Will the real straw man please stand up?

Sometimes seemingly small matters turn out to have bigger implications than you originally thought.

Take for example the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority’s preliminary approval for state tax incentives for the Noah’s theme park in Northern Kentucky.  It seems like a small matter, especially in light of the fact that the park will likely boost tourism in the area.  

Who could possibly object to that?

The Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.

Indeed the organization is making a big deal about it. As reported by Tom Loftus of the Courier-Journal, Americans United objected in a letter to Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear that the theme park’s parent organization, Answers in Genesis, engages in religious discriminatory hiring practices since applicants must profess “…that homosexuality is a sin on par with bestiality and incest, that the earth is only 6,000 years old, and that the Bible is literally true in order to be considered for the job.”

But Ark Encounter (Noah’s Ark theme park) has not yet written their hiring policies.

Ken Hamm, President/CEO and founder of Answers in Genesis, noted that much in a recent blog, accusing Americans United of setting up a Straw Man. A Straw Man is what one side in a debate does when one party attacks a position not held by the other side, demolishes it, and then claims to have refuted the opposition.

Since Ark Encounter hasn't determined its hiring practices, Americans United, according to Hamm, has set up a Straw Man: “Because the Ark Encounter hasn't even set up its hiring policies yet and has not employed anyone, AU has written to the governor and other state officials to tell them we will be breaking laws (even though no laws have been broken), and, therefore, we should be denied the tax refund incentive,” says Hamm. 

However, Americans United noted that Answers in Genesis’ website has a job posting for a computer design technician specifically for Ark Encounter which stipulates that applicants need to supply a written statement of faith regarding their beliefs about creation and stating that they must agree with Answers in Genesis’ Statement of Faith.

If that policy is still in place, Americans United certainly has a right to be concerned, and Hamm is being disingenuous.

Hamm argues that that his organization should have hiring practices that include a statement of faith from applicants. Answers in Genesis, just like Americans United, have, according to Hamm, “the freedom because of the Statement of Faith of the organization to require employees to adhere to that statement.  I’m sure AU wouldn't want to employ a biblical creationist like me as its head, and AiG wouldn't employ an atheist!”

But it is here that Hamm misses the point and in doing so sets up a Straw Man himself, for Americans United’s letter to the Governor was not to object to either Answers in Genesis’ or Ark Encounter’s statements of faith. It is the concern that a religious organization will receive tax incentives while maintaining religious discriminatory hiring policies. (Ark Encounter would be eligible for sales tax rebates of up to $18.25 million over 10 years.)

Let’s be clear here: This is not an “atheist vs. believer,” or a “secularist vs. religious” issue, though Hamm may want you to believe otherwise.

Americans United is not the only organization that objects to tax incentives for organizations that promote religion.

The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty advocates that “taxpayer funds should not be used in a way that advances or promotes religion…”

Baptists have historical roots as a persecuted sect in 17^th century England and Colonial America. They experienced firsthand the danger of a united church and state. Like the founding fathers, they understood that separation of church and state is the best way to protect liberty of conscience.

The larger issue, therefore, is whether a theme park promoting a particular religion and its views about the Bible should receive tax incentives at all, no matter what their hiring practices are.

Receiving tax dollars to promote religion is no a small matter.

That’s the real issue here. If Muslims, or Hindus, or Buddhists or any religious group wanted to establish theme parks celebrating stories in their sacred books and at the same time wanted to accept tax incentives, the objection from Americans United would, I hope, be the same.

It should be.

Plain and simple.

There’s no Straw Man in that.