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Section A18 AUGUST 2011

Would you like to ride atime machine into Bibledays? You may soon get thechance!

Forty miles south o Cin-cinnati along I-75, the Ark En-counter Park is springing up. Itpromises a ull-size all-wood

history attractions, including aTower of Babel.

Answers in Genesis (AiG), an apol-

authority and Genesis-related issues,

arkencounter ParkA respected market research com-pany, Americas Research Group, con-ducted a nationwide survey to gaugeinterest in Noahs Ark. A whopping63% (representing 194 million Amer-icans) said they would visit a ull-sizeArk replica.

Because the Ark will draw somany people, designers expandedplans to oer a large complex o ninemajor attractions. With multiple at-tractions, visitors will spread out, re-ducing lines at the Ark.

Ark Encounterplans to open Spring2014. Admission will be $35-$40.

At the park entry, a 40-acre Walled City depicts the pre-Floodliestyle o Noahs day. Itincludes restaurants, periodshops, Bible event venues,and Noahs house.

Outside the city wall,Noahs Ark includes ex-hibits showing how the Arkcould have been built andhow Noahs amily couldhave tended the animals

while surviving a year on theark. The Ark rests on theshore o a large lake. This area hosts adaily show eaturing a parade o ani-mals and a dramatic demonstrationo how the fountains of the great deepburst open. (Genesis 7:11)

For more on the Ark, see Julys Bi-ble-Science column Rebuilding NoahsArk.

Noahs Animals is a petting zoowith live animal and bird shows illus-trating animal kinds on the Ark.

The walk-through Aviary hasclose-encounter viewing platormsinside three bird sanctuaries and abutterfy house.

The 100-oot Tower ofBabel presents exhibits on the

origin o languages and peo-ple groups. It includes a 500-seat special-eects theater.

In the Biblical HistoryJourney, visitors foat downthe Nile River windingthrough Old Testament his-tory rom Abraham to Mo-ses, including the ten plaguesand parting o the Red Sea.

The Childrens PlayArea next to the zoo is an in-teractive Bible-themed ex-ploration area with climbing

and zip lines. Designed or

multi-generational amilyparticipation, it includes anindoor and outdoor discov-ery center.

The First-Century Vil-

lage recreates a Galilean vil-lage o 2,000 years ago withcostumed villagers, houses,synagogue, sheepold, ol-

terraced arms. A diningacility serves rst-centurymeals, and a perormingarts theater has a combina-tion live and video show.

The Special EventsArea outside the walled

city provides acilities or large groupmeetings and private events. It show-cases green building techniques usedor the Ark.

Preliminary research or the proj-ect estimated attendance at 1.6 mil-

lion people in the rst year alone, with an economic impact o $591million. Over 10 years the impact willexceed $4.8 billion and create 14,000private-sector jobs. Projected atten-dance is comparable to that or Get-tysburg or The Henry Ford complex.

oPPosition

Journalists, pundits and bloggers na-tionwide have heaped scorn, criticismand ridicule on the Ark Encounter.Undoubtedly this also happened toNoah 4500 years ago.

The two largest Kentucky news-papers, Louisvilles Courier-Journal

and Lexingtons Herald-Leader, havebeen relentlessly hostile toward theArk and deliberately deceptive about

tax incentives by alsely implying stateunds will be used or construction.

Many criticize Governor Beshearor allegedly violating separation ochurch and state. Yet post-constructiontax incentives are legislated in Ken-tuckys Tourism Development Act orany tourist attraction, so it would bediscriminatory or Kentucky to reuse.

Many virulently oppose the proj-ect because it is Bible-based. Suchcritics are willing to oreit enormouseconomic benets or the entire re-

rom taking root in Kentucky.Secularists even accuseAnswers in

Genesis o child abuse because their

childrens educations by teachingthat Genesis is literally true. Ironi-

worldview, or there can be no liesi there is no God who denes truth.

An op-ed screed Noahs Ark park will mislead our schoolchildren in

Ohios Middletown Journalwhined,Building a lie-sized replica o the arkin a Genesis-themed park strikes a se-

vere blow to the teaching o evolution. Why are evolutionists so araid

o the Ark? Will one Ark overcomethousands o schools, museums, zoos,

teract billions o dollars o govern-ment unds or evolutionist educa-

Americans swim in an ocean oevolutionism. The evolutionist mind-set pervades the culture. Will the Arkreally strike a severe blow againstevolutionism?

Yes, it will, because the Genesisrecord o Noahs Ark andthe Flood is authentichistory, and truth will win

out eventually. Rebuilding

lical truth.

WhatWould

noahthink?

Noah would endorse re-building the Ark to recall

and authority. For Noah was himsel a preacher of righteousness to a wicked

world (2 Peter 2:5).Noah aced intense op-

position only seven peoplein the entire world believed

him. Noah would think wehave it easy today with mil-lions supporting rebuildingthe Ark.

The enormity o the re-

building project increases my admira-tion or Noah as a project manager,

year during the Flood, Noah man-aged the Ark and animals with onlyeight people. But AiG expects to hire900 people or the park.

Noah likely hired constructionhelp. He may have nanced his proj-ect with mortgages (which he neverhad to repay).

Will this ark be easier to build thanNoahs Ark, being stationary and notrequired to foat? Actually, naval engi-

neers are involved to ensurethe rebuilt ark is seaworthy.

Ark Encounterwill takethree years to complete. No-body knows how long it tookNoah to build the Ark. Gen-esis 6:3 mentions 120 yearsbut does not speciy whatthat time period includes.

People usually envi-sion Noah laboring a long

time with primitive constructiontechniques. This is only speculation,since all technology o Noahs world

was destroyed in the Flood. Weknow nothing o what that world

was like except or a ew hints inScripture.

Pre-food men lived or over 900 years, so they would have acquired

and resources during their lives. Sinsdamage had accrued ar less, and peo-ple were much smarter than today.Adams seventh-generation grandson

Tubal-cain orged bronze and irontools (Genesis 4:22). It would notsurprise me i the pre-Flood world

had advanced tools powered by elec-tro-magnetic, solar, wind, hydro, nu-

Noah was 600 years old when theFlood came (Genesis 7:6). He hadcenturies o accumulated expertise,

Ark. He certainly had metal technol-ogy available and probably construc-tion techniques and tools which areunknown today.

Noah might actually smile at 21st-century mans clumsy reproduction ohis Ark. Soli Deo Gloria.

E-mail Dr. Pelletier at

BibleScienceGuy@woodsidenews.org.

http://BibleScienceGuy.wordpress.comand follow him at http://twitter.com/BibleScienceGuy.

nah fac i ppii

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wrl bliv him. tay milli

uppr rbuilig h Ark.

courtesyAnsWersIngenesIs

WilliAM T.

Ark Encountertm pa pann fo Wamstown, ky.

THE bIbLE AND SCIENCE by WilliAM T. PelleTier, Ph.d. [WoodsIde neWs COLUMNIST]Ark Encounter Park

PelleTier, Ph.d.

Noahs Ark and many Biblical

2011 William T. Pelletier

Read the Bible-Science Guy blog at

the Ark will publicize Bib-

ogetics ministry ocusing on Biblical

is building the Biblical theme park.

structures, bridge nets, slides,

ive press, watchtowers, and

gion to prevent Biblical infuence

cally, this attack presupposes a Biblical

speakers "lie to children and wreck

movies, and TV shows? Will it coun-

tion, projects, and research?

America to Biblical truth

engineer, and ship builder. For one

vast amounts o knowledge, skills,

clear, thermal, or other energy sources.

resources, and wisdom to apply to the