $18 million in state tax incentives when it was being built in 2014. State officials tried to take the tax break away after learning the park would only hire Christians, but park officials sued in federal court and won.

After its first year, the Kentucky government cut the Ark Encounter a rebate check for $1.8 million."

The only reason Ham did it was for the money and now he wants to con all our children into believing his Christian for cash bull sh*t. So many snarky, slimy con men are into Christianity for the money you would think their god would stop it.

[rurallib]

3. the anti-science stupidity and glorification of fantasies should keep any school

away from this pile of crap to begin with.

[bluestarone]

4. Just can't hate these people enough!!!!!!

Total BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[exboyfil]

5. It is a real shame that churches

are banned in this country. I mean it is not like they could actually sponsor their own trips.

Wait a second. Churches aren't banned in the US?

[DonViejo]

6. Locking...

The consensus of Forum Hosts agree this is a feature article containing opinion and analysis about past and ongoing legal struggles between Ark Encounter, Ken Ham, and the FFR organization. Please post this in the General Discussions Forum and/or the Religion Group