Washington: A 510-ft long boat, billed as “a life-sized Noah’s Ark”, and its surrounding attractions, has sparked a wave of protests. The spectacular $100 million project designed to educate and astonish the world, was unveiled in Kentucky on Thursday. However, it has left many scientists in despair. The massive exhibit, claimed to be the largest timber frame structure in the world, sits on the grounds of a Christian theme park, Ark Encounter, a for-profit enterprise founded by controversial Australian Creationist Ken Ham.
He said the park is an evangelical tool aimed at teaching creationism, a literal interpretation of the Bible’s Book of Genesis. Nathaniel Jeanson, a Harvard-educated biologist who has been involved in the project, said he and his Creationist colleagues believe that the Bible is a book of historic record. They argue that Genesis tells a factual story explaining that the Earth is only a few thousand years old, that man and dinosaur co-existed, and that Noah built an ark to save animals from a flood, according to The Telegraph report. Far from being an outrage, the theme park was a gift to humanity, he said.
