Ken Ham: 9/11 Happened Because God Is Pissed About Homosexual Behavior

Glenn Beck Has The Religion Study Sadz

“You define yourself as a Christian and you’re going to be defined by society as narrow-minded, judgmental, hateful. Believing marriage is between a man and a woman [is] used as ammunition to say you hate gays. Teaching intelligent design is literally likened to child abuse now, mocked as ‘anti-science.’ Virginity is mocked. Being pro-life is being spun as a war on women. So growing up today as a millennial — that is damn near impossible. Who would intentionally put themselves in a crowd that society has deemed anti-gay, anti-women, anti-science?” - Glenn Beck, responding to yesterday's study by Pew Research.

Tweet Of The Day - Hemant Mehta

ILLINOIS: Library To Pay Settlement To Kevin DuJan And Creationist Sidekick

Homocon Kevin DuJan and creationist loon Megan Fox have won a $55K settlement from a Chicago-area library over their FOIA complaints that porn was being viewed on its computers. The Chicago Tribune reports:

Orland Park Public Library officials have approved a settlement with two patrons who sued the library over alleged transparency law violations in an ongoing dispute over the library's policy of giving adults unfiltered access to the Internet, including pornography. Last fall, Megan Fox and Kevin DuJan filed two lawsuits against the library, alleging several violations of Illinois' freedom of information law. Orland Park and its police department were also accused in one of the suits of violating the law. The settlement includes a $55,000 payment by the library's insurance company to Fox, DuJan and their attorneys, resolves current complaints over alleged violations of the FOI law and the state's open meetings law and sets up procedures for handling future public records requests from Fox and DuJan, according to a statement from Library Director Mary Weimar. Fox and DuJan have been outspoken critics of the library since October 2013, when they claimed they saw men viewing pornography on library computers, which is permitted under library policies. The pair filed dozens of FOI requests, seeking records on library policies and personnel.

Late last year I reported that the spokeswoman for the library is also suing DuJan and Fox for defamation. That case is apparently still pending. Hit the top link for more on the settlement. (Tipped by JMG reader Larry)

Ken Ham: Jesus Will Stop Asteroids

"According to God’s Word, the universe is not here as the result of naturalistic processes. God created the universe and has imposed order on it. The universe is not strictly governed by unfeeling natural laws. God upholds and sustains the universe that He has made.  And we don’t need to worry that an asteroid will obliterate life. The Bible has already told us how things will end — with judgment from God when Jesus Christ returns to Earth." - Creationist Ken Ham, putting your fears to rest.

Tony Perkins On The Ark Encounter

"At a new Kentucky theme park, Christians are the ones getting taken for a ride. Construction is already underway in Williamstown for a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction by our friends at Answers in Genesis (AiG). The organization behind the Creation Museum is working on a built-to-scale Ark Encounter -- but so far, all they've encountered is intolerance. The state had given AiG the thumbs up on its application last fall, which triggered some outcry from anti-faith groups. Almost immediately, they swooped into Kentucky and started making noise about the rebate, demanding that it be retracted. Why? Because AiG dares to hire people who share their beliefs on creation. And as a religious organization, that's entirely within both state and federal law. Do we force animal rights groups to hire hunters? No. Or Muslim groceries to hire pig farmers? Of course not. So why is Ham's group being targeted? Constitutional questions aside, with as many as 700,000 people expected at the Ark each year, the benefits for Kentucky far outweigh any perceived slights in hiring policy." - Hate group leader Tony Perkins, via email.

KENTUCKY: Creationists To Sue State For Noah's Ark Theme Park Tax Breaks

As many of you know, Answers In Genesis, the operators of Kentucky's Creation Museum, are building a new theme park centered around a "life-size recreation of Noah's Ark." To get a job there, you must attest that you absolutely totally believe that God drowned everybody in the world because he loved them so much. In December 2014 the state of Kentucky told them, "No, you can't have $18M in public tax rebate money. You won't let non-Christians work there. Duh!"

Today Answers In Genesis announced that they are suing Kentucky to get the money.

Although the program is available to all qualifying tourist attractions seeking to build in the state, AiG’s application was rejected solely because of the religious identity and message of AiG. The lawsuit explains how this action by Kentucky officials, including Gov. Steve Beshear, violates federal and state law and amounts to unlawful viewpoint discrimination. “Our organization spent many months attempting to reason with state officials so that this lawsuit would not be necessary,” said AiG President Ken Ham. “However, the state was so insistent on treating our religious entity as a second-class citizen that we were simply left with no alternative but to proceed to court. This is the latest example of increasing government hostility towards religion in America, and it’s certainly among the most blatant.”

And since Ken Ham loves to be on camera, he's made a video explaining how he totally deserves $18M in public money.

Ken Ham: Intolerant Liberals Won't Let Public Pay For My Noah's Ark Park

Creationists Plan Times Square Message

Via World Net Daily:

When the famous ball drops on New Year’s Eve in New York City’s Times Square, a message will be there to remind “our intolerant liberal friends” about the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. Answers in Genesis, the Christian ministry best known for operating the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, announced it is purchasing a recurring, 15-second spot on a video billboard at 46th and Broadway to publicly “thank God for freedom.” “The :15 digital board will remind Americans of the religious freedoms they enjoy – whether they hold to the worldviews of Christianity, atheism, Judaism [or] other belief systems – and must be defended,” the ministry stated. “In addition, the Cross of Christ will be prominently displayed.” The 15-second ad states, “To all our intolerant liberal friends: Thank God for freedom. Brought to you by AnswersInGenesis.org and the First Amendment.”

Answers In Genesis says the billboard is their response to "attacks" on the Ark Encounter, which was just denied $18M in tax breaks because job applicants must stipulate that they believe God drowned everybody in the world because he loved them so fucking much. The billboard is expected to get three million in-person impressions in Times Square during its run and "potentially many millions more" should it appear during tomorrow night's telecasts of the ball drop.

Taco Bell Gospel

Hemant Mehta writes at Friendly Atheist:

Whenever I go to a restaurant or coffee shop and they ask for my name, I’ve gotten used to saying “Bob.” It’s a reflex at this point. Instead of going through the motions of pronouncing my real name and spelling it out for someone who doesn’t really care and just needs to use it once, I prefer making things easier for everyone. When a Taco Bell worker asks Creationist Eric Hovind for his name — an interaction that ought to be quick and simple for a guy named “Eric” — he decides to make their jobs harder (certainly more uncomfortable) by telling them his name is “Jesus Christ is Lord.” Then, as he says, “all you gotta do is sit back and let them witness for you.” It’s not clever; it’s just a dick move.

Ark Encounter: Kentucky Is Discriminating Against Us For Our Discriminatory Hiring

Earlier this month the state of Kentucky announced that it will be denying $18M in tax incentives to the Ark Encounter because its employment application stipulates that prospective staffers must be fundamentalist Christians. Today Answers In Genesis, the creationist parent organization of the Ark Encounter, claims that their religious freedom to discriminate is being discriminated against.

In addition to refuting the myth that tax dollars will be used to build our life-size Noah’s Ark in Williamstown, Kentucky, Answers in Genesis has had to spend considerable effort rebutting another myth: that it is illegal for the Ark Encounter to hire only people who can sign its statement of faith. Yet the state, in its letter to AiG last week (and simultaneously leaked to the press), is illegally denying the Ark the opportunity to benefit from the Tourism Development Act (TDA) due to hiring issues. Kentucky is demanding that AiG check its religious freedoms at the door if it is to receive TDA benefits.

It is interesting to note that the state and activist secular groups can point to no specific law or statute that would deny a religious organization like AiG or Ark Encounter the right to hire staff members who agree with its mission. Indeed, why should we give in to the state’s demand and give up our rights to hire people of faith? Nobody seems to want to force the group American Atheists to hire Christians (and we do not advocate it).

The demand by the state to have the Ark Encounter surrender the hiring rights it has under state and federal law in order to benefit from the TDA—otherwise made available to all other qualifying parties—imposes a huge burden on the Ark Encounter’s freedom of religion and smacks of overt religious discrimination. We have assured state officials many times that the Ark Encounter will follow all applicable federal and state laws in operating our theme park, and the state has no basis to demand otherwise.

Have American Atheists requested $18M in tax breaks to build a for-profit amusement park?

No Tax Breaks For Noah's Ark Theme Park Due To Discriminatory Practices

Via Insider Louisville:

Kentucky’s Tourism Arts & Heritage Cabinet Secretary Bob Stewart informed representatives of the proposed Ark Encounter tourist attraction today that their project will not be eligible for up to $18 million in tax incentives from the state, due to their refusal to pledge not to discriminate in hiring based on religion. 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. He detailed how Ark Encounter representatives had previously promised not to discriminate in hiring several times, but recently they have stated they have every right to do so, saying, “The Commonwealth’s position hasn’t changed. The applicant’s position has changed.”

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has issued a statement:

We expect any entity that accepts state incentives not to discriminate on any basis in hiring. While the leaders of Ark Encounter had previously agreed not to discriminate in hiring based on religion, they now refuse to make that commitment and it has become apparent that they do intend to use religious beliefs as a litmus test for hiring decisions. For that reason, we cannot proceed with the tourism incentive application for the Ark Encounter project. This does not mean the project will not be built – on the contrary, Ark Encounter has said publicly that the project will be built regardless of availability of state incentives. I have no doubt that the Ark Encounter will be a successful attraction, drawing visitors and creating jobs, much like the Creation Museum.

Applicants to work at the Ark Encounter must stipulate that they believe God drowned everybody in the world because he loved them so fucking much. (Tipped by JMG reader Gene)

Viral Video Of The Day

Via Raw Story:

In the video embedded below, fundamentalist Christian home-school mom and conservative cultural critic Megan Fox — no relation to “Transformers” actress Megyn Fox — visits the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago and purports to “audit” the museum for its “liberal bias.” In the description of the 30 minute video she uploaded to YouTube to document the visit, Fox wrote, “In November 2014, Megan Fox toured the Field Museum’s ‘Evolving Earth’ exhibit to audit it for bias. She found many examples of inconsistencies and the Field Museum’s insistence that people support opinion as fact without proof. The Field Museum pushes certain theories as if they are absolute proven law when that is not how the scientific method works.” Dangerous Minds wrote, “(S)he’s an idiot, she homeschools her kids and she’s a fucking dingbat with her own YouTube channel so she can inflict her low IQ buffoonery on everyone else.”

I've actually watched the entire hilarious thing. At the 18-minute mark, Fox unmasks the liberal plot to hide the historical fact that dragons existed.

UPDATE: Readers remind us that Fox is the blogging sidekick of demented homocon horcrux Kevin DuJan, the douchebag responsible for Teabagistan's favorite rumor: Obama goes to bathhouses. DuJan has largely dropped out of sight after regaining the national spotlight with his campaign to skew the online voting for Dancing With The Stars in favor of Bristol Palin.

There's A Creationist Vending Machine

The Friendly Atheist reports that the above vending machine has been installed in a Massachusetts mall, where for a mere $14 you can choose from a broad selection of creationist books by authors such as Ken Ham, Ken Ham, Ken Ham, Ken Ham, Ken Ham, and Ken Ham. Noting that the machine bears the slogan, "Get Your Answers Now!," Friendly Atheist blogger Hemant Mehta has asked his readers for a better tagline. Leading the favorites at this writing: "Change Not Accepted."

Christian Movie The Principle Claims Universe Revolves Around The Earth

Via the Christian site CBN News:

A new documentary, "The Principle," is so controversial that scientists and even people featured in the movie are condemning it before they've had a chance to see it. The film chops away at some of the most sacred cows of modern science: that Earth is nothing special and sprang into being by accident. It delves into the latest scientific findings to present what its makers believe is solid evidence the whole universe revolves around Earth and its Milky Way galaxy. Physics professor John Hartnett, with Australia's University of Adelaide, studied the locations of some 400,000 galaxies from the 2005 Sloan Digital Sky Survey and was astounded to see a surprising form and pattern in how they're arrayed, all with Earth at the center. "As if the galaxies preferred to lie at some periodic spacing out from the Earth," Hartnett explains in the documentary

The film opens today on a single screen in Chicago.

KENTUCKY: State Warns Noah's Ark Park About Discriminatory Hiring Practices

As I reported here recently, the Noah's Ark theme park being constructed by Ken Ham's Answers In Genesis requires job applicants to sign a pledge that they believe God drowned everybody in the world because he loved them so fucking much. This week the state of Kentucky warned Ham's group that they may not get the demanded $18M in tax breaks if they refuse to hire non-Christians or Christians that simply do not believe in the so-called biblical flood.

State officials and Ark Encounter lawyers have exchanged letters in which the state threatened not to proceed with tax incentives for the park if there was discriminatory hiring practices, a state official confirmed on Wednesday. The letters between the parties came to light after the Louisville Courier-Journal and the Lexington Herald-Leader obtained them through open records requests. "We're hoping the state takes a hard look at their position, and changes their position so it doesn't go further than this," Ark Encounter's Executive President Mike Zovath told Reuters. Zovath, who is also co-founder of Answers in Genesis, said that if tax incentives for the project are withdrawn because it does not give written assurances the state now seeks, it would violate the organization's First Amendment and state constitutional rights. Zovath said the state has added a requirement about hiring practices that is not part of the existing tourism tax credits law. But a state official said on Wednesday that everybody knows laws regarding hiring practices and that the states doesn't need to elaborate them for companies seeking incentives.

We totally need a Satanist to apply for a job there.

Erick Erickson: Evolutionists Are Stupid And Jealous Of Heaven-Bound Christians

Creationist Ken Ham To Headline For Group That Calls For South To Secede

Creation Museum head Ken Ham will headline a conference for a group that advocates for a new Christian America to be carved out of the southern states. Warren Throckmorton reports:

Founder of the young Earth Creation Museum Ken Ham accepted the donation of a dinosaur from Michael Peroutka’s foundation in May 2014. Now Ham is going to headline an event with Peroutka and [Pastor] David Whitney and put on by Peroutka’s Institute on the Constitution. Peroutka is a member and former board member of the League of the South; Whitney is the chaplain of the Virginia/MD chapter of the League. The League of the South advocates for the Southern states to secede to form a homeland [of] whites of European heritage. Peroutka has pledged the resources of the IOTC to the work of the League, and Peroutka defended the League as a Christian group. Ham’s decision to partner with IOTC indicates the reach that the IOTC has developed within the Christian right. The IOTC claims to properly represent and teach the Constitution. However, David Whitney teaches that only Christians should be allowed to be citizens.

Pastor Whitney, who has testified against LGBT rights before state legislatures, has also called for murdering abortion providers: "We need to understand that there is such a thing as Biblically justifiable homicide." (Tipped by JMG reader Arthur)

KENTUCKY: Creationist Ark Encounter Theme Park Wants Public Money But Non-Christians Can't Work There

On the same day that the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority gave its preliminary approval for $18 million in tax incentives for the proposed Ark Encounter theme park, its backers at Answers In Genesis posted a help wanted ad which makes it very clear that non-Christians need not apply. And many actual Christians shouldn't either. From an op-ed in the Lexington Herald-Leader:

When Ark Encounter was originally approved for much larger tax incentives they were required not to discriminate in hiring. However, it is apparent that Ark Encounter is likely to discriminate against non-Christians. Moreover, Catholics, mainstream Protestant Christians and some conservative Christians who have different doctrinal beliefs are also unlikely to be hired. The ad has specific religious requirements for employment. These include a salvation testimony, a "creation belief statement" and a requirement that applicants agree with the organization's "statement of faith." This required statement includes articles that imply that fundamentalist Christianity is the only acceptable religion and that denigrate non-Christians, non-fundamentalist Christians, and homosexuals (regardless of their theological views). The governor, tourism secretary, and various Grant County officials claim the granting of tax incentives is about jobs for the area. However, even in such a religiously conservative area as Grant County and Williamstown, many people will not be eligible for employment. I suspect that even [Gov. Steve] Beshear would not be eligible for a minimum-wage position selling corn dogs.

The author of the above-linked piece is the president of the Kentucky Paleontological Society.

Creationist Ken Ham: New Atheism TV Channel Is Meant To Indoctrinate Children

"This new TV channel highlights the growing intolerance towards Christianity in particular, and other religions, with the exception of their own. The new channel brags of having 'superstition-free programming,' which implies that religion is just silly superstition but atheism is rational and logical. Where are all their books, websites, and magazines that argue against the mythical Easter Bunny? This is because they do know God exists but they are suppressing the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). And why do atheists care so much about proclaiming their message? Atheism offers no hope and is ultimately a totally purposeless religion. If you die, that’s all there is, so why do atheists push so hard to preach their message of hopelessness? Why does it matter to them what anyone believes? It’s because they have the knowledge of God stamped on their hearts but are living in rebellion against their Creator (Romans 1:18; 3:10, 24–25). Sadly, this new TV channel is not just targeting adults with a hopeless message of godlessness, but they are also trying to indoctrinate children into an atheistic worldview." - Ken Ham, head of the Creation Museum, which is seeking $18M in tax rebates in order to teach children that the world is 6000 years old.