A proposed religious theme park in Kentucky – celebrating Noah's Ark – is drawing criticism from some church-state experts, who question the Governor's offer of tax incentives. The NYTimes reports:
Erwin Chemerinsky, a constitutional scholar and founding dean of the School of Law at the University of California, Irvine, said: “If this is about bringing the Bible to life, and it’s the Bible’s account of history that they’re presenting, then the government is paying for the advancement of religion. And the Supreme Court has said that the government can’t advance religion.”
He added, “The fact that it’s an economic development plan doesn’t excuse it.”
In this economy, it's understandable why states are doing whatever they can to invite job-creating opportunities. But using tax dollars for the purpose of promoting the religious content of the park – or with any manner of preferential treatment – would be a mistake.
