Crossing the church-state divide by ark in Kentucky

by Tom Gallagher

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The New York Times editorial today criticizes a Kentucky state plan that approved $40 million in tax incentives for a Bible-based theme park.

According to time Times:

"The American landscape is dotted with tourist attractions created with the help of government subsidies bestowed in the name of economic development. Think of the cheese museum in Rome, N.Y. A project just approved in Kentucky pushes the constitutional envelope.

The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority granted more than $40 million in tax incentives for a planned $172 million Bible-based theme park, featuring a full-size replica of Noah's ark, complete with live animals. ...

But granting tax incentives to the explicitly Christian enterprise clearly clashes with the First Amendment's prohibition on government establishment of religion. Public money is not supposed to pay to advance religion. Kentucky's citizens should certainly ask themselves if this is really the best use of taxpayer dollars."

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