# Ken Ham blames "Ark Encounter" failure on atheists **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 21, 2017, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575 "2017-06-21T23:28:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/301 "2018-09-24T00:30:48Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > It would also be an extremely useful vehicle for money laundering. Kind of slow-moving, but at least there’s a lot of float. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/302 "2018-09-24T11:12:13Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > It would also be an extremely useful vehicle for money laundering. I was thinking the exact same thing. > [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Kind of slow-moving, but at least there’s a lot of float. Only if they can find sufficient liquidity. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2018, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/303 "2018-10-10T00:01:37Z")
Just saw an ad for this on TBS before the Sox/Yankees game. It had a father and son building a boat in the garage, and the son says “this is a lot of work!”, and the dad says “imagine building a whole ship without modern tools!” and fade to them bonding in the ark. Never would have imagined they would spend that kind of money on ads… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2018, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/304 "2018-10-10T01:17:21Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Never would have imagined they would spend that kind of money on ads… I never imagined they would have enough money that it was an option. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/305 "2018-10-11T21:01:47Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Just saw an ad for this on TBS before the Sox/Yankees game. It had a father and son building a boat in the garage, and the son says “this is a lot of work!”, and the dad says “imagine building a whole ship without modern tools!” and fade to them bonding in the ark. > Never would have imagined they would spend that kind of money on ads… This would mean more if they built the whole thing with ancient technology. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/306 "2018-10-12T10:45:01Z")
I just want to say that I am stunned it’s doing as well as it is. The vast majority of science museums would be thrilled with 850,000 visitors a year. Only the [top 20-30 in North America](https://www.tripinfo.com/tips/Attractions003.html) get a million or more, and they’re all located in major cities that get millions of tourists, not 40 miles outside the 28th largest metropolitan area in the U.S. And an attendance drop in the second year of operation is to be expected for any similar attraction. How they’re doing financially, or in comparison to projections, is another matter, but 850K visitors is nothing to sneeze at. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/307 "2018-10-12T10:54:46Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I never imagined they would have enough money that it was an option. You say that, but… > [@k9bfriender](#): > > It would also be an extremely useful vehicle for money laundering. Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/308 "2018-10-12T17:24:08Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I think the blame is misplaced. He should look in the mirror first of all. > > Among other things, it was not near any other big tourist attractions, it costs $40 a person or so to get into, and even most Christians don’t believe in the concept anyway. > > :smack: > > [Nonreligious Questions](http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2017/06/creationist-ken-ham-blames-atheists-ark-park-failure/) Interesting, there’s a steel frame of an uncompleted Ark that’s been rusting outside of Cumberland, Maryland for decades now (I used to live there) > **[Noah's Ark Being Rebuilt, Frostburg, Maryland](https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10061)** > > "God's Ark of Safety," a full-sized version of Noah's Ark, has been under construction for over 40 years by a local church. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/309 "2018-10-12T17:49:35Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > Interesting, there’s a steel frame of an uncompleted Ark that’s been rusting outside of Cumberland, Maryland for decades now (I used to live there) > > [Noah's Ark Being Rebuilt, Frostburg, Maryland](https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10061) You lived in an uncompleted ark? That’s wild!!! ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/310 "2018-10-12T19:42:36Z")
; > [@kayaker](#): > > You lived in an uncompleted ark? That’s wild!!! Not much more wild than just living in Cumberland 😉 (God I could not WAIT to get out of there). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/311 "2018-10-12T19:50:30Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > ;Not much more wild than just living in Cumberland 😉 (God I could not WAIT to get out of there). Did Cumberland have a mall? Did it have a Gap? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/312 "2018-10-14T03:43:41Z")
[A tour of the ark by not _that_ Jamie Lee Curtis](https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/neg9yq/this-dollar100-million-noahs-ark-theme-park-is-a-boring-homophobic-mess). ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/313 "2018-10-14T03:55:59Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I just want to say that I am stunned it’s doing as well as it is. The vast majority of science museums would be thrilled with 850,000 visitors a year. Only the [top 20-30 in North America](https://www.tripinfo.com/tips/Attractions003.html) get a million or more, and they’re all located in major cities that get millions of tourists, not 40 miles outside the 28th largest metropolitan area in the U.S. > > And an attendance drop in the second year of operation is to be expected for any similar attraction. How they’re doing financially, or in comparison to projections, is another matter, but 850K visitors is nothing to sneeze at. I’m curious as to how many of the current visitors are from foreign countries. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/314 "2018-10-14T04:47:39Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Just saw an ad for this on TBS before the Sox/Yankees game. It had a father and son building a boat in the garage, and the son says “this is a lot of work!”, and the dad says “imagine building a whole ship without modern tools!” and fade to them bonding in the ark. Not even a pair of Vice-Grips? Dang, this information has seriously scrambled my world view. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/315 "2018-10-14T14:12:58Z")
[The](http://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2017/10/19/awful-new-ark-encounter-ads-encourage-visitors-to-think-bigger/) [commercials](https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2017/08/21/ark-encounter-commercial/) have been around for more than a year. I saw one “in the wild” once on MeTV. (It _may_ have been an additional one to the four that I linked.) ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/316 "2018-10-14T16:04:54Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > ;Not much more wild than just living in Cumberland 😉 (God I could not WAIT to get out of there). So you’re saying you had the [Cumberland Blues](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNDjlV-goI4). ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/317 "2018-10-14T19:15:20Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > This would mean more if they built the whole thing with ancient technology. Apparently they hired the Amish to build it, and planned to peg the timbers, but local code wouldn’t allow it (thank you, local code). So kind of. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/318 "2018-10-14T19:39:21Z")
Have they ever taken a pair of elephants on board to show how sturdy it was? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/319 "2018-10-14T20:50:15Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Have they ever taken a pair of elephants on board to show how sturdy it was? _"And have You ever looked in the bottom of that ark? Who’s going to clean up that mess down there? Not me, I’m tellin’ ya’. "_ ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575/320 "2018-10-14T23:03:35Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > _"And have You ever looked in the bottom of that ark? Who’s going to clean up that mess down there? Not me, I’m tellin’ ya’. "_ That’s probably why they took dung beetles and other scavengers aboard. :dubious: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ken-ham-blames-ark-encounter-failure-on-atheists/789575.md?page=17)