Bible Park heading to Lebanon

[yank283]

Well wherever it ends up, it will always be associated with Nashville just by the proximity of the location. Here's to reinforcing stereotypes, it will be just that much harder convincing the rest of world that Nashville was once considered the "Athens of the South". Kudo's to Mufreesboro for standing up and rejecting this monstrosity. ..

[ExIslander]

I didn't really pay much attention to it when they were talking about Murfreesboro. Was the overwhelming sentiment "nowhere, no how," or was the primary beef about where they wanted to put it?

The location they chose in Lebanon is pretty suitable if it's where I'm thinking of. The idea itself is a bit of an eye-roller even for many Christians like me, but no one's forcing me to go.

[scootiepie]

What was the big objection, was it that it is religious? or something else?
Just curious.
Oh yeah, what is a "PFer"?

[akm4]

Performance Faith. It was explained on another thread somewhere.... Basically someone who broadcasts that they are a Christian, with or without the behavior to back it up. You know, the guy who has a fish on his car, wears Jesus t-shirts, tells everyone how all his decisions are based on what "the Lord has placed on my heart", etc. Might also be a business with Christ in the name, but not in their practices. Make sense?

It's not a compliment, LOL!

[MiddleTNresident]

Here's the official website for the bible park, for the curious.

Bible Park USA :: Home

I'm a formerly from Orlando. There's a similar bible theme park there (Holy Land Experience). It's a been a big flop there, but it's competing in a theme-park-saturated market, too. It's hard to say how the concept would do here in an area that is completely devoid of theme parks.

Critics of the local bible park think the idea is anything from ludicrous to disrespectful. Then there's the worries about the impact on traffic and surrounding areas (the typical "not in my backyard" outcry).

Theme parks are a nightmare to operate, so they better hire management that know what they are doing, with serious theme park experience. Theme parks don't pay well, either.

Maybe a Disney, Universal or Six Flags theme park concept would have been better received by the locals (i.e. something generic/non-biblical with conventional and thrill rides). Or the return of Opryland.

I think it will end up being a church bus group / field trip kind of thing and not the huge tourism booster that a conventional theme park would have been. Plus, we're in a really bizarre economic climate for anyone to be taking on a project like this.

It's an expensive gamble, if you ask me.

[Kim918]

I totally agree. I really don't see ppl coming from all over the US or other countries to see a bible park. I guess you never know though. As a Florida resident, we did the parks once a year. I don't even see myself doing this one once.

Originally Posted by MiddleTNresident

Here's the official website for the bible park, for the curious.

Bible Park USA :: Home

I'm a formerly from Orlando. There's a similar bible theme park there (Holy Land Experience). It's a been a big flop there, but it's competing in a theme-park-saturated market, too. It's hard to say how the concept would do here in an area that is completely devoid of theme parks.

Critics of the local bible park think the idea is anything from ludicrous to disrespectful. Then there's the worries about the impact on traffic and surrounding areas (the typical "not in my backyard" outcry).

Theme parks are a nightmare to operate, so they better hire management that know what they are doing, with serious theme park experience. Theme parks don't pay well, either.

Maybe a Disney, Universal or Six Flags theme park concept would have been better received by the locals (i.e. something generic/non-biblical with conventional and thrill rides). Or the return of Opryland.

I think it will end up being a church bus group / field trip kind of thing and not the huge tourism booster that a conventional theme park would have been. Plus, we're in a really bizarre economic climate for anyone to be taking on a project like this.

It's an expensive gamble, if you ask me.

[Steve_TN]

Originally Posted by scootiepie

What was the big objection, was it that it is religious? or something else?
Just curious.
Oh yeah, what is a "PFer"?

The objection was mainly to it's location; right in the middle of a nice family-oriented residential area.

[Mary_Moon]

Originally Posted by akm4

Performance Faith. It was explained on another thread somewhere.... Basically someone who broadcasts that they are a Christian, with or without the behavior to back it up. You know, the guy who has a fish on his car, wears Jesus t-shirts, tells everyone how all his decisions are based on what "the Lord has placed on my heart", etc. Might also be a business with Christ in the name, but not in their practices. Make sense?

It's not a compliment, LOL!

I ran across another one of those this morning. More appropriately, they almost ran over ME in the school parking lot. I was patiently waiting my turn at a 4-way stop at school and when it was my turn to go, an SUV flew by me on the left and without stopping, cut right in front of me so they could turn right, cutting me off and almost clipping my van. Then they sped thru the 15 mph speed limit in front of the schools. I caught up to them at a stop and had to roll my eyes at the fish symbol and WWJD bumper sticker. Seriously now!

I know this is off topic, but back when I worked in restaurants, the Sunday morning church crowds were the WORST! Ill mannered, rude, even hostile. I'm not religious and no longer attend church, but I try to live by a moral code (no comments, Steve!) and it doesn't include being rude & ugly to fellow human beings. I always wondered what kind of doctrine they were teaching these people in Sunday school.

[Mary_Moon]

Originally Posted by Steve_TN

The objection was mainly to it's location; right in the middle of a nice family-oriented residential area.

Exactly. The Blackman area is a nice residential area and is SUPPOSED to be protected by a Blackman Community Land Use Plan which DOES NOT include theme parks. The owners of the land also went around for years telling other neighbors to not sell out and keep the area rural and as undeveloped as they could. And then they try and sell it for this?!?

Granted, the Bible Park sought the Shelton's out. I belong to the Blackman Community Club with Will Shelton and his family and remember when this all started up. It's been ugly and I hope the current lawsuit the Shelton's brought against Rutherford County is resolved in the County's favor soon so we can all heal and move forward. If they want to sell, that's fine, but I and most neighbors in Blackman would prefer a nice subdivision to a theme park with traffic and rampant commercialism.

MM