Creationist lawsuit against state

Answers in Genesis is taking the state of Kentucky to court over its theme park. The Ken Ham group wants $18 million in tax rebates for Noah’s Ark theme park which promotes Creationism. The Raw Story has more here.

Church reverses interracial couple decision

A Kentucky church that recently banned mixed-race couples from joining the congregation has reversed itself. Gulnare Free Will Baptist Church voted unanimously yesterday to overturn the policy. The controversy started when the daughter of the church secretary brought an African born fiance to a church service where they sang.

Appeals Court: Almighty God OK

An appeals court has given the state of Kentucky to include a reference to God in its homeland security law. The vote was split over whether the state could require its homeland security director to promote a "dependence on Almighty God" in training and educational materials. That overturns a lower court ruling.

The Future of Ichthus

Kentucky's Christian music festival may not make it another year. CNN reports on the country's oldest music gathering here.

New Kentucky Tags

An anti-pornography group in Kentucky has gotten the go ahead to raise funds through the sale of state license plates that say "In God We Trust." It took more than three years of legal maneuvering to get the effort approved by ROCK Cares, whose name will appear on the plates. The only stipulation is that at least 900 applications for the tags must be made before they go into production. A plate without the ministry's name became available in January with more than 70,000 sold.

Couple Denied Entry at Museum

Kentucky's Creation Museum would not allow a same-sex couple entry during a date night event. The two men claim they also did not get a refund. The two tickets cost them $71.90. A Museum spokesperson said the promotional material indicated the event, including a talk from founder Ken Ham about love and marriage, was for heterosexual couples only. A local writer had suggested on his blog that it was the "duty of his readers to send a flamboyantly gay couple" to the event.

New Plates for KY

Kentucky plans to issue In God We Trust auto license plates as an alternative to the Unbridled Spirit already available. Both plates would run $21.

Prof Sues School over Views on Evolution

An astronomer claims the University of Kentucky refused to hire him because of his Christian views related to evolution. Martin Gaskell is suing the school after he was denied a job as director of an observatory even though he was the leading candidate for the post. Gaskell is now a research fellow and lecturer in astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin who says he believes evolution can be reconciled with the Bible but the theory has major flaws. The university admits his views and willingness to express them to religious groups played a role in the hiring decision and tried to get the suit dismissed. A judge denied the motion. The case goes to trial in February.

Build an Ark

The New York Times looks at plans in Kentucky to build a Noah's Ark Theme park in an article here.

PCUSA Cutbacks

The Presbyterian Church, USA has cut 49 positions at its headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. The denomination's governing board has agreed to cut the budget from this year's total of $93.8 million to just $82 million for 2011 and $80 million for 2012. The denomination has struggled with the issue of ordaining clergy in same-gender relationships.

Kentucky Commandments OK

An appeals court in Cincinnati has ruled that the Ten Commandments can be displayed at a Kentucky courthouse - as long as other historical documents are included. Grayson County had been prevented from including the Commandments in the display by a lower court. The ACLU had argued it would be a violation of the separation of church and state. By a 2-to-1 vote, the panel decided the display has an educational purpose, not a religious one.

Ball Players to Church

Some parents of children attending a Kentucky public high school are upset the football coach took his team to a church revival. Coach Scott Mooney of Breckinridge County High School in Harned, Kentucky (about 50 miles south of Loiusville) used one of the school's buses to bring 20 players to his church. He told them there would be a motivational speaker and free steak dinner at Franklin Crossroads Baptist Church. Nearly half of them were baptized. Although Mooney did not ask for their parents’ permission, the school superintendent says the trip was all right because attendance was not required and another coach paid for the gas. She is a member of Franklin Crossroads as well. The state's ACLU disagrees, saying the trip probably violated church and state separation.

Begging Church

WHAS-TV in Louisville, Kentucky reports on a controversial church that begs from people in the streets.

Baptists Turn Away Choir

Southern Baptists have disinvited a youth choir from taking part in a mission program. Broadway Baptist Church Chapel Choir has been told it can’t take part in the University of the Cumberlands' Mountain Outreach program because of the congregation’s stand on gay issues. The church was voted out of the Southern Baptist Convention last week. The church had decided to avoid offending gay couples by published a directory without family portraits. The choir will instead, is joining the First Baptist Church of Nashville for its mission trip.

A case before the Kentucky Supreme Court involves an $11 million grant coming from state funds for a new pharmacy school at the University of the Cumberlands. A gay rights group sued the school for expelling a gay student.

Scientologist Moving In

The Church of Scientology has bought a church building in Northern Kentucky. The Florence Baptist Church owned the property in Florence until moving into a new $15 million facility. Scientologists paid $1.64 million for the building.

Creationists Settle Dispute

A fight between two creationist groups is over. Answers in Genesis and Creation Ministries International once were allies but began fighting over copyrights and ownership of mailing lists four years ago. Soon there were accusation of financial mismanagement and poor business decisions. Mediation failed and the two went to court but now they’ve agree to put aside their complaints- though terms of their settlement are not being made public. Answers in Genesis (led by Ken Ham) is based in the US and grew out of Australia’s Creation Ministries International (founded by Carl Wieland). Answers has made a splash recently with its well-attended $27 million Creation Museum in Kentucky.

Seminary Closes School

Sinking enrollment has lead to the closure of the School of Church Music and Worship at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The 65-year-old program will merge with the School of Leadership and Church Ministry to form a new School of Church Ministries. The Louisville, Kentucky school has recently struggled financially. Administrators faced a budget shortfall of more than $3 million shortfall at the end of last year. Since then 35 administrative positions have been cut.

Kentucky Trust Plates Move Forward

Kentucky’s House Representatives have passed a bill that would allow the state to issue license plates that have the phrase In God We Trust printed on them. The Governor threw his support behind the effort last year. The measure now goes to the State Senate.

The Creation Museum

AFP takes a look at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky.

Atheists to Sue Homeland Security

A group called American Atheists plans to file a lawsuit this morning against the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security. That’s because state law requires the agency to stress "dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth." Ten non-religious Kentuckians have joined the suit. State Representative Tom Riner added a requirement to credit God for Kentucky's protection in the 2006 homeland security legislation. Riner is a Southern Baptist minister.