A Review of the Ark Encounter
From a Baptist preacher
I have been aware of Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis since its inception. I want to say from the beginning that I have appreciated Answers in Genesis as a resource for creation science content and have used much of it (though most of what I have used is from the Institute for Creation Research). I am impressed with the quality of the content available from Answers in Genesis and have recommended it (with reservations) many times. I have always made those I introduced to this material aware of those areas where we disagree; not on creation itself bu in issues of the church and the preservation of the Word of God.
I really never had much interest in visiting the Ark Encounter and have been concerned whenever I’ve seen where strong Baptist preachers made their visit public. Answers in Genesis is evangelical. As such, its position is universal church (though it is subtle) and not at all King James Version. These issues are not just important, they are critical to what a Baptist truly is. By promoting a speaker, movement, materials, or, in this case, an attraction, that is high quality but Evangelical risks the doctrinal distinctive that makes one Baptist. Recently I brought a series of messages for young people. I included a couple of messages on the creation issue and, because of the interest from the young people, felt like it to be good to “brush up”. Through that experience, I developed an interest in the Ark Encounter.
My church, to celebrate my 20th anniversary as pastor, paid for my wife and I to come to the Ark Encounter (I had planned to take my wife there for our 40th wedding anniversary). We chose to get tickets to the Ark Encounter and its sister attraction, the Creation Museum. The Chinese coronavirus threatened to postpone our trip, which we scheduled for the second week of June 2020. Two weeks prior, I saw Ken Ham announce they would re-open June 8th, my 62nd birthday. The trip was on!
I was excited. We arrived a few minutes before 8 on June 8th. We were among the first twenty arriving.
My first impression
Wow, what a classy place. I overheard the staff on the radio encourage everyone to
have a positive attitude. The staff took that very literally. They were happy, welcoming, and helpful. Also, I have never seen so many armed security guys. The first person to greet us in line to pay for parking was an armed man. He was friendly, engaging us in conversation before we made our way in the line of cars (there were only two ahead of us) to pay for parking. He was obviously checking us out, but he did so in the most friendly of way. In line to give our tickets, I noticed a sign that said they do not allow guns, including concealed carry on the site. Inside, there were armed personnel, some plainclothes, some with k-9’s, and some in a uniform resembling a park ranger.
The Ark is something like a mile away from the parking lot. It can be seen from the lot, but barely. We boarded one of the many busses the attraction operates and were delivered to the first building, the “Answers Center”. My wife and I were a bit confused. Since they dropped us off at the Answers Center we figured we were supposed to go in their first. We entered lost but one of the very friendly staff saw your predicament and pointed the way to the Ark. It’s not a far walk. But it is a walk away.
Entering the Ark
Because of the Chinese coronavirus the crowds were obviously smaller. We could tell because they were set up with Disney-style separations. But they were completely empty. Top of the ramp is a photographer. Everyone stands in front of a green screen. All of the photos I’ve seen of people in front of the Ark are phony. There is no such spot to be photographed. They super-impose your picture in a pre-photographed scene of the Ark.
Inside the Ark
Based on the biblical description, the Ark consists of three levels. The first signage
inside the Ark, on the first level, explains the “Ark-tistic license” taken to create the Ark. Everything about the Ark is founded upon the Bible, but mostly educated imagination. Though they do not hide it, I expect that a huge number of people go through the Ark and leave thinking this recreation is biblically accurate. Almost nothing has biblical substantiation. The creatures are the work of artistic imagination, the cages for the animals are the work of artistic imagination. There is a huge amount of content that attempts to explain the possible methods of feeding, watering, and especially cleaning the animals. I know animals. I am certain the system they suggest would have gotten plugged up within a week and would have required direct contact with the animals to fix the mess. They created an ingenious system they suggest may have been the way they got disposed of the urine and dung, including a sort of huge flushing system in the bottom of the Ark. The first level imagines and explains clay pots of various sizes and shapes and what they may have contained. There were also burlap bags stacked against the hull they suggest may have contained grain.
The second level has more of the same but progresses into presentations not entirely connected to the Ark or the Flood. There are exhibits proposing workshops they may have had on board. The second level also has the door so highly spoken of in the Bible. They encourage a photo to be taken at the door. The door would become a major theme as the Encounter progressed. One of the last exhibits on the second level is a digitally animated video of an interview with Noah. There was a worker there who REALLY URGED people to view it. It was quite interesting.
The third level, more cages, this time of the birds. There were also suggested gardens, and sleeping quarters for the four couples onboard. One exhibit depicts the Bible being carried around the world in various languages. In the segment depicting the transmission of the Bible into English, the exhibit notably skips the King James Version. It is obvious the preferred version of the Ark Encounter is the ESV. Another exhibit is in a “Chick tract” style. It is a presentation of the Gospel using the several doors of the Bible. As you leave that exhibit you are encouraged to take a booklet style tract, a copy o the storyline of the exhibit. One of the final exhibits on the third floor is a video of an interview with the director of the Ark Encounter. Once again a worker strongly encourages visitors to view the video. It draws you in because the actors are obviously the actual people digitally animated in the previous video. This video includes Ray Comfort giving the gospel using his famous “Ten commandments” presentation. It ends with the interviewer, by implication, turning to the Lord.
Final thoughts
Everything I really wanted to see was on the first level. There was very little that was actual but they were very transparent about that. I have enough experience with people to know that most who visit never see that the entire Ark Encounter, including the Ark itself, is “Ark-tistic license”.
Just as if we were in any attraction at Disneyland, the final room is a gift shop. After all, the entire place is really a Christian based attraction. A theme park. I am glad to report that they give the plan of salvation and really compel people to trust the Lord. But it is, in the end, a Christian themed attraction.
I only realized how big the Ark was after we stepped out of the Ark and my feet hurt, a lot.
Marvin McKenzie
In the fields
