We fear that we may have offended Ken Ham (ol’ Hambo), the Australian creationist who brought you Answers in Genesis (AIG) and the mind-boggling Creation Museum.
As you know, AIG is planning the Noah’s Ark theme park, which will be built in Kentucky and named Ark Encounter, with the enthusiastic support of Kentucky’s Governor, Democrat Steve Beshear. The Governor not only appeared with ol’ Hambo at the official announcement of the new park, but he is also trying to get the project some special tax incentives.
AIG has a new article at their website bragging about all the media coverage the Noah’s Ark theme park is generating: Media Mania. They mention only two negative items.
The first was an editorial in the Courier-Journal of Louisville, Kentucky, about which we wrote Editorial Opposes Gov. Beshear & Noah’s Ark. Regarding that editorial, AIG says:
In the serious media, one of the harshest comments about the Ark Encounter appeared Thursday on the editorial page of the state’s leading newspaper, the Courier-Journal (of Louisville). It lashed out at Governor Beshear for mixing church and religion, relegating his pro-economy, pro-jobs stance to be of less importance.
That editorial said a bit more than that. Here’s how it began:
Gov. Steve Beshear needs a vacation. Indeed, he should have taken it this week.
Other than extreme fatigue, how else can one explain his embrace of a project to build a creationism theme park in Northern Kentucky (near the Creation Museum) and the apparent willingness of his administration to offer tourism-development tax incentives to developers of the park?
Aside from that editorial, AIG mentions only one other negative item. They say, with bold added by us:
Of course, there were the non-journalists who blogged outrageous comments, such as one person who suggested that the governor might have taken a bribe to support the Ark Encounter. (We will not provide you with that web-link and give the blogger the satisfaction of seeing additional visitors coming to his blog to read his scandalous suggestion.)
Oh dear. We’re not certain, but we suspect they may be talking about your humble Curmudgeon. When the Courier-Journal‘s editorial rhetorically asked: “Other than extreme fatigue, how else can one explain [Gov. Steve Beshear’s] embrace of a project to build a creationism theme park …” we rhetorically responded with this:
The editorial is far too kind when it asks how Beshear’s behavior could be explained other than by extreme fatigue. But they have to put up with the guy and your Curmudgeon doesn’t. Therefore, we herewith offer a suggestion or two that might explain the governor’s behavior: (1) Beshear is in Ken Ham’s pocket; (2) Beshear is an imbecile; and (3) all of the above. There are more possibilities, but those come immediately to mind.
We know that creationists like to take everything literally, nevertheless we’re shocked — shocked! — that AIG may have misinterpreted our stylish prose. We certainly didn’t mean to suggest anything as primitive as raw bribery. Creation “science” is indeed primitive; it’s pre-Babylonian — Sumerian, actually. But their political practices are very much up-to-date.
One can do favors for a politician, and in that sense the politician is in one’s pocket. In this case, it seems to us that AIG is offering Beshear — and Beshear is accepting — an opportunity to ingratiate himself with and pander to the creationist segment of Kentucky voters. He is thus indebted to (or “in the pocket of”) ol’ Hambo’s enterprise. That’s politics, not bribery.
So let us be clear. Although we certainly hold promoters of creationism in low esteem, we never meant to suggest that AIG was literally handing bags of cash to Beshear. We think both AIG and Beshear are smart enough to avoid that.
As for AIG’s unwillingness to provide a link to our humble blog, that’s quite all right. In fact we’re grateful. This blog isn’t a commercial endeavor, so we don’t need or want the kind of traffic that a link from AIG would provide.
Copyright © 2010. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.
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The Sensuous Curmudgeon 
The way I see it, I think they did bribed the governor to support them. Then turned around and pretend to disbelieve and lie to the public about it. Ham sure is enjoying the riches he gets from his lying habit, isn’t he?
SC, I think it’s nice that you get recognition for what you do, and you’re making all the right enemies.
Oh, yeah, the “bribery” thing.
Do we remember when Klinghoffer claimed that Abbie ordered a creationist commenter to submit pornographic pictures? Hilarious. I explained to Klinghoffer that “go jump in a lake” is not in fact a Manson-like command to drown oneself, and neither is “Tits or GTFO” a literal command to enter the porn industry.
If creationists could summarize honestly what someone else said without distortion of hyperbole, it would be a very different debate.
Gabriel Hanna says: “… you’re making all the right enemies.”
But … but … all I want is to be loved!
Abbie vs Klinghoffer about halfway down.
http://blog.beliefnet.com/kingdomofpriests/2009/08/robert-wrights-bloggingheadstv-censors-intelligent-design-interview_comments.html
@SC:But … but … all I want is to be loved!
This will help you feel better:
“The Lady doth protest too much”….if he’s jumping to the conclusion that you were accusing him of bribery, makes you wonder what it is he has really been up to, no?
Remind Ken that bribes RECEIVED must be reported to the IRS, but that bribes GIVEN are not tax-deductible. Hate to see him get in trouble with the IRS.
AiG denies that Beshear took a bribe (i.e. is in Hambo’s pocket), but they do not comment on option #2. Their silence is an indication that they concur with SC that Beshear is an imbecile.
That’s a reasonable conclusion in my view. AiG does not have enough money to buy anyone, and Hambo’s pocket is not a place any non-imbecile would want to be.
Just now, Jay Leno joked that the Ark Encounter theme park “is part of Kentucky’splan to knock Mississippi out of last place in education.”
Sciguy– That would be funny except that (1) Leno is no Carson and (2) Leno knows about knocking people out of their place (I’m with COCO!!!)
How disappointing. Looked all over AiG’s site looking for somewhere, anywhere to post some comments of my own. (sigh) It’s not meant to be. Guess I’ll just have to leave a little love for Ken here and hope he reads it:
Ken,
Loved these last few sentences of your article:
Yup, that’s exactly what’s causing the high unemployment, all those anti-Christians. Could have nothing to do with the fact that Kentucky has languished with one of the worst education records for… well, a long time. And I see that you’re doing everything in your power to help out with Kentucky’s education. Yup, building a Noah’s Ark theme park, pushing for creationism to be taught in the schools, why, yes, the entire outside world will beat feet to your door if you are successful.
Not.
Face it, Kenny. We (the people who tend to frequent this blog) know that it’s not about jobs or science or education. It’s about you. For whatever reason, you’ve tied yourself to this particular bandwagon. And that bandwagon is too far over the cliff for you to jump off now. Since you like to read about yourself, though, just keep on coming back here. Trust me. We’ll have lots more to say about you.
Ham is high on my list of CINO’s – just think how far the $150 million would go in doing Jesus’ bidding – helping the poor, feeding the hungry, etc. Ken should be looking for answers in Matthew, not Genesis.
G Christian: “Ken should be looking for answers in Matthew, not Genesis.”
Wish I had said that.
LRA: “(I’m with COCO!!!)”
?