Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver does not see any problem in the decision made by Answers in Genesis, the apologetics ministry behind the Creation Museum, to solely hire Christians to work on its new attraction in Kentucky.
The new attraction is called the Ark Encounter, which is an impressive 510-foot replica of Noah's Ark, according to One News Now. Answers in Genesis founder Ken Ham revealed that they began their hiring process with 300 to 400 workers, who were all required to sign a statement stating that they "profess Christ as their Saviour."
Many individuals have cried foul over that requirement, but Staver said Answers in Genesis acted within the law. He said this was not the first time such requirement was imposed. He cited the Disney theme park in Epcot, which limited its hiring process to people who are ethnically related to its facilities.
"In the German Pavilion [at Epcot], they can hire people who are German; in the French Pavilion, they can hire people who are French – because it's part of their bona fide occupational requirement," Staver said. "It is who they are – and that's why they have that exception."
"Without that exception, then we would not have the individuality of these different organisations," he said. "And certainly, it's even more important for Christian organisations or religiously affiliated organisations to be able to hire people who are consistent with their message and mission."
Ham earlier told CBN News that they want visitors to feel a sense of awe at God's creation and magnificence. They also want visitors to be curious how Noah and his family managed to feed all those animals during the great flood, and how they managed their waste disposal.
"What we want people to take away from this is 'I didn't realise Noah's Ark was so big and wow, they answered a lot of questions,'" he said.
"And we're not forcing the Christian message on them, but it's going to be there for them. And if people just go away saying 'hmm, maybe I need to look into this. Maybe I need to consider what the Bible says,' then to me, we've accomplished a lot."
The Ark Encounter, which is located in Williamstown, Kentucky (south of Cincinnati and 40 miles from the Creation Museum), is slated to open on July 7 this year.
