Bible Land!

[elguapo731]

This is not a joke. News five reported that developers are in talks with folks down south of the city about bringing a Bible themed theme park to the area. It would be similar to a park in Orlando known as Holy Land. The developers considering the idea are currently building a Hard Rock theme park in Myrtle Beach or Daytona ---- Honestly I was laughing too hard to catch the end as they were showing video footage of Holy Land.......

WWJD??? Ride a roller coaster, spend $8 for a bottle of water and have the kiddys ride on the Noah's Arc Wild Water ride....... yep that is exactly what he would do.

Sorry this is just too funny.

[Dale]

Hey, don't blame it on us. Your the buckle of the Bible Belt.

[elguapo731]

I'm sad to say but this would probably go over well in the community, especially one eager to get any form of a theme park back. I wasn't a resident when the Opry Land Theme Park was here, but I hear it wasn't bad if you could get past the supposed deadly looking rides. People keep talking about puting a park back in Nashville but nothing ever sees the light of day. I'd love to see a park back, just not Holy Land...

[nashvillwill]

you gotta' be freaking kidding me!

[jice]

It looks to be more of a museum type experience, than a theme park. I don't see any roller coasters or anything like that. That's assuming this is the right website for the Orlando park...

http://www.theholylandexperience.com

[Plasticman]

Careful guys. While I am used to the knee-jerk and immediate snickering and eye-rolls by those who aren't Christians, I happen to be one and I see nothing wrong with it as long is follows the proposed theme.

You see, the false misconception by the unsaved that God / Christ was some kind of fun stealiing fuddy duddy is so off from reality that it would take hours to educate. Jesus had high regard for the innocense of children.

Based upon Biblical study, I can conclude that Christ would have no problem with a Bible themed park as long as:

1. The Word was not compromised when presenting message based attractions.

2. The proceeds go to pay fair wages but also go toward a mission that spreads the Gospel. In other words God blesses people as He sees fit but I also can't see Him approving of a group of guys aren't getting filthy rich from the park without using large portions to feed the hungry, spread the message, etc.

3. The purpose of the park is to spread His gospel.

The posts so far seem to have the beginnings of that common snickering tone but haven't crossed the line yet. While my skin is thick I do find anti-Christianity to be rising on the drive-by media.

[tombarnes]

While I see your point, I still think that this sort of development cheapens, rather than enhances, the image of Christianity. There are better avenues for spreading the Word, if you will. In the end, it just appears, well, tacky. Sorry for the knee-jerk reaction, but I don't see this as a positive development. It will merely feed into the stereotypical impression many have come to associate with fundamentalism.

[Lexy]

While I see your point, I still think that this sort of development cheapens, rather than enhances, the image of Christianity. There are better avenues for spreading the Word, if you will. In the end, it just appears, well, tacky. Sorry for the knee-jerk reaction, but I don't see this as a positive development. It will merely feed into the stereotypical impression many have come to associate with fundamentalism.

[elguapo731]

I agree 10000000% as well. My comments above were meant to draw attention to how this could cheapen the message. There are better avenues to pursue rather than a theme park

By the way, locals interviewed in the piece aired last night that live near the land being looked at were not too happy with the idea...

[NewTowner]

While I see your point, I still think that this sort of development cheapens, rather than enhances, the image of Christianity. There are better avenues for spreading the Word, if you will. In the end, it just appears, well, tacky. Sorry for the knee-jerk reaction, but I don't see this as a positive development. It will merely feed into the stereotypical impression many have come to associate with fundamentalism.

[BnaBreaker]

This would be bad for the image of the city of Nashville, and bad for the image of Christianity as a whole. Shouldn't the church be all the "theme" park you need? I don't understand why Christians always need so much other '"Christian" (insert cheap distraction here)", as if the mere spiritual concepts of the religion itself were not enough. I mean, you never see a proposal for Muhammed Land, or a Six Flags over Krishna and i'd bet that is because adherents to those figures see their religions as far more sacred than that.

I personally do not support this park because of the likely fundamentalist presence it would bring to the city and for the very negative impacts i'm sure it would have on the city's image. It seems to me though that Christians would be against this proposal because, as tombarnes already pointed out, it cheapens their religion. In my view the concept of a "Holy Land" amusement park is about as UNholy a concept as there could possibly be. Many Christians will likely support this because so many seem to blindly support anything or anyone that claims to have anything to do with God, but the reality is that these developers just want to use Christians as pawns in their scheme to make as much money as possible off of a part of them that should be considered sacred and untouchable.

As a quick aside, Plasticman, no offense to you, but when you called all non-Christians "the unsaved" I was reminded why I am no longer a Christian.

[Plasticman]

Sorry BNA Breaker. Christians do a poor job of promoting Christianity thus that is why so many are driven from the Truth. Jesus told his disciples, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). So in our own definition, nobody can be saved unless they have accepted Christ. If that is disagreeable to some, I can't appologize because that is what the Bible teaches.

Anyway, back to the point, you guys clarified your points much better and I can agree to some degree but certainly not all the way. It will most likely cheapen the Message of Christ but it doesn't have to if done right. I also agree there are much better methods of promoting the gospel than a theme park. Christ was not sedentary during His life. He didn't wait around for people to come to him. He went to the people. A theme park may or may not be successful depending on if the people will come to it knowing full well that the worlds most attacked religion is fully presented. And yes Christianity is the most persecuted religion on earth at this time but we are sheltered from it in this country. Missionaries from my church could tell you some persecution toward Christians in India and Cambodia that would make you sick.

If visitors do come to it, and if it shows a profit, and IF (big if) the funds are used for the intended purpose of the theme which is to spread the gospel then I say go for it. Alas, though when large sums of money are made and when man gets involved, tempatation can take a toll. Let's hope not.

[Lexy]

You all should research the man behind this whole idea. He is basically a Christian Vacation Planner.

Here is the DNJ article about it: http://dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/...NEWS01/70413016

[Plasticman]

I reviewed the article and to be honest, Lexy, I'm not sure about the planner's intentions. Non-denominational I can handle but to say it won't be evangelical would seem to me to be a waste of time and resources that could be used to promote the Gospel. I do understand that they are aiming to attract everyone but the purpose of having a Bible themed park for a Christian should be to actively promote the Gospel Message. That doesn't mean you have preachers standing on every corner screaming at the people (that never works). It means you present the truth in the form of the actors and venues in an open and entertaining manner and let the people decide for themselves.

I guess as long as the message is not compromised in the name of "inclusion" and "tolerance" I would say go ahead. By that I mean if it is truly Bible based, then it should not present watered down themes that try to sugar coat what the Bible clearly says is sin. That also doesn't mean to actively "exclude" anyone or have characters walking around with "God hates _______ (fill in the blank) signs. That is hateful and nobody has ever been won to Christ that I have seen due to some idiotic picket line. But the patrons should know going in that certain activites are viewed as sin and that Christians cannot re-write the Bible to make it pallatable for the masses.

I guess I'd have to see it to know whether it makes sense. This is really a hard one.

[BnaBreaker]

Sorry BNA Breaker. Christians do a poor job of promoting Christianity thus that is why so many are driven from the Truth. Jesus told his disciples, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). So in our own definition, nobody can be saved unless they have accepted Christ. If that is disagreeable to some, I can't appologize because that is what the Bible teaches.

Anyway, back to the point, you guys clarified your points much better and I can agree to some degree but certainly not all the way. It will most likely cheapen the Message of Christ but it doesn't have to if done right. I also agree there are much better methods of promoting the gospel than a theme park. Christ was not sedentary during His life. He didn't wait around for people to come to him. He went to the people. A theme park may or may not be successful depending on if the people will come to it knowing full well that the worlds most attacked religion is fully presented. And yes Christianity is the most persecuted religion on earth at this time but we are sheltered from it in this country. Missionaries from my church could tell you some persecution toward Christians in India and Cambodia that would make you sick.

If visitors do come to it, and if it shows a profit, and IF (big if) the funds are used for the intended purpose of the theme which is to spread the gospel then I say go for it. Alas, though when large sums of money are made and when man gets involved, tempatation can take a toll. Let's hope not.

[barakat]

I won't respond in depth, only because I don't want to turn this thread into a discussion about religion rather than a discussion about a religious theme park, so I will just respond with a few quick statements.

1. I find the self-inacted claim that Christians, especially ones in this country, are somehow so "persecuted" and discriminated against to be fake and completely laughable.

2. I realize what Christ said, and i'm not asking you to change your views necessarily, but I just want to expound on something. Why Christians think that he was referring to them specifically when Christianity didn't even exist yet, is beyond me. One can espouse the ideals of Christ without being a Christian. I'll just leave it at this: I personally find the notion that God is only wearing the ball cap of one particular team to be primitive and completely arrogant. Obviously Christianity isn't the only religion that collectively says that 'we've got a monopoly on truth, and everyone else is burning for eternity', but it still irritates me all the same.

And besides, to bring the discussion back around to the amuseumtn park, i'm pretty sure that when Jesus said to 'go into the world and witness' and what have you, he meant that you should actually follow his lead and do it by inviting the poor into your home and supporting equality and peace for your fellow man, not by making money for yourself by building a roller coaster with his name tacked onto it.

[NewTowner]

I won't respond in depth, only because I don't want to turn this thread into a discussion about religion rather than a discussion about a religious theme park, so I will just respond with a few quick statements.

1. I find the self-inacted claim that Christians, especially ones in this country, are somehow so "persecuted" and discriminated against to be fake and completely laughable.

2. I realize what Christ said, and i'm not asking you to change your views necessarily, but I just want to expound on something. Why Christians think that he was referring to them specifically when Christianity didn't even exist yet, is beyond me. One can espouse the ideals of Christ without being a Christian. I'll just leave it at this: I personally find the notion that God is only wearing the ball cap of one particular team to be primitive and completely arrogant. Obviously Christianity isn't the only religion that collectively says that 'we've got a monopoly on truth, and everyone else is burning for eternity', but it still irritates me all the same.

And besides, to bring the discussion back around to the amuseumtn park, i'm pretty sure that when Jesus said to 'go into the world and witness' and what have you, he meant that you should actually follow his lead and do it by inviting the poor into your home and supporting equality and peace for your fellow man, not by making money for yourself by building a roller coaster with his name tacked onto it.

[BnaBreaker]

1) Zoroastrianism might win the distinction of "Most-Persecuted Religion," but you are wrong to think that Christians are not subject to the same violent intolerance and bigotry other groups have enjoyed. It is not easy to be a Protestant Christian in China, Iran, certain parts of India, or on the campus of MIT, and that includes a lot of people. I think the hardest place to be a Christian would probably be the in The Holy Land Experience itself, where one might suffer and die of agonizing embarassment...but that's just me. No one has a monopoly on persecution, but nobody is immune to it, either--anywhere. That's important.

2) Most Christians do not believe that "their God is the Right God," rather that "the Right God is their God." This is a complex and subtle difference, but a Very Big One. The Christian texts never assert that "everyone else is burning for eternity," and indeed make it quite clear that God has no favorites, loves people on both sides of a battlefield, and is totally fair. The Faith bears that the state of a man's relationship with God (or lack of one) is totally between that man and God, and the Christian Bible specifically states that no one should presume to know the ultimate fate of anyone's soul but his or her own. You have probably met a lot of judgemental Christians who forced you to endure a little bad theology, but don't let that swing your heart into prejudice against the whole flock. The best way to identify authentic Christians is to make a list of people who have attended The Holy Land Experience for any purpose other than clinical research, and discount them as Heathen Frauds of Evil. Kidding. Anyway, the "monopoly on Truth" thing: if there is a True religion, which there may or may not be, then it most certainly is True at the expense of all other religions, because that is the nature of Truth. Other takes on spirituality might share some elements of that Truth, and these would endure, but mutually exclusive principles cannot coexist in the same Universe. This applies to science, architecture, baked goods, Popeye cartoons, and, yes, religion.

3) Jesus said a lot of things, including "Be Nice," but it is na

[NewTowner]

I agree mostly on all counts with you, and let me just say again that I was raised a Christian and know all about what Christians are supposed to believe and claim to believe. What most, and i'm not necessarily talking about Plasticman here, actually believe is and live out in their daily lives, however, usually seems to be something entirely different.

[linclink]

Hey guys!!!

Haven't been in a while... but I read this and just wanted to give some personal insight... I have been to Holy Land in Orlando, and while I was expecting it to be quite cheesy and perhaps even a bit offensive (in the sense of cheapening Christianity by disney-fying it....) I have to say that I was quite pleasantly surprised. We took a group of children (about 50) at the end of a week long Vacation Bible School that had Jerusalem as it's theme. The experience was awesome!! The children LOVED it (ages ranged from 2-18). And there was not one ride in sight!!! Just street performances("Jesus" healing the sick, holding little children, acting out bible passages, etc... ), musicals, and even the Temple with the rituals and "services" depicted. It was really breathtaking... and the architecture and performers were so good that for a little while it felt like you were actually there. They also acted out (in the streets) the scene of Jesus carrying his cross, being taken to calvary, hung, dying and then resurrecting. The children were completely in awe. It really makes it real for them!! There were also animals (camels, sheep, etc..) which the children LOVED playing with, as well as other activities... After going, I would say that any city would be blessed to have Holy Land as a family friendly learning experience!! It is NOT a theme park... Now for the downside... prices were pretty high (food and drinks), etc... Now, I don't believe that the folks behind Holy Land are behind this one planned for Nashville (someone said the folks from Hard Rock cafe are behind this one). I know that the folks from Holy Land have high standards and would not cheapen or degrade or "disneyfy" their park... but I don't expect the same "morals" from the hard rock cafe... so I can't vouch for that. But overall, after having gone to Holy Land, I have to say, "I'm a believer" (sorry I couldn't resist!!!) hehehehehe

[linclink]

[Plasticman]

Hey guys!!!

Haven't been in a while... but I read this and just wanted to give some personal insight... I have been to Holy Land in Orlando, and while I was expecting it to be quite cheesy and perhaps even a bit offensive (in the sense of cheapening Christianity by disney-fying it....) I have to say that I was quite pleasantly surprised. We took a group of children (about 50) at the end of a week long Vacation Bible School that had Jerusalem as it's theme. The experience was awesome!! The children LOVED it (ages ranged from 2-18). And there was not one ride in sight!!! Just street performances("Jesus" healing the sick, holding little children, acting out bible passages, etc... ), musicals, and even the Temple with the rituals and "services" depicted. It was really breathtaking... and the architecture and performers were so good that for a little while it felt like you were actually there. They also acted out (in the streets) the scene of Jesus carrying his cross, being taken to calvary, hung, dying and then resurrecting. The children were completely in awe. It really makes it real for them!! There were also animals (camels, sheep, etc..) which the children LOVED playing with, as well as other activities... After going, I would say that any city would be blessed to have Holy Land as a family friendly learning experience!! It is NOT a theme park... Now for the downside... prices were pretty high (food and drinks), etc... Now, I don't believe that the folks behind Holy Land are behind this one planned for Nashville (someone said the folks from Hard Rock cafe are behind this one). I know that the folks from Holy Land have high standards and would not cheapen or degrade or "disneyfy" their park... but I don't expect the same "morals" from the hard rock cafe... so I can't vouch for that. But overall, after having gone to Holy Land, I have to say, "I'm a believer" (sorry I couldn't resist!!!) hehehehehe

[BnaBreaker]

Very good post and I'm glad to hear about Holy Land. Seeing the inaccurate posts on this thread regarding Christians makes me tempted to respond but I really want to keep from hijacking this thread. So in the light, the proposed theme park would be VERY questionable if not promoted by those who love the Lord or are a "believer". Hardrock Cafe has a right to make any sort of theme park and it won't take long for it to succeed or fail. If it isn't accurate and doesn't stay true to the Bible, it will fail.

[smeagolsfree]

I posted this in the Boro forum as well.

I remember years ago while in Myrtle Beach, there was a small Christian Camp ground with a few rides. I don

[The Tot Pack]

ridiculous.

why not build a ISLAM CITY theme park on Nolensville?

Or How bout "The Mexican Village" on Murfressboro.

a side note.. i drove back from knoxville to see this huge cross... literally.. huge-o mongo cross in Crossville, TN on I-40..

i seriously think there is something wrong with this state.. seriously.

then again.. maybe some corporations can hop on this and build it.. then the RICH and the RELIGIOUS are all happy