Ken Ham, the founder and leader of Answers in Genesis, announced recently that his religious organization may hire people who are not in complete agreement with his religious beliefs.
Ham is the person who was successful in suing Kentucky so that he can get tax incentives for his Noah's Ark-themed attraction located in Williamstown, a city in Northern Kentucky.
He announced his intention during a tour of the Ark Encounter. His staff is still establishing the criteria for employment for the 510-foot (155 meters) boat.
Ham won a million-dollar religious freedom case against the state Kentucky for his Ark Encounter in January. The federal judge who heard the case ruled that state officials violated Answers in Genesis' First Amendment rights by refusing its inclusion in a sales tax incentive amounting to millions of dollars.
Gregory Van Tatenhove, the U.S. District Judge, ruled that the Tourism Cabinet of Kentucky did not include the Ark Encounter in the tax incentive due to its "religious purpose and message."
"Atheist organizations and other secular groups have been falsely claiming that AiG/Ark Encounter should not receive a facially neutral tax incentive in Kentucky because of our Christian message," said Ham in a Facebook message.
Employees of Answers in Genesis are required to sign a statement of faith that includes the belief in creationism, which had led Kentucky officials to withdraw an offer of $18 million in tax incentives in December 2014. This resulted in the court legal battle which eventually led to Ham's victory.
An update on the matter indicated that Ark Encounter, according to Ham, may use a separate faith statement that may not include the controversial religious requirement.
Although the particular statement has not been finalized yet, Ham said it will be made public in a matter of months in advance of the July opening of Ark Encounter.
