Another Lie Perpetrated By Tony Perkins

Hate group leader Tony Perkins can't help but twist and turn the facts regarding the "Ark Encounter" which recently was informed it would lose state funding in Kentucky (to the tune of $18 million) because those building the project required folks to be Christian in order to be hired.

Via email:

"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."

Now to the facts: The "Ark Encounter" lost it's state funding because folks applying for jobs were expected to sign affidavits swearing they were Christian. You cannot demand that employees be Christian (or any other religion) when you receive tax-payers dollars. There can be NO religious litmus test. That's what "Ark Encounter" did.

In a statement by Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear in December:

“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.

The project didn't lose funding because people dared to be Christian. It lost funding because the project REQUIRED employees to be Christian.

So two important things here:

1. Tony Perkins lies. All the folks who listen to him and nod in agreement should know that you are listening to lies. His email posted above makes that abundantly clear.

2. Even if you are Christian and would like the rest of the world to be, the laws of the land dictate that tax dollars can't be used to discriminate in hiring. Whether you support or oppose the Ark Encounter project, employment discrimination can't be a part of the equation regarding religious beliefs.

Get it right, Tony. Get the facts straight and stop twisting the truth.