Virginia town drops plans to visit Ark Encounter following atheist complaint

Virginia city's Parks and Recreation Department has canceled a planned trip to Ken Ham's Creation Museum and Ark Encounter theme park following a complaint from an atheist group.

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) urged the city to cancel the trip after it was informed by a local resident that the Christiansburg Parks and Recreation Department was arranging visits in early April to the creationist attractions in Kentucky.

Earlier this month, The Roanoke Times ran further details about the trip, including cost and deadlines as well as some information about the Ark Encounter, which was described as a way to "experience the pages of the Bible like never before."

The FFRF noted that the Ark Encounter is a "proudly Christian ministry," and Ham has been open about the "proselytizing nature" of the creationist establishments.

The group wrote a letter to Brad Epperley, director of the Christiansburg Parks and Recreation Department, to warn him that the excursion, which was advertised on the town's website, would violate the Constitution.

In the letter, FFRF Attorney Andrew Seidel argued that the trip would constitute government endorsement of religion and asserted that it would alienate non-Christian residents of Christiansburg.

"It is a fundamental principle of Establishment Clause jurisprudence that the government can in no way advance, promote or otherwise endorse religion. Advertising and organizing such an event sends a message that residents are expected to endorse such events," Seidel wrote.

In response, the city's legal counsel informed the FFRF that the trip has been canceled, and it will no longer appear in Christiansburg's website.

The FFRF said that when the Ark Encounter opened last summer, it sent letters to school boards in Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Indiana and Ohio to warn them that public schools are prohibited from taking students to the theme park.

Ham argued in a statement at the time that it is not illegal for public schools to visit as long as it is done objectively.

"[I]f students come here in an objective fashion and teachers show them our first-class exhibits and present our group's interpretation of the origin of man, then the field trip is fine as an exceptional and voluntary educational/cultural experience," Ham said.