from The Lebanon Democrat::Nov. 13, 2008
The Bible Park promoters:  More lies and deception
Guest Column By: Stephen Wheeley

Once again the promoters of the Bible Park and their main cheerleader, outgoing Mayor Don Fox, are being shown to be masters of deception and half truths.  However, at least three elected officials have caught on to the reality of their falsehoods and have been courageous enough to speak out and say “the emperor has no clothes.”  I refer to city councilman Alex Buhler and county commissioners L.T. Jenkins and Jim Emberton.

While I know from personally speaking to many of the public officials involved in the project’s approval process that there is widespread doubt or actual opposition for both religious and financial reasons, only these three have to date spoken publicly against it.

All citizens of Lebanon and Wilson County should be proud to have men of this caliber of moral integrity representing them.  It takes both discernment and courage to speak the truth when it is easier to just “go with the flow” and let the city and county deal later with the financial and public relations disaster this park can only end up being.

In his second letter in another newspaper, Commissioner Jenkins points out the outright lie that both Mayor Fox and the Bible Park have repeated ad nauseam that “no taxpayer funds will be used in the construction of the park.”  He authoritatively shows this to be untrue by quoting TDOT’s own statement that the proposed connector roads and improvements are funded by a 50/50 state and local budget.

That’s 50 percent funded by you, the Lebanon/Wilson County taxpayers.  The other 50 percent is funded by taxpayers from across the state and nation with state and federal taxes.  In other words, any road improvements are entirely funded by taxpayers.
Mayor Fox’s statement regarding the adequacy of the sewer plant is also very suspect.  If Lebanon’s sewer capacity is so large, then why when it was run to the Superspeedway were all residential subdivisions specifically forbidden to have access to it?  As Mr. Jenkins correctly noted, something smells bad here.

As for the “religious/non-religious” nature of the so-called Bible Park, the park’s new developer, Rob Wyatt, must have two tongues to be able to speak out of both sides of his mouth at the same time.  On one side he insists the park is “non-religious and non-message” and thus immune from lawsuits based on the separation of church and state.

On the other side, as quoted in The Lebanon Democrat, Nov. 7, Bro. Bob Evans says Mr. Wyatt told him that “he said he wanted the park to give the Lord glory.”  This doesn’t sound like history and edutainment, but a directly religious statement that obviously opens the door to ACLU and other lawsuits.  Anyone who remembers Wilson County’s recent legal misadventure on the prayer in school issue in Mt. Juliet, should realize this park is virtually guaranteed to generate multiple lawsuits that will cost this county severely, both monetarily and in reputation.

Personally, I feel that this statement to Bro. Evans is just a smoke screen to deflect religious opposition to the park’s misuse and perversion of God’s Holy Bible.  Remember fellow citizens, that at the Industrial Development Board meeting on Oct. 8 the same Mr. Wyatt admitted publicly that the only thing the Bible Park would say about Christ’s resurrection would be to “show an empty tomb” with no actual statement that Jesus rose again, is the Messiah, is the son of God and only way of salvation.

Does this really sound like they will be giving the Lord the glory if they deny Christ’s divinity?  Remember what Jesus said in John 5:22-23:  “The Father judges no one but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.”

Since they will not honor the Son by declaring him to be the Messiah, how can they possibly want to “give the Lord glory?”  It is obvious that you cannot believe anything they say, except that they are “for profit.”  As Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

This pattern of doublespeak and deception is what prompted both Mr. Buhler and Mr. Emberton to vote no on the park as they correctly perceive that the financial projections given by the park are based on wishful thinking rather than cold hard facts.  With unemployment at a 14 year high, people’s life savings wiped out in the Wall Street crash, and more companies going bankrupt everyday, does any intelligent person think the average citizen has the extra money to spend on an expensive trip to a theme park?

As I said in an earlier letter, wake up Lebanon.  Don’t believe the PR bull the mayor and promoters are spouting about the potential for financial success of this “white elephant.”  Remember that back in June they said the same thing about their Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach and it went bankrupt in only four months.  That was before Wall Street and the global economy went down the drain, so how could things possible be better now?

Lastly, and most importantly, remember that the secular company (Safe Harbor) behind this travesty is a non-Christian company that obviously worships money rather than God.  In fact, every person or company who strongly supports the Bible Park does so purely for monetary reasons and their own public statements plainly say so, as the following quotes will show.  The Bible Park says “we are non-message and for profit.”  Mayor Fox said, “I want the money.”  Mr. Demos said, “Sales go up every time a religious convention is in town.”

While it is not my place to judge the eternal consequences of such blatantly greedy statements, as John 5:22 said Christ will judge these person’s actions and motives and the Bible they want to debase clearly states His view on subverting religion for personal gain.  As Jesus said in Matthew 21:23, “My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you make it a den of robbers.”

Remember what Christ said in Matthew 16:26-27:  “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?  Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.”

Let’s all do what is right in the sight of God and say no to turning his Holy Bible into just another secular product, without any meaning or sacredness, only meant to be consumed for fun and then discarded and forgotten like the wrapper on your “authentic Gallilean food” pita bread they will be selling you.