The Weird Phenomenon of Jesus Theme Parks
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 พ.ค. 2022
- Located just north of Universal Orlando is the now closed Holy Land Experience. It's the most prominent of what I would consider to be Christian theme parks, exploiting Jesus as a theme. Today, we look at these various parks, covering their history and motivations, seeing just how crazy they can become.
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"youll feel like youre walking where jesus walked"
trust me chris the last thing in Florida is god
Florida and California, the godless states, for entirely different reasons.
Well in just a few decades your gonna have to part the seas like Moses to walk around there
The actual orange antichrist is in FL. Nothing Godly for sure.
I mean, to be fair, there is that one part of the Bible where Jesus met the Devil in an inhospitable wasteland...
@@Titleknown nah thats texas
Imagine you were a little kid and your parents surprise you saying we're going to Orlando and they bring you here 😭
Would still be pretty fun if you lived up north
@@wolfetteplays8894 Ehh...
“We’re boycotting Disney honey, they’ve gone WOKE. We go to Holy Land Experience now. Yay Jesus!”
@@tybarker5038 you do know it’s being demolished right
@@loyalMagicGamer as it should be 🤣🤣🤣 I feel bad for any kid forced to go there instead of Disney
My Disney world experience as a kid was so memorable I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
Even if I was a kid nowadays I wouldn’t let this political drama get in the way
The “And, of course, in the spirit of the Bible: Ziplines” line made me laugh more than it probably should have
I figured that humor was probably a safe way to tackle a subject like this. I'm glad that it landed.
you are so funny.
okay but one of Ken's attractions has a fudge shop. That and the zipline really get me every time they're mentioned.
Jesus would have loved Ziplines.
@@ArsonRaboot Jesus invented ziplines... and television. Oh, and Legos.
As a Notre Dame grad, we were taught that Christian theme parks were rather inauthentic, and to use our spiritual outreach energy on something more authentic. That being said, I’d love to see a Prince of Egypt dark ride someday.
Omfg
What does that even mean? Has Notre Dame lowered it's standards this low?
hellyea
I was gonna say, wouldn’t Jesus have preferred a hospital be built there in the first place, I mean sure most hospitals are also very for profit, but at least they usually have charity programs and offer some sort of general good
@@tryingtoart264 Hospitals are basically the definition of a nonprofit lol
You skipped over what was the biggest Christian-themed attraction built in the US, Heritage USA, in the suburbs of Charlotte. It was imagined and built by Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker as a Christian Disneyland, replete with a castle, and home to their broadcasting network. For ten or fifteen years it was a major destination. To really cover this topic in depth, I feel like Heritage USA needs to be included in the discussion. It's rise and fall is worth a video on it's own, honestly.
I’ve actually seen a video on just this actually. The man presenting the video actually attended Heritage as a child and revisits the now abandoned park as he talks about its history. It’s a good watch.
@@juliaboon9741 is he called Quest Capsule? His video looks and sounds interesting.
@@PoptartParasol that’s them! I had to look it up again but yes!
@@EsotericBibleSecrets Dude I’m an atheist too but you’re making us look bad by being annoying asf, you don’t need to copy the same comment in everyone’s replies
@@EsotericBibleSecrets Please stop spamming.
I’ve been to the Holy Land Experience, one time as a kid. I’m a Christian, and it was really quite a fun experience- aside from the very rude staff. The staff were surprisingly unkind.
Interesting. What exactly did they do lol?
Bet they’re only paid one denarius
I guess it's 'love thy neighbor, but thou art not obligated to love thy customer' lmao
Business is about volume
I feel like most amusement parks that aren't Disney the employees are upset and mad cuz ya know it's an amusement park
Love how you expand your content beyond just Disney and Universal, really shows that theme park enthusiast side of you. Keep it up man! 💯
As a Christian, this is just such an interesting video, and I'm very shocked someone even did one on these, so props to you for even given it a look. I did not know many of these even existed or only heard of them a few times. A few things I really take away from this video:
1. I don't know if a theme park related to Christianity will ever work. It'll probably always come off cheesy to non-Christians and probably unholy to most Christians. I think the museum/educational route that immerse you deeply into the story is definitely the way to go. Great architecture and storytelling are key in making it good. It is such a hard balance, but definitely can be done.
2. There are always going to be two types of people when it comes to anything Christian entertainment/tourist related. Someone is always going to try and exploit Christians for profit with propaganda, but also there will always be non-Christians who are going to think there's propaganda everywhere. Communion, for example, is a deeply spiritual and reverent moment for Christians with many denominations believing Christ is actually either in the bread and wine or that He is there by way of the Holy Spirit, so I don't really see this as propaganda, but more of what most Christians would agree happens in those moments. Obviously, you are not trying to bash communion when you showed that clip, just commenting that a lot things non-Christians might see as exploitation might actually make sense to Christians.
3. It is crazy to me to hear TBN might have had the best "theme park" for its education and way they handle teachings and their park considering a lot Christians, at least in most camps I've been apart of, see them as heretics or false Christians.
Anyway just wanted to throw my two cents in for anyone who care. Great video as always! Thanks for even thinking of this idea, and hopefully I will be able to check these out and gather my own thoughts!
Branson might be the only place where an attraction like this could be viable.
Thanks for being respectful. 🙏
You’ve pointed out the main reason Christian theme parks aren’t successful, the elephant in the room so to speak. There’s obviously not just one Christianity. In fact, there are hundreds of denominations with hundreds of dogmatic differences. Since there is no unified agreement among Christians, they accuse each other of heresy or of being false Christians. The insanity of it is that the ones you may think are false also think your version is false. It’s like a circular firing squad. This creates tribal lines that impede the success of any Christian themed amusement park. Not to mention that Christianity has been copying popular culture for 2,000 years and doing a poor job of it. It’s like the knockoff colognes that don’t quite smell like the original. Consumers aren’t stupid, by and large. They know the difference between Six Flags and Magic Kingdom. So when Christianity puts out a lesser quality copy of secular ideas, it just doesn’t sell to the general public.
@@TheDizzleHawke That or Dollywood/Pigeon Forge
I would like to clarify that my intent was not to dismiss communion, but rather the people who were selling the park like it was the Home Shopping Network.
What I enjoy about the Ark Encounter is that I’ve since discovered that if any boat existed and some version of the “Flood” happened, it’s more likely that a Noah would have made something more like a “Kuphar”, a round boat traditionally used on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in ancient and modern Mesopotamia. Its circular shape means that it does not sail well against the current, as it tends to spin, but makes it safe, sturdy and easy to construct. Exactly something that a person would construct to survive any flood. The boat Mr Ham had created would never have survived a flood. 😂
Noah's ark couldn't work with out the modern technology we have now. That's the point, it's miracle because it's not normally possible, explaining it is like explaining a magic trick, you missed the point. Believeing the ark encounter makes less sense then just believing in the ark or not.
@@radiokunio3738 I was specifically referring to the work of Irving Finkel who built a Ark replica of his own based on a cuneiform tablet he translated for the British Museum that was found with similar but more specific Ark instructions. That boat was round, a “kaphar” and would have been well suited to a flood. Finkle built the boat with completely ancient methods and road the boat down a real river. It survived. My main issue with Mr. Ham’s replica is not so much that it exists but more that they made such European centric leaps of logic with the shape and design.
@@juliaboon9741, ah, yes, the man with the most powerful beard.
@@MatthewChenault he does have an impressive beard.
It's not even a boat at all. It's literally a facade. It only looks like an "Ark" on the front. From the back you can see the outline of the actual buildings that contain everything. They're complete with electricity, running water, and, most importantly, AC. Lol. Oh, and don't forget the food court.
Driving past the Holy Land Experience on the way to Universal or Disney, me and my family were always curious what lied within.
We made jokes and essentially assumed it would be like Tierra Santa or something along those lines.
To be honest, it looks to be one of the tamest ones mentioned here.
In fact, I could picture myself walking around and enjoying the atmosphere.
If it were like Tierra Santa, I wonder how well it would have fared. They could have run a B&M wing coaster over I-4 and called it JesusFlight or something.
@@PoseidonEntertainment i spit my drink out when I read this reply
@@PoseidonEntertainment No, it will be a B&M Stand-up called the Crucifixion. It will have over the shoulder restraints but rIders will need to T-Pose in order to hang on to the bars XD. JK that will be so messed up
I was raised a literal young earth creationist, went to the Creation Museum, and left an evolutionist their arguments were so bad. The dioramas are pretty fire though
this made me laugh
I don’t really know what to say but…. Based? Lmfao.
Were your parents more upset with you or the museum? 😄
As someone who went to tierra Santa in buenos aires, I can certificate that is a weird place. Tierra Santa opened after disney made a sort of temporary Disneyland themed Disney store in buenos aires, it was a success so the catholic guys took the idea of a theme park (at that time the catholic community was lead by who is now the pope).
I think it looks cheap because it was, the land where it was built is surrounded by the local airport and a container park. You can get the idea.
Also, the tickets are really cheap going up to U$D 5
That aspect of cheapness is part of its appeal though. In the same way that I enjoy low budget traveling fair dark rides, there's a certain charm to places like that.
I went only once and it still haunts me, specially the damn Jesus popping out from the mountain like a religious Jack in a Box. I was catholic then (now pagan), and I remember my family which was ALL Catholics go 😐😐😐 with the damn Jesus statue.
Somehow we could deal with the ridiculousness of it all, the fiber statues that were really trashy and chipped away, the pseudo-Jerusalem vibes...but the statue killed us LMAO 🤣
How could you leave out Heritage USA?
Full disclosure, I'm Christian. I find these types of park efforts off putting because they seem sometimes insincere but more importantly they feel poorly executed. And when they do seem sincere they seem like they are trying WAY too hard, just like Televangelists. You are never totally sure if the person is a scammer or just a reactionary.
If you want a theme park that works well with Christian messaging but comes off as both sincere and well executed I would recommend Dollywood. There are plenty of examples of Christian doctrine and culture being found at Dollywood. There is the church, the Heartsong film, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Museum and at Christmas you have even more examples. But it doesn't feel like the point of the park is to preach to non-Christians or to reaffirm the beliefs of Christians. Instead, it feels like the examples of Christian culture that are included are more a celebration of the Appalachian culture and history and that you are being asked to celebrate with them. Furthermore, these things don't really dominate the park and I'm sure some people might not even pick up on the Christian aspects of the park unless they are heavily attentive to such things. I think it works well as a Christian and I would imagine that Dollywood would probably not come off as very preachy or off putting to non-Christians. And it is such a fantastic park in every other regard that I think it's appeal is and will remain very broad.
You worded this really well and I agree. I believe someone else in the comments stated that Dollywood isn't necessarily a Christian theme park, so much as it's an expression of Appalachian culture that Christianity plays a large role in. While I haven't been there in quite a while, it does seem like a wholesome place.
also Silver Dollar City is a christain owned park/ same owners of dollywood, that has elements of christianity but its not in your face and its respectful to the religion i personally am christian and it refrences it, and has shows that talk about the christmas story around christmas time its very wholesome
I'm agonistic and I can confirm that Dollywood isn't off-putting at all! I live fairly close to the park and have visited many times over the years. Like you said, Christianity is a huge part of Appalachian culture, and I think Dollywood does a great job of recognizing and embracing that while not coming off as exploitative at all. The more faith-influenced aspects of the park (church service, museum and shows) are there for those who want that experience, but for everyone regardless of spiritual views, it's also just a solid theme park in general and its presentation acts as a love letter to the history of this region.
@@alisande_ I'm glad you like it. I wouldn't want to speak on your behalf but I don't get the impression that the elements of Christianity featured at Dollywood come off as obnoxious, judgemental or gratuitous but instead more sincere and enthusiastic. It is a park that feels very welcoming. I grew up on the west coaster but the first time I visited Dollywood it made me feel nostalgic despite celebrating a very different region and upbringing than I had experienced. While I do prefer a few theme parks over Dollywood I think Dollywood feels like the most sincere theme park out there. And during the Smoky Mountain Christmas event it actually becomes my overall favorite theme park because Christmas at Dollywood can't be topped.
@@zacg_ You're absolutely right! I think sincere is a good way to put it. I actually had the opportunity to watch Dolly Parton give a speech there when I was really young (it was girl scout day and she showed up for a few minutes to address the scout groups), and I remember her being so sweet and encouraging. She's just such a nice, thoughtful, and generous person in general, and I think those values shine through in the park.
If you're ever in the area again and looking to learn more about the region, I would recommend the Museum of Appalachia. It's not really a traditional museum, but instead an old farmstead that has been opened to the public. There's lots of old cabins and barns to explore, and also a few buildings with exhibits and artwork and stuff. There's also so many hiking trails in the Smokies where you can just walk to an old schoolhouse or something and truly immerse yourself. I remember one specific trail I hiked a few months ago which led to a super old cabin with walls covered in newspapers from the 1800s. I stood there for like an hour just reading the scraps of paper lol. Rambling aside, there's actually some pretty cool stuff here, and it's conversations like this that make me take a step back and appreciate it, so thank you for that.
I used to live next to the Creation Museum and it was pretty wild. I do know people who weren’t Christian would go and you could interact with real animals, like snakes and stuff. Still it was a crazy place, especially with the whole dinosaur with humans thing.
I could understand going for the zoo and maybe the ziplining. That's why I became a passholder to Gatorland.
You never know because you weren’t alive back then and photography didn’t exist either
Nah dinosaurs just aren’t real. Much easier fix.
I am a Christian, and I think most of these parks give off the wrong impression regardless if they are well executed or not.
Jesus and Santa Claus are completely interchangeable. "I come quickly and my reward is with me, to give every man according to his works."
@@EsotericBibleSecrets evil NPC, you got evil spirits taking your energy
@@EsotericBibleSecrets reclaim it
As a Seventh Day Adventist who lives in the Orlando area, who is a Disney Fan and never went to the Holy Land Experience, when AdventHealth bought it I was shocked. There was a time I thought it would be a nice place to visit, but as time went by I lost interest. Knowing the park was declining I couldn't understand why they would buy it at all. But once I learned they were going to tear it down and build a medical facility I was satisfied.
When they bought it, they got all the props because TBN didn't know what to do with them. So put them in a storage because they didn't know what to do with them either. Then this Easter my church, the Forest Lake SDA Church, put on a walk-through play on the Forest Lake Academy campus, an Adventist School next to the church. AdventHealth became one of the sponsors and donated some of the props for the play. I played Caiaphas the High Priest and wore one of the costumes from the Holy Land Experience.
Certainly an interesting experience and an enjoyable read.
Dude, (Adventist here too,) I love when the church is able to put our blessings to good use. I'd have loved to see that play. Post a link if it's available.
Honestly I'd had no idea why Advent Health even bothered, but knowing they're going to build a health facility sounds right up their alley.
Adventist here also, that reminds me of the Easter thing that is put on at Southern Adventist University. They build a whole little town that is Era accurate and have stalls and houses that act how people would during passover in Jewish lands.
@@AngieParty12380 We actually copied the Risen Experience from the one at Southern, but with a little twist of our own.
@@BoundyMan oh that's really cool I'll have to check it out one day
Absolutely disgusted by the lack of holy rollercoasters. Excellent video, 10/10.
Wonder if Jesus would be flipping tables in the souvenir shops if he visited 😂
Subscribed for Disney Parks videos, stayed for creative, diverse content like this
As an atheist interested in religion as well as popular culture, I would LOVE to visit any of these, especially the creation museum. The role of religion in society had always fascinated me. I wouldn't engage in arguments with staff and visitors or anything like this.
P. S. "Mechanical Jesus" sounds as a name of a some obscure rock band. Love it!
""Mechanical Jesus" sounds as a name of a some obscure rock band." People thought their career was dead, but now they've got a popular revived act each hour and twice on Sundays
@@editingsecrets "Auto-Repairing Mechanical Jesus", a small miracle.
I went to the holy land experience once years ago. It was actually pretty interesting. I kept imagining ways I could expand on it roller coaster tycoon style.
Everyone’s favorite Vekoma Boomerang clone, The Christ Coaster!
Just so you don't recreate the Bone Zone
Ezekiel's Wheels would be quite a ride. Too intense for the little ones.
I’ve been to the Creation Museum twice and the Ark once, and all I really have to say about them is that it’s an experience, but should always be seen as a viewpoint and not something serious (and this is coming from a Christian themselves).
My grandmother (who took me when I was roughly 12 and 15 I think?) is someone who got and is heavily indoctrinated by some radical Christian ideas (I.e. hardline creationism) and indoctrinated me for a while on her creationist beliefs. I will say that both sites are absolutely stunning visually. In fact, the creation museum has botanical gardens which are beautiful to walk through and see. All are watered by a misting system to replicate how they believe it didn’t rain at all before Noah’s flood (I won’t get into it here unless someone asks).
The practical effects in both parks are great, however the elephant in the room is that the beliefs being shared do nothing but harm the faith. I mean, for Christ’s sake, some creationists believe dinosaurs breathed fire. I shouldn’t have to explain further on why ideas like this could harm future generations.
TL;DR, It’s a wonderful place being held back by beliefs unfounded in reason.
please, do elaborate on the lack of rain before Noah's flood 🤔
@@LoverOfMuchit's a weird thing that some Young Earth Creationists believe due to Genesis Chapter 2 verses 5 and 6.
as someone who visited the Creation Museum and Ark Experience in high school I thought it was legitimately pretty fun but yeah in hindsight it was very exploitative
@@LoverOfMuch Genesis 2:
4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
...
10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden...
This is definitely a channel that will blow up soon. It's just the most solid theme park opinion content out there.
I appreciate the feedback. Growth comes in spurts from my observation.
As a non-religious fan of these kind of attractions, I am surprised you didn't cover "Heritage USA" Jerry Farwell's own theme park that nearly made it to opening day.
Heritage USA was created by Jim and Tammy Bakker, and for the few years it did operate it was #3 in popularity compared to WDW and DLR. I’m really surprised it wasn’t even mentioned.
I second this, mainly because I recently saw The Eyes of Tammy Faye.
I've actually never heard of it. I looked up a few articles on religious/Christian theme parks and never saw any mention of it.
@@PoseidonEntertainment oh wow! Personally I feel like it’s absolutely iconic but I also live two hours from its former location. Definitely something to look into, Adam the Woo did a tour of what’s left recently!
@@PoseidonEntertainment here is a good TH-cam video about heritage usa: th-cam.com/video/yo9GJdBfzu0/w-d-xo.html
As a Waterbury, CT native can I tell you how shocked I was that holy land was mentioned in this video!? I immediately thought of it when I saw the title, but never expected that it’d be on your radar. It’s definitely the city’s landmark and unfortunate landmark with the history and desolate state it’s in. However, I don’t think they’ll every fully demolish it due to the iconography of the cross within Waterbury but also those in the city aren’t in socioeconomic situations that would raise enough funds to refurbish it in my opinion.
my family is also from Waterbury, and I was astonished, too!
Same here, I'm from Town Plot and I *g a s p e d* when I saw Holy Land. There's been some wild controversies about the new cross, too...
Oh god, this just brought back hidden memories... when I was a kid, my mother's boyfriend at the time took her and I to the Holy Land Experience for her birthday. I knew it was tacky and exploitative the moment I set foot in the park, but I didn't want to mention it to my mom because how excited she was. Thankfully by the end of the trip she got a sense of unease with how the park seemed so... ungenuine. we don't talk about that trip lol
An excellent video my good sir! On an unrelated side note, although not explicitly Christian, Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN, has a chapel within the park that hosts services every Sunday. The building has been there since the park was Goldrush Junction, though this could also be tied to Dollywood’s theme of the romanticized Appalachian culture.
Someone else just made a similar point and it is quite interesting. Doesn't the park also let the elderly in for free on certain days to shop and walk around? It seems like a wholesome place.
@@PoseidonEntertainment @Poseidon Entertainment I know they have an "Imagination Pass" for Pre-K aged children (basically anyone 5 and under) where they'll let them in for free. Dolly and Herschend do a wonderful job with the park. (I go for the train, personally, because it's one of the best theme park trains out there.)
When you ask your parents to go to Disney World and they say we have Disney World at home
Wow…. I’m from Connecticut and have passed that cross on the highway in Waterbury probably thousands of times. I just always knew it as “the cross on the hill” assuming it must be some church charity statue or public art project etc. I never even realized there was so much more to it than that.
My parents are deeply religious, like so religious that my dad frequently had TBN on and I saw various ads for this place and I sometimes saw it while driving around in Orlando. I was always afraid that I would eventually get dragged into this place for one day during one of our trips to Orlando, glad that never happened (yeah, I'm a closet atheist.) I do have to admit I was always slightly curious on what exactly the place was about. I never got around to researching it though until I saw your video.
"And when you don't pray, go into thy closet so that nobody knows" - Atheist In Disguise Jesus
The Holy Land closed!? Dang, my second grade class went on a field trip there in 2008. I'm not Christian but I still vividly remember me and the girls walking into the whale's mouth from Jonah and then all of us being freaked out and running away when a starfish on the wall started talking to us lol
Man that sounds like a breach of the 1st amendment if I ever heard one.
That starfish was creepy as hell. It's like something that would sit on your chest and stare at you while you had sleep paralysis.
@@NameOfRain I know right!
It would have been interesting to locate these theme parks in the history of America's intersection between religion and entertainment. A large part of Evangelicalism's success in pre-WWII America was tent revival shows making the same sort of annual circuit of rural communities as the circus and Vaudeville troupes. This was then taken over by radio and television, leading to the phenomenon of the televangelist. The alternative "Christian music" and "Christian movie" industries are a part of this, and I think a credible argument can be made that the Megachurch phenomenon is likewise. These churches thrive mainly as a form of live entertainment mixed with a religious message (which the modern secular religion of "social justice" is trying to emulate but failing miserably at for reasons that are a whole other topic).
This is very distinct from the tradition of religious pilgrimage. While a form of tourism and with the same sort of support networks as tourism (inns, public houses, etc.), there is a very different tone to religious pilgrimage than to America's culture of religion-as-entertainment. Most significantly, a sense of the reverent is the purpose of the religious pilgrimage, whereas America's religion-as-entertainment is predicated on the kitsch. The concept of a theme park itself is the antithesis of a pilgrimage. We can debate the authenticity of religious relics, but the reverence and prayerfulness and, for lack of a better word, gravitas they inspire is not. On the other hand, a theme park is necessarily artifice. It is fake, and not even high quality fakery like in a Disney park. Yet in America, "I'm going to Disneyland" is as close to a religious pilgrimage as you have. Again, religion-as-entertainment... and entertainment-as-religion.
Ironically, this is where the Creation museums are actually MORE authentic. Yes, they are a heaping pile of bullshit (I say as both a Christian and a professional Earth Science educator), but they are, at least, MUSEUMS. They aren't kitsch. Hell, it actually frustrates me because I've been TRYING to get a natural history museum going in my city with virtually zero funds or assets, and here is this chucklehead with a beautiful, engaging, very expensive-looking museum I could only dream of having. But I digress... A museum actually has a greater spirit of reverence than a theme park does. Museums aren't places for "fun," but rather, places with the expectation of education, contemplation, and the encounter with the real, great, and even transcendent. Museums are more authentic places (even if the particular museum in question is a propaganda engine for lies). A religious museum is about as close as an authentic intersection as it gets. A religious theme park is about as far apart as it gets.
This was a really enjoyable read. I like your perspective and insight on this.
@violamateo the solution to Americans being tacky and low-class is not atheism. The solution is Americans learning to be high-class.
What you're missing is that I wasn't talking about all of religion. I wasn't even talking about all of Christianity. I was talking about a specific phenomenon in the United States (and exported in varying degrees from it) of religion in some respects being conflated with entertainment. That is not reflective of religion or Christianity as a whole.
Your average parish minister in the United States is overworked and underpaid as an employee of a registered non-profit organization run by an aging board of volunteers. The median church size in the United States is 65 parishioners. That means half of all churches in the US have less than 65 people attending them. The megachurch, televangelist paradigm is not representative of the reality of actual parish churches... It's literally just what YOU see on TV when YOU can't be bothered to research it. Which means YOU are just as much a victim of the American religion-entertainment complex as you believe religious people are. Your atheism is a function of the American religion-entertainment complex.
So as I said, the solution is not no religion. The solution is skepticism of the role of entertainment in American society, including the manner in which identification with entertainment has become America's secular religion, including entertainment-as-social-justice and Disney-as-religious-pilgrimage.
@violamateo As a Christian, I agree with you that the monetary exploitation of religion is incredibly sad. However, there is a lot less of it now than there used to be. For example, the medieval Catholic Church was notorious for keeping religious benefits behind a paywall with things like selling indulgences. Plus, there used to be a very common practice of selling fake religious artifacts like pieces of Jesus’s cross. It seems that with the rise of Protestantism, Christians are much more skeptical of these sorts of cash grabs.
Interesting comment, though I'm raising an eyebrow at the assertion that "social justice" is some attempt at secular religion. Not every belief needs to be intrinsically religious in nature, and indeed, holding that an injury to one is an injury to all could be readily be described not as a belief in the first place, but a conclusion drawn upon concrete and consistently demonstrable data
@@chompythebeast "religion" is your totalizing worldview, system of ethics, and sense of existential meaning, purpose, and place in the universe. Social justice absolutely fits that criteria, and not only that, but its most pathological forms, right down to scapegoating based on race, gender, and class.
I have been Christian since my childhood but most of the time I only regurgitated what I was told by parents or preachers. I really appreciated your discussion on this topic and have never seen Christian theme parks in this light. I have been to both the creation museum, the ark encounter, passed by the Holy Land in Orlando, and seen Ken Ham's debate with Bill Nye. I have always thought these theme parks and Christian movies were grifty, so thank you for doing this video! Now I want to go tour an Orthodox monastery where I don't have to buy stuff
About the Noah's arc being build with modern building practices: the original Noah's arc wasnt build for millions of tourists and wouldn't be fined/sued to dead if something happens.
Okay, but I’ve actually been to the Creation Museum! Lol I’m from Kentucky and I went apparently only a few years after it was opened. I was pressured into going to youth group as a kid (though I realize now I was already not really a believer even then lol) and I went when I was in middle school.
I remember almost nothing, except I thought it was really weird to see dinosaurs alongside people, that they have a really nice gift shop, and my cat escaped our house that night and I was so worried about him! Lol I guess my fear of losing my cat overrides my memories of that “museum”. (We found him later tho, don’t worry lol)
I was curious about the Holyland USA murder so I looked it up. The short story is that teens had taken to using the park for drinking and hookups. Two friends made their way up to the cross, where the guy tried to initiate a hookup with the girl. The girl rejected him, so he r-d her and murdered her. He's now serving 55 years in prison (the max sentence).
The location was a coincidence, which somehow surprises me. Like this is a horrifying murder at an abandoned Christain theme park, but somehow the motive is incredibly and sadly mundane. Truly a tragic story
thanks for the background. i genuinely thought it was someone killing this poor girl "in the name of God" or something crazy like that. still so horrifying that this happened. i'm glad to hear he's serving the max.
The Jesus Grift is really strong. It was something my parents actually warned us about as kids (I grew up fundie Baptist). There's no end to ppl looking to take advantage of ppl's faith to siphon their money away from them. TBN is especially good at it.
I'm not saying the grifters don't genuinely believe what they say or anything like that. I'm firmly convinced that Ken Ham is a "true believer" in the stuff he claims, but that doesn't mean he's not fully invested in trying to make as much money as he can in the process. Now Ray Comfort and Pat Robertson? I'm a lot less convinced of their sincerity. There's occasional red flags, you know?
I love the discussion your video prompted and your sincere, genuine and balanced coverage of a controversial topic. I’m from an interfaith (Jewish/Lutheran) Florida family, and we always joked about what it would be like for our family to go to the Holy Land Experience. Never made it there, but was always really intrigued by it. Definitely different than your typical Orlando fare. Some elements seem appropriative of Jewish culture (mainly the Western Wall) but that’s a larger issue within the supersessionist trends of Christianity/ Messianic “Judaism”.From all accounts though it seems like the staff were respectful and I’m sad to see an I-4 landmark turn into something as boring as a medical complex.
I do commend them for how they were able to balance everything there. You could still go, not belonging to either faith and enjoy it for its educational and entertainment aspects. I wish I had visited when it was still open instead of joking that I would eventually go one day.
Holy Land in CT is now a park. And since the murder was 12 years ago, some people forgot. I didn't know about it until you mentioned it. I'm going to visit next week. 😊
The Holy Land Experience is one of those things that everyone in Orlando knew about because it's literally right next to I-4 and just looks so out of place, but was also always interesting to see from the road. One day at least ten years ago maybe even closer to fifteen, my dad and I finally went inside just to see what it was about, and I was honestly just kind of bored. Being a kid that went to a Christian school and also church on Sundays, you kind of already know all the stuff. I remember there being some sort of movie, can't remember anything that it was about, I remember seeing the tomb, but it felt weird to even visit this replica that probably wasn't historically accurate anyway, and if we ever saw a show with actors, I don't remember it. The whole thing just felt weird, and if anything was interesting it was more to do with the culture at that time, like Romans occupying Jerusalem, the architecture, and what had significance to the area that wasn't Christian in nature. But ultimately, I remember almost nothing from that park.
I know it was technically a non-profit place, they had a free admission day at once a year to comply with legal definitions of a non-profit organization, but we didn't go on one of those days. I remember seeing news footage of a massive line from one of those days, and I imagine it was everyone that was like, "That's the weirdest looking place, why would anyone want to visit it? Oh it's free, well I might as well see what's in there," except then you don't get a good experience because everything is maxed out in capacity to the point of not being safe. I had forgotten it had been shut down, which on the one hand, good, it wasn't really that great and it made me feel weird, but on the other, I will miss seeing the architecture against I-4, so maybe Advent Health can keep some of it around just because it has become such an icon at this point.
Part of what I really like about I-4 is just how many attractions sit right off to the side, attempting to grab your attention. The Holy Land is part of that landscape, and I agree that some elements of it should remain. It's iconic, even if most people didn't know or understand what it was.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Like Dinosaur World halfway out to Tampa! XD Been there, too, not even as a kid did it seem worth it. On the one hand, at least you get to see just how big these animals were, but they're all just big fiberglass things with some speakers making some noise. Years ago, I think the Brevard Zoo had a Dinosaur attraction, and while a bit worn down (saw them toward the end of the run like the weekend before they were to be removed), they also had some animatronics in them, so that was cool. Plus then you still had the rest of the zoo, and I think there was even some sort of sand sculpture competition that had just happened, so there was plenty to see that day.
@@MCLegoboy I’ve been to Dinosaur World several times as a father of two boys. I always enjoyed it and felt like there was more to do than it seemed. I kind of miss that my boys have outgrown it.
If Jesus ever comes back I hope he starts suing people for copyright infringement just for the entertainment value.
The zip-line line made me laugh because being raised Christian, youth leaders will draw from anything to make object lessons and sermons. At a camp I stayed at, they did, in fact, teach a sermon about how a zip-line is like God.
Omg pls elaborate!
@@rhythmandblues_alibi The lesson was essentially, “People struggle to trust in God, but there is no reason not to trust in Him, because He has never changed and is the same God now as he was when the Bible was written… just like how people are afraid to use the zipline. But the zipline is aways checked and tested, and it has never changed since it was installed. So don’t be afraid to use the zipline, and don’t be afraid to trust in God”
A little silly but I guess it worked because I still remember it hahaha
i'm a Christian. born and raised in sunday school, got a grandma who sings gospel songs and goes to bible study, went to the Semler/Relient K concert in Atlanta this past March, survivor and victim of youth group lock-ins and winter/summer camps. when i first saw the Holy Land Experience when I was, like, nine, when I first went down to Orlando, I legit thought it was one of those super-elaborate themed mini golf joints that line Orlando. I asked myself, "why did they build a mini golf place next to I-4 out of all places?" and I kept thinking that until my teenage years. I didn't know it was a whole-ass religious theme park until 2010, IIRC. TBN shilled for it a lot. the pink-haired lady was always like "yeaaaaaah god's gonna make you donate a morbillion bucks to build the David and Goliath roller coaster."
the next time I heard about it was when I watched Religulous in full (and was so angry at its smugness and "lol invisible sky daddy" brand of holier-than-thou atheism that I became a Methodist because at least they weren't virulently Islamophobic AND increasingly misogynistic, but that's another story for another time) and saw Bill Maher making fun of the park. of course the Jesus actors walked circles around him, that's how pathetic he was. but yeah, this place gives me Righteous Gemstones vibes - but like in a bad way. Like Heritage USA if Jim Bakker took bath salts.
My dad used to work in the office buildings next to holy land Orlando. He actually works on the AV control systems for rides across the world and I believe he did some work for holy land pretty early on in their development. I remember we went to holy land at least twice when I was younger and I thought it was pretty cool. The crucifixion show was really intense and well done even if it feels a little weird to think about today. They also had some cool walk-through exhibits with artifacts relating to the Bible. I am a bit sad that they're gone because it was a part of my childhood that I will never be able to go back to. I thought they had some controversy a few years ago about people from a Disney pride festival coming to their park and not being allowed into the park because they were gay or something. Although I disagree with that, I still think very fondly of my memories at holy land and wish it could at least be thoroughly captured digitally so I could explore it again and relive the fun I had with my family as a kid.
I have noticed that most videos of it were quite low in quality. The footage was often nauseating because of how bad the camera shake was.
I am originally from Buenos Aires (now living in Canada) and I went to "Tierra Santa" when it opened because my grandad took me there. I never knew why as we come from a secular Jewish family. I don't remember much about the park except that all the buildings where made of plastic and that they sold shawarma and falafel on the food stands because it was supposed to be "middle-east" food. At that time it was a novelty as there were no other places where you could get that kind of food in Buenos Aires. I also remember that there was a reproduction of the Western Wall.
I think the cheapness is part of its appeal. It's just funny.
I visited the holy land in Orlando back in 2005. I remember it being a fun experience, everything was so overpriced I couldn't afford any souvenirs. Rock climbing was something like $35 per person. Food was far too much. But simply walking around was a fun experience. The model's of Jerusalem and Bethlehem were really cool. And I did buy an illustratrated book of pilgrims progress from the catholic monestary bookshop. It was the cheapest item I saw. $15.
When you drop a new video, I immediately stop what I'm doing to watch it. Definitely my favorite channel regarding theme parks.
Hey thanks, I'm glad that you enjoy!
I grew up about 10 minutes away from the Holy Land Experience. I think I went there once as a kid but I don't remember it. My family went to First Baptist Orlando, a mega church very close to there.
As a Christian I always found the idea of these parks as weird (I'm from a more reverent sect) Thanks for doing a video on these I had no idea there was more than one of these.
As a protestant from northern Europe i find the kitsch in these theme parks interesting (and fun! Love me some kitsch). It's so different from our all white churches and pilgrim walks in forests etc.
Pilgrim walk? That's not something I've heard of and doesn't seem to be a component of Christianity here in the U.S. Is it just a spiritual walk of sorts?
@@PoseidonEntertainment I cannot answer for them, but yeah, my nearby monastery does spiritual walks, mostly in the forest. There are also walks to pilgrim sites, like a well etc. Some are with monks, others are just church members or laity. Some are with talks on a theme & ecumenical, others are silent.
The most famous catholic pilgrimage in the Netherlands is called "de stille omgang" (loosely; the silent walk) which is in Amsterdam & is silent because it's been done since the calvinists threw out the catholic mayor & board in 15something, and after that the catholics weren't allowed outward religion for some time.
Having so many people walk silently through the centre of the capital including priests etc. in full regalia is quite a sight.
For Dutch "theme parks about the bible";
I've been to the Ark.
There's a builder from North-Holland(the Netherlands has 12 provinces) who built 2 arks. One on half scale & one full scale. Both times the bases were steel barges. They were towed to the UK & Scandinavia & got into trouble multiple times including with the coastguard. On the ark you have the usual assortment of animals statues & young exploited teens that (were made by their parents/youth group to)"volunteer" at the food court. They showed VHS copies of Kent Hovind's speeches.
There's also "de Heilige Land Stichting"(the holy land foundation) now Orientalis, an open air museum since 1911, first solely catholic, now about the 3 abrahamic religions.
And "zandsculpturen in Elburg" biblical stories told through the medium of sand sculptures.
I would say that all of these "attractions" fall into the DIY fanatic who wants to make a museum to teach the unbelievers about God category.
I love your observations. It’s obvious you spend a lot of time researching and scripting these. Great job as usual!
Another great video, with the Poseidon adventure twist! I always look forward to these videos when they pop up in my subscriptions.
Thanks, I'm glad that you enjoy!
As a 21st century European with a modern, science-based education, I must say that the religious scene in the U.S. is absolutely bizarre and out of time. 🤣
Yeah, it's absolutely absurd over here.
Jesus theme parks are not "the religious scene" in the US. Not sure what gave you that impression. Buenos Aires is in Argentina, BTW.
@@Whatlander I know where Buenos Aires is, but that doesn't change a bit about crazy U.S. religion fanatics aka the people who visit this sort of "entertainment"...
Christianity as a whole completely falls apart if you don't believe Genesis, anyone who thinks otherwise is either in denial or isn't paying attention. If your religion's stories aren't factual, there's no reason to follow at all, and these "radical" creationists are just coming up with alternative interpretations of the actual data we have, which is helpful for Christians that want to actually believe the Bible. The evolutionary, old Earth story is also one with a bunch of holes in it. Why should you trust a dating system that tells you newly formed rocks are already millions of years old?
15:40 Lol why did the guy from the Sopranos shill so hard for the “Holy Land Experience” “You visit the Holy Land and Walk with Jesus, or you’re gonna be walking with Cement shoes”
The Sopranos could respect another family business where the son was respectful towards the father
I've been to the Holy Land Experience when spending a week in Florida for my youngest brother's birthday. It transported me to Israel. I adored the park! It's a kind of park I always recommend as a Christian. The demolition won't sadden Jesus Christ. If it were open with attendance these days, I would take my kids there to discover the truth about Jesus' qualities.✝
Love how you mentioned Holy Land USA in Waterbury, I have driven by that 60 foot cross my entire life and it feels cool to see it recognized
It's small, but it has an interesting story.
Yet another brilliant video. The analysis you provide on these places is in-depth and fascinating. Keep killing it!!
Thanks, I'm glad that you enjoy!
I went to Holy Land Experience around 2007 with my church. It was neat but it felt like an outdoor Sunday School class. I remember thinking to myself that I would never go there again because once you've experienced it, there's no point going back. I also remember they had a night show about the story Ester but I think those tickets were extra.
Being Catholic, I remember feeling disdain towards the Holy Land Experience when my family and I visited it during a trip to Orlando. There's an absence of reverence these theme parks produce, which comes off as trivializing Church teachings for profit. It evokes the tale of Jesus expelling the merchants and money-changers who set up shop in the temple. Regardless of the intent by the owners, it's better for attempts of a Jesus Disneyland to be halted, and for the faithful to make an actual pilgrimage to the holy sites. You'll get more from visiting Jerusalem, Guadalupe, the El Camino in Spain, etc., because the purpose isn't about being entertained, but to rekindle your relationship with the Lord. The food will taste better too.
As a Catholic from Bavaria, where Pilgrimage locations are plenty and usually connected to a brewery with beergardens as well as merchandise shops, I can totally understand these parks. The USA simply have no authentic, ancient shrines, because it is such a young nation.
im non religious but have always been very interested in religious based stuff like this. would love to visit places like this at some point, just because. kinda sad ill never be able to go to the holy land experience- it genuinely seems like such a fun place to chill and look at bizarre exhibits. like, bible mini golf? i shed tears for i will never get to partake in that.
As a non-religious person the whole idea of a Christian or even any kind of religious theme park just feels weird/wrong. Not because there is religious undertones, but the thought of something that was made to fleece people of their money while under a religious guise just doesn't feel right and also feels disrespectful.
It’s not a theme park but Brohners it’s the largest Christmas store in the world could also fall into this category. They heavily use Christ in their marketing. It’s a really interesting topic I hope to see more content like this. I love the Disney/universal content but it’s nice to see other content as well.
Sounds interesting. I'll check it out
An excellent presentation, as always. A bit surprised that you didn't mention Heritage USA, though. I never visited myself, but being an avid theme park fan and working in the entertainment industry, you heard a lot of things about that place back in the 80s.
THE had what amounts to an estate sale after they were purchased by Trinity that I went to and it was wild. Tons of religious statues and life-sized fiberglass animals, wax figures, Christmas decorations, and insane blinged-out furniture. I wish I had gotten something but it was all very overpriced
I didn't realize how much they had gotten rid of. So many of the building interiors are decadent in their design, so I imagine that a diamond studded couch fits right in.
The expensive, large, & still operating state-of-the-art Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. opened in 2017 and reminded me of these theme parks. My religious beliefs are very different than those of the family that financed this museum, but it had an interesting section about the Bible in our culture, including pop-culture. There was a Soarin' over D.C.- like attraction that showed many references to the Bible in our capital. It was third rate, but I'll take a third-rate Soarin' over many other rides. I liked it. Archeological displays seemed to me (when I saw them in 2018, I think) like they were NOT created by creationists, and a restaurant on a top floor had healthy & tasty food I hadn't had before, so we returned the next day to eat there again. So thumbs up for the Museum of the Bible for everyone over 15 years old.
I haven't heard of it, but it sounds interesting. I'll check it out, especially since I'm interested in a potential trip to D.C. in the future.
Speaking as an Anthropologist ... so you have to be careful about that museum. A lot of it is credible, because they did hire actual non-creationist archaeologists and museum scientists to develop it. But midway through, it came out that the museum wasn't checking provenance on their acquisitions (a huge ethical no-no), and most of the professional staff quit. So now the museum is being operated more by the creationist administration and its creeping into the content.
I vaguely remember seeing an ad for the Holy Land Experience on TV as a kid some time before 2012. Specifically the recreation of Moses parting the waves. I wasn't sure if this theme park was the one you were talking about until I saw that exact attraction in the background at 20:18, and it looks exactly like I remembered. I also remember discussing this commercial with my dad years later and him suggesting I misremembered a Simpsons gag.
First video of yours that showed up in my timeline, and I am in!
Can't wait to binge the rest.
Good job 👍
I got kicked out for wearing a Behemoth shirt there once 🤦♂️
As a Christian, I do wonder about where the line is on generating profit from religious content, and what the ethics are on how much profit is acceptable or the ethics of spending that money.
Paying for upkeep to a building that people use to gather/learn/help in is fine, so perhaps paying for the upkeep of a theme park is still justifiable if the people who go to the theme park feel like they get something spiritual out of it. Such a weird thing to say, but it seems like people really do have some kind of religious or educational experience there. If the profits are used in an ethical manner and the customers aren't exploited, I don't guess there is an issue. If the goal of the park is just to line pockets though, that seems like an obviously less justifiable thing.
I really have to ask though what is meant by the term "exploited". I admit my tastes as a Christian wouldn't necessarily run toward something from a theme park presentation for the same reason that I am not a fan of contemporary worship services and you can find me sticking to the traditional service at my Protestant Evangelical church with the old-fashioned hymns and organ, and the observance of liturgy. BUT, having said that, if contemporary worship is the means to lead people to the ultimate truth in Christ (which all Christians must believe in regardless of what denomination they belong to) then why should it matter to me *how* these people came to believe in the basic tenet of "Mere Christianity" as C.S. Lewis defines it that unites all major denominations even above our differences on lesser doctrinal matters? If the end result is this is how they received their eternal salvation in Christ, that is something I applaud even if the *method* is not for me specifically in how I choose my path to Christ. And *if* so much as one person is led to Christ as a result of experiencing this or is encouraged by the experience to go back to the serious message of the Gospel, then I'll have to acknowledge that even these places will have performed a valuable service in some way. The person who went through that will not have been "exploited" in that sense. So I guess what I'd like to hear is a more thorough statement of what being "exploited" at places like this really means. Frankly, even though I have to shake my head somewhat at the Creation Museum (even William Jennings Bryan and most Evolution skeptics weren't believers in a "young Earth") I think there's a little too much paranoia in Poseidon's reaction to it considering that I've seen more attempts to abuse "science" from those of a decidedly non-Christian perspective who have trouble accepting basic scientific facts like basic Biology 101.
As a latina, I can tell you that the weirdness of tierra santa is pretty normal. Latin America is weird with Christianity. We have little baby Jesus dolls made of plaster that people sometimes put clothes on them, like a Mexican national soccer team uniform
Thanks, this was very interesting and nuanced. It's a complicated subject...even as a catholic who can't stand those christian movies. I'm not going to lie, as hokey and exploitative as these parks can be, I'd give them a go. And who's to say you can't get a genuine religious or spiritual feeling from this...
I suppose you certainly could find a spiritual experience at these places, but I can't get over the... I suppose irony of it? Much of it is just so hokey and looking to turn a profit, that people's reactions such as the one I showed at The Holy Land Experience seem rather inauthentic to me.
@@PoseidonEntertainment And I've heard another podcast go to...i think it was the Holyland Experience. Watching your video made me deeply ponder the idea if whether humor helps in teaching religion. And then yeah, there's the grifting level of hokey. It's all kind of fascinating.
@@PoseidonEntertainment I think it seems off because religion inherently started as a non-profit thing, so turning it into a for profit thing will always result in a bad of dissonance
I went to the Holy Land Experience back in 2011 with my very religious Aunt and Mother and we all walked out disappointed and somewhat offended. I was a Christian at the time as well, but not nearly as devoted my mother or Aunt. We could all see the exploitative nature of the theme park very clearly and it only brought up imagery of Jesus turning over the merchants tables in the temple lol. Their food was also stale, and it made me sick. What’s worse is we went to Florida for a week in Disney World but I got dragged along to the Holy Land experience while my Father and Uncle got to stay behind at Disney World and enjoy a quality park haha. Still, it certainly isn’t the most ridiculous example in this video, so I guess I’ll give it a +1 for that fact alone. Very interesting video!
Wait, was it generic food poisoning or an allergic reaction?
@@DrawciaGleam02 it was food poisoning, it was pretty nasty food. Definitely not worth what we paid for haha
I was raised catholic, but never very seriously. My grandparents always used to put on the ‘Christian channel’ whenever we visited which was basically just Davey and Goliath and veggie tales, but I always remembered seeing ads for the Holy land experience and really wanted to go for some reason despite not even being that religious? Shame to find out it shut down tho :(
Friend and I hit the creation museum and ark on a road trip across the country and youre so right it’s wild, and pitches crazy ideas but damn is it well executed. It’s atmospheric and all the dinosaurs/ dioramas look very cool and I am also a sucker for cheesy atmospheric themed experiences (big Epcot fan as well)
Apparently Jesus taking a whip to the moneychangers in the Temple means nothing to some people.
this was actually a lot more interesting than i expected it to be- honestly i would love to see the creation museum/ark experience myself just to see how wild it is in person, though unfortunately i doubt that'd actually be safe place for me to step foot into. i was just super surprised by the level of theming and how nice it looked overall even if the whole point of those attractions specifically is propaganda.
Beyond the content and intention of these, I do think that they are inherently interesting, just in the quality of their execution. I can't imagine that I could visit a place like this without laughing at every single exhibit I ran across though.
Dude this is fantastic, I remember visiting "The Holy Land" years ago. Might have some old VHS Video of the "Musical" they'd perform. They also had a Rock climbing wall. Though I'd heard that the start of "The Holy Land" was to use the recreation of the Temple as a way to attract Jews who'd see it from the Highway then they'd try to convert them... But it might just be an urban legend.
You might also want to look at something like LOGOS Land (and the Genesis Cafe in Ontario Canada.
Also as a Christian didn't think anything you said was offensive. You may have been too kind at times, but I appreciate the approach hoping for the best exposing the worst.
When i saw that "Tower Of Babel" at the Holy Land, so tiny i thought of that stonehenge scene in "Spinal Tap"
I went to Tierra Santa twice as a kid and it was fun. First with my school and then with some relatives. It beat catequesis and oración by a long shot. I see it more as a way to acquaint children and religion in a way that's not overly preachy and solemn.
Disrepectful, inacuratte, frivoluos, blah, blah, blah. It's, and I cant stress this enough, a place for kids. Anyone who wants a more traditional and reverent take on catholicism can visit any cathedral or something
Ken Ham's attractions, and particularly the Ark Encounter, are a point of personal fascination. The whole young Earth creationism thing strikes me as a fascinating thought experiment, assuming it's not being taken seriously which it unfortunately is by too many people. The Ark Encounter is such a whimsical fun idea, taking this fantastical story and speculating, well, how could we imagine a somewhat plausible way for this to have happened in an alternative history? The moth breeding and feeding system, the animal "kinds" all representing a basal form of modern animals, making Noah, his wife, and his children actual characters with particular jobs and personalities. It's a massive expansion on the story (which according to Ken Ham himself, you're really not supposed to do) to make it an immersive experience. I like all that, I think it's a neat idea, but it's odd to me that anyone would truly take it seriously. At least, any more seriously than that one roadside attraction where it's the Civil War, but with dinosaurs. Fun, somewhat historical fiction, but not more than that.
Highly recommend Gutsick Gibbon's video talking about the Creation Museum, Ark Encounter, and Ark Zoo. She's a primatologist with a lot of knowledge on human evolution, and she does a real great breakdown of the attractions and why young Earth creationism is, to put it kindly, difficult to take seriously and not rooted in the scientific process at all. Also, her little encounter with Ken Ham himself is hysterical to hear about.
I did think it was rather interesting how the Ark starts with a series of panels explaining how artistic license was taken in its portrayal. I'll definitely check out Gibbon though, thanks for the recommendation.
As someoen who has been to a fair few religious locations, I think it's a more about the history and authenticity. A theme park feel like it would make sense for a local school group but not really something to travel around the world for.
Fantastic video such and obscure and interesting topic to cover for a video I also appreciate some of the funny lines in the commentary sprinkled in
I felt that humor was probably the best way to tackle a subject like this.
I've actually been to the hollyland Experience (I was 10 at the time) and as Christian it was a fun time. Not many attractions but the atmosphere was nice. The only thing I remember was the rock wall, the praise and worship and Jesus waking through a group of people passing out gold fish. They did a dramatization of David and Bathsheba and that was pretty good
There were a few more in the 1970's. Bible World (when I find its locale' I'll give you the info) + one more. Jesus was wired for sound. You showed Heritage USA. It pulled in between 5-6 million visitors per year 1978-1986 & was 3rd most visited park in the world behind Walt Disney World. I had "play" designed parks including the one "I" wanted to build. Some "friends" tried to persuade me to make it a "Christian" park. You mentioned "roadside" attractions. Well. Disney surely WAS a most fantastically produced in its 1st & 2nd creations a VERY elaborate roadside attraction! Great video! I still would like to see that ark.
Holyland USA was different from Heritage USA, which I wasn't aware of until people started mentioning it in the comments. I've since found out about a number of other parks which I had failed to find in my research.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Oh! This stuff is hard to find. Did you know of Marco Polo Park in Daytona? I'd love If you'd do a series or episode of failed indoor parks. Sid Marty Krofft is one. Why they mostly never work.
Honestly... If someone made a film about gladiators fighting dinosaurs, I'd watch it.
Love seeing you check out more obscure parks I do like seeing your thoughts on rides though I hope next time i get to hear you break down your thoughts on rides
Like the Soarin' or Dinosaur vs Indiana Jones ones? I thought about doing a comparison between the WDW and DL Pirates attractions. I'm not sure when, but it might be interesting.
i went to the holy land experience once during easter. it was super hot and when we were watching an outdoor show of jesus being crucified i started feeling sick (probably a mixture of the heat and seeing a man being beat to a bloody pulp right in front of me) and my mom tried taking me inside for cool air. i had to walk across the path jesus was gonna walk on and an employee told me i was blocking jesus’ way but my mom said “we need to move or she’s gonna throw up on jesus” and i think that was pretty funny. other then that it was kinda boring, we did a communion thing with a guy dressed as jesus and i accidentally ate the little cracker they gave me before it started cause i thought it was a free snack 💀 that’s all i really remember. the crucifixion show, the gift shop, the little noah’s ark kids playground, and some fountain. i definitely didn’t feel like i was walking where jesus walked. it just seemed so cheap and… meh.
Love this, thanks for covering more than the big parks
Yeah, I'd definitely like to keep the content more diverse in the future. I won't be moving away from Disney or Universal, but I felt that I needed more variety.
Fun Fact: All those theme parks were pretty much exclusively supported by Ned Flanders.
Ken Ham saw the "Time Masheen" scene from Idiocracy and said "Hey, what if I made that real?"
It's so interesting to me...
I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - we have historical sites in our church people like to visit - the Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Nauvoo Illinois and other sites back east...
And it's just nice and simple, you have a visitor's center with some information and such, and then the site itself.
Then you have... whatever the heck these places are.
They're certainly interesting, which is why I wanted to cover them and go in a different direction. Theme parks exist as manifestations of culture and I thought these seemed unique and strange.
@@PoseidonEntertainment I think another interesting phenomenon is patriotic parks, making a sort of monument to a different kind of worship.
how does this channel only have 38k subs I've been binging here and it's top tier content
I think TH-cam has kind of thrown me out of the algorithm, but that's fine because there's a lot of competition. I enjoy this as a hobby.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Hey, I did find your channel in the recommended list from a Yesterworld video so you're not out of it yet!
As an atheist who majored in religious history I found this video very comical
Aye, comical was the tone I was hoping would work. I found many of these places to be rather funny, and I wasn't sure if I could reflect that. Glad to see it worked.
Thanks for making this. When I was a kid my parents took me to half of these. It's interesting to see them in a different light
"Y'all need Jesus. Specifically the $49.99 plushie Christ in our gift shop"
i would say that truly the first jesus theme park is sacro monte di san vivaldo in tuscany. it was built in the 1500s! it has small chapels depicting the final days of jesus’s life and his resurrection. this place was built to become a pilgrimage site and was immensely popular with italian pilgrims who couldn’t make it to actual holy sites.
That's a really interesting bit of information. I've seen that this video has enough interest that I'm strongly considering a successor or Part 2 probably sometime later in the year and you've just given me a really good jumping off point.
@@PoseidonEntertainment there actually a lot more i realized all either called sacro monte or calvary en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvary_(sanctuary)
I lived in Tampa and I've wanted to go to HLE. Thank you for covering it!
When I lived in Tampa, I always thought about driving over for one of their free admission days. Too late I suppose.
We in Argentina have quite a humorous approach to Christianity as evident because of our most infamous animated movie being a parody of the arch of Noah
Dude, I remember going to the Holy Land experience as a kid, but only through old VHS recordings my parents took. It’s like a fever dream that barely happened. I do remember the Creation museum vividly though bc I loved the dinosaurs.