from The Lebanon Democrat::March 24, 2009
A Time to Forgive and Go Forward
Guest Column by: Stephen Wheeley

With the votes by both the County Commission and the City Council to rescind their previous approval of the “Bible Park” it looks like this long, strange (a non-religious Bible?) and sorry chapter in the history of Lebanon is over for now.

Whether the promoters will come back with the financial information in six to twelve months is unknown and probably irrevelant at this time, as they have offended enough citizens and elected officials to make any future in Lebanon very doubtful.

Theme parks are jus not good investments anymore, as the current near bankruptcy of Six Flags and Cedar Fair (a park the BP promoters touted as successful; another example of their incompetence) shows us.

Why would anyone want to jump on a sinking ship like the theme park industry? With the economy like it is I think it will be a long time before the average person will have the extra money to spend on nonsense like a “non-religious, non-message” bible park.

Rather, I think, people would be will advised to return to the real, “Message of Salvation” Bible and concern themselves with once again worshiping God, not money. This is the reason we are in the sad shape we are, because as a nation we have been turning away from God and worshipping the idols of money, power and fame for the last 40 years.

This type of park is the very personification of this disastrous trend toward apostasy and idolatry as its sole purpose was to pre on the faith of believers in Christ in order for unbelievers to profit by secularizing the very thing, God’s Word, we should be revering as Holy.

This is the very reason the Lord called me to oppose this park last June, and why I would oppose it again, even if the promoters were not the incompetent con men they have proven to be and the economy wasn’t so bad, that it had no chance of success. It just isn’t the proper way to present God’s Word and it is immoral and sacrilegious, whether or not it is “financially successful.”

Why do you think that all it took was mainly just three citizens to stand up to the promoters, their expensive attorneys and PR firms, as well as politicians with vested interest and the behind the scenes power brokers and defeat this perversion? It’s because we were doing the will of the Lord and the promoters and their boosters were not. After all, if this was truly something that God was in favor of, don’t you think it would have been successful in Murfreesboro first and never even come to Lebanon?

On that note I would like to thank the hundreds of citizens who have demonstrated their faith in Christ and His Message (that the park would have denied) for their support for the position I took in answering and obeying God’s call. Your words of encouragement have been both uplifting and humbling, as well as constant, from last June until the present.

However, I must insist that all the praise and glory be given to Christ, our Messiah and Savior, as He alone is truly responsible for defeating this abomination. While others and I did do the investigative work and public presentation of the truth, only God can open men’s eyes and change their hearts and actions.

As far as I am concerned I merely acted in obedience to my Master, as is required of those who realize that their life is not their own, but has been bought with a price, the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, the very Message this park would have destroyed.

Now I pray that the city and county can put this foolishness behind them and move forward again in a united manner to tackle the real problems facing all of us today by looking for real economic solutions rather pinning our hopes on “pie in the sky” hype such as this park.

I would respectfully suggest the Mayor Craighead , who I have known over 20 years, distance himself from ex-Mayor Fox and his manipulative schemes designed to enhance his bid for county mayor, if he wants to have a successful relationship with the city council.

After all, you are mayor now, Philip, not Mr. Fox, and isn’t it time for him to let you make your own decisions?