A Great Disappointment to Ark Encounter

Kentucky officials recently announced a great disappointment to the Ark Encounter project. As we state on our news release for today, “Bowing to pressure by secularist groups outside the state, Kentucky officials announced late Wednesday a decision to deny the Ark Encounter theme park an opportunity to participate in a popular tax rebate incentive program offered by the state’s tourism office.”

However, construction must continue on the Ark Encounter, and we stand behind our recently announced billboard campaign that boldly states, “You Can’t Sink This Ship.”

We have been working on this project with Kentucky for more than two years, so this just-received denial announcement is as disappointing as it is costly for our ministry without the expected rebate. Our construction has already begun at the Williamstown, Kentucky, site, and it must proceed. We are fully prepared to defend our fundamental rights in court if necessary, as this issue is of huge importance, not only to us, but to every religious organization.

You can read our news release here. Please pray with us as we evaluate our legal options in light of the state’s action. And if you would like to stand with us amidst this discrimination, you can help by visiting our end-of-year campaign page.

At the end of the day, our case and our message here are very simple, and are based upon the fundamental principle in federal and state law that government officials are not permitted to show hostility towards religion or to treat religious individuals and groups as second-class citizens. The Constitution requires the state to deal with Christians on the same equal basis that it treats everybody else.

Attached for your review is a letter sent by AiG to the state on December 8, as well as the state’s response letter on December 10 so that you can read for yourself the correspondence between the state of Kentucky and AiG. We have acted in good faith and will continue to do so—even if that means we must proceed now to litigation.