"The Holy Land Experience": Religious Theme Park Is Booming, But It's Hardly Charitable

DailyFinance:

One might wonder why so many people desperately sought entrance to a park whose central features are a re-enactment of Jesus' crucifixion, a 1200-square-foot model of Biblical Jerusalem, and a full-sized reproduction of the Great Temple. After all, in Orlando, a park that has no rides, features minimal robotic wizardry and focuses on a series of attractions designed to evoke the Jerusalem of Jesus' day is a fairly tough sell. While one might suspect a mass influx of evangelical vacationers or the sudden conversion of much of central Florida, the truth was far more prosaic: On October 6, the Holy Land Experience offered free admission.

Read the whole story: DailyFinance

Comments

[Joseph Joyal]

01:28 PM on 10/31/2009

Another scam on the US taxpayer, A theme park is entertainment no matter what they say. At $35 a head it is a profit business not a religion activity.
There are to many religion or church owned properties that go with out paying taxes while the pastors stuff their pockets and do nothing for the community

[JScott]

11:09 AM on 10/31/2009

Yup the country is littered with these kinda parks. I remember as a kid on US395 just south of Temecula en route to San Diego was 'Bibleland' where you could see the 'Last Supper molded in tons of sand', when they widened the hwy. to I-15 fwy. it moved to a spot off of I-10 near Yucaipa, but I think closed a few years after that, there's nothing left there now just a vacant lot. Does that portend something?

[Rog49Thomas]

10:36 AM on 10/31/2009

Not charitable, eh?

Must be run by some of those so-called Christians from the 666 Club?

[eyepatch]

01:32 AM on 10/31/2009

They might want to give Jesus a tan and some kinky hair
as Jesus was not a caucasian!

Different societies have depicted Jesus and most other biblical figures as their own ethnicity in their art; for example he is primarily white in the West. The current dominant opinion among historians and scientists is that he was most likely a Galilean Jew and thus would have features which resemble modern-day persons of Middle Eastern or Semitic descent...

enough said..................

[Watain]

04:34 AM on 10/31/2009

NO, he was pitch black African!

[Rog49Thomas]

10:37 AM on 10/31/2009

He'd probably be a great deal shorter than as portrayed.

Considering his background, my favorites are the pictures of Him as the ideal Ayran.

[SouthernJewel]

10:32 PM on 10/30/2009

This theme park (which should be taxed) decided WHO it would allow in for free in order to be in compliance. Bigots!

From The Orlando Sentinel News

So perhaps you've read something about Holy Land finally agreeing to reveal which day people they'll let customers in for free ... per the agreement that justifies the theme park's tax breaks.

Well, this year, Holy Land chose Oct. 6 ... which just so happens to fall during Come Out With Pride week in Orlando.

The result: Some of the Pride celebrants are hoping to kick off their week of gay festivities at Orlando's most Bibled-up attraction ... whether they know it or not.

To read the article in full: http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_local_namesblog/2009/09/holy-land-is-about-to-come-out-with-pride.html

[iwasblindtoletyougo]

05:59 PM on 10/30/2009

REAL unemployment is DOUBLE the 'official' statistics. Government has been playing major games with all stats for a while now - both parties are to blame.

good articles to http://financeopinionss.blogspot.com

Also Barney Frank sucks.

[truthartbeauty]

12:35 PM on 10/30/2009

not enough fantasy and insanity in church I guess.

[nexxtep54]

08:22 PM on 10/29/2009

Disney, are you listening??? Make Mickey a religious icon and write off both Disneylands. If the Pastaferians can do it, you can too!

[pattithepolitico]

04:33 PM on 10/29/2009

What good does this do for the poor, the homeless, the indigent and those in real need? Or do a few get to live in mansions only to be told that God will provide while people are living in the streets? What do churches do for the poor these days? When I was growing up, it was the churches who fed the hungry and clothed and sheltered the needy. Now they want stocks and IRAs from their "flock" and for what? What do the mega churches do for humanity? Send Ted Haggard to "how not to be gay" school.

[knosiswar]

04:00 PM on 10/29/2009

'A Sucker is born every minute' - PT Barnum knew what he was talking about.

[philosopherkingtomas]

03:51 PM on 10/29/2009

how about the DINOSAUR MUSEUM in Glendive Montana!
Palin, Hannity, 700Club are re writing science. the end is near !
2012

[Rog49Thomas]

10:39 AM on 10/31/2009

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings.

But my careful scriptural exegesis proves that the Rapture occurred on 19 January 2001.

If you think about it carefully, that would explain a lot of what has happened since that day.

[Lemeritus]

10:59 AM on 10/31/2009

Can it be? We didn't make the cut?

[oldguru]

03:20 PM on 10/29/2009

If I ever wanted to run a huge scam, I would choose some religious enterprise. It is so EASY to scam religious zealots. They will believe ANYTHING.

[bluejoni2525]

04:21 PM on 10/29/2009

So very true !!

[markinaz]

02:51 PM on 10/29/2009

Wow. Who knew Christians were so poor. Or maybe they are taking a page out of the playbook of that other, older religion and saving a few bucks.

[ReesieKitty]

02:37 PM on 10/29/2009

This is so nuts. It is a THEME PARK- there is nothing about this place that makes it a museum. No wonder TN is in financial trouble if they insist on allowing profiteering 'christians' (I use the term loosely here) to make money off of people and then exempt them from taxes! If all these yokels really wanted to learn about the Bible they could stay home and read it and save some money.

[nextuser]

02:27 PM on 10/29/2009

same old same old. stock market surging. more job loss. no heath care reform. no extension of unemployment benefits. more same cr4p.

good articles; http://financeopinionss.blogspot.com

no point in voting

[bluejoni2525]

04:24 PM on 10/29/2009

You post the same thing everywhere!! Don't vote !!!

[zkazan]

05:49 PM on 10/29/2009

It may very well be his blog. The more hits, etc....

[JessWonderin]

10:41 PM on 10/29/2009

spam . . . .