To use the words of Bill Nye, “I find it disturbing” to see the amount of people that reposted and retweeted one of the latest Huffpost articles (link below) in outrage against Answer’s in Genesis. Aside from the blatent attack against the propagation of Creationism, which is to be expected, what “disturbed” me the most was the lack of critical thinking in the worldview of many of those that posted the article. The article was an appeal to emotion, misguided in the understanding of economics, and frankly an attack against the fabric and freedom of this nation. The article outlined five causes that would be better to support than building an amusement park that conveyed the Gospel of Jesus Christ and legitimacy of scripture as the foundation for truth. 1. Hungry children 2. Cancer research, prevention or patient support 3. Broke schools 4. Abused animals 5. Heroin problem Immediately I wanted to begin name-calling, but by God’s grace was able to hold my tongue and think through the subject more thoroughly, which is why I post this note… To feed hungry children, we cannot rely on government support or the support of a philanthropic donor, we need to educate people on their need to work and create, as well as supply them with places to work and create. We need to educate them on who they are and should be as humans, and help them get work. Cancer is something that has touched all of us. I’ve lost family, seen my own mother go under the knife and face painful chemo and radiation treatments, and have little doubt that one day I will have to undergo similar processes. I have a personal vested interest in finding a cure. Studying economics has taught me that cures like these don’t frequently come from donations; they come from capitalists making money by investing in risky ventures hoping that they pay off one day. While fixing the educational system is a bit of a stretch, and I’m personally in favor of non-traditional privatized solutions, the reality is that the current educational systems need income from taxes, taxes from property value increases, population increases, and jobs. Again, we need jobs. I personally do not have the same bleeding heart for animals that others do, but do acknowledged that senseless cruelty to animals is a sign of a deeper issue, a heart issue. All of our hearts are darkened by sin and many have rage, anger, bitterness, and hatred in their hearts that they express in various ways. Some use foul language, some verbally or physically abuse other humans, some verbally or physically abuse animals. The cure for this problem is not educational, but spiritual. People must be called to repent of their evil, knowing there is forgiveness in Christ Jesus. God gives believers a new heart that has new desires, and cures these problems. The heroin epidemic must be addressed. I have seen friends and family who have lost much to their addictions, and the best the world is offering them is long lines into rehab centers and pull-yourself-up by your bootstraps thinking that is not extremely effective. These folks need Jesus as much as all of us, and additional community and accountability, they need loved, they need the gospel shared with them daily, and discipleship and accountability from strong Christians that surround them in love. As I ponder what Answer’s in Genesis is bringing to Kentucky, I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to address all of the above problems, in a way more impactful than throwing 73 million would have done in the first place. The park will bring in jobs, not just jobs directly related to the park but tourist dollars that will go to building hotels, restaurants, and other off-site activities that vacationers will enjoy on days they don’t go to the park. These Jobs and tourist dollars will drive up land value and tax revenues. The jobs will help with our hunger problems and tax revenues with our poor school systems. The park embodies and encourages the spirit of capitalism by asking investors to invest in risky bonds, as people are investing in the park with hopes of a return, this spirit is the same spirit that drives people to invest in cancer research. The park also brings to Kentucky a constant promotion of the gospel of Christ. This gospel is the same gospel that we need to hear daily, the truth of Christ’s death for our sins and glorious resurrection proclaimed to sinners is the same truth that will turn hateful hearts, cure addictions, and give people the correct view that they are made in the image of their creator to be productive citizens that carry one another’s burdens. My understanding is that the $73 million raised for building of an ark is a significant investment in the future of our state, and will have far-reaching effects exponentially larger than throwing $73 million directly at any of the above problems would have. Huffpost article: huffingtonpost/2014/03/01/kentucky-noahs-ark-ken-ham_n_4876282.html
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 23:06:18 +0000
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