One of the backers of the proposed Bible Theme Park USA in Murfreesboro is a very successful businessman but was once more known for his photographs of cover girls and “Pets of the Month” for Penthouse Magazine.
Amnon Bar-Tur’s photographs graced the covers of at least one other adult magazine and spanning from the late 60s to the early 80s. Amnon Bar-Tur is in his element bringing big money to big deals. According to the proposed park’s website, Bible Park USA will be a “park that brings the Bible to life through well-loved, familiar stories and ancient historical experiences.”
Amnon has a keen sense for business and made Hard Rock Park a reality, but in the late 60s, 70s and 80s he had a good eye for something entirely different. Amnon, it turns out, is somewhat famous to those who now collect his work published in the pages of Penthouse Magazine. Several editions throughout the early 1970s featuring Amnon’s cover girls and Pets of the Month go for as much as $30 online. Editions of Club, a more hard core adult magazine featuring Bar-Tur’s work, now go for as much as $300. It is not clear what the impact, if any, this news will have on supporters of Bible Theme Park USA. but it does raise one very important question. How much due diligence have county commissioners and supporters done when a simple Google search would have revealed this and more?
It’s just business, and the business of religion is very lucrative.
The one industry that trumps porn in profits and that is religion. It would be wonderful if he can do all this under tax protected status, too.
All he has to do is wear a rain collector hat, get a pope name tag and build sleeping quarters in the park.
Gwydd’s handiwork, in all its Glory. Gwydd made dogs, and pussies too. Praise Him. Praise Him every day.
If you check, I think you’ll find the whole idea of the American biblical movement is to recruit and convert sinners.
RBG
If you check, I think you’ll find the whole idea of any religious movement is to recruit members who will tithe.
If you check, I think you’ll find the whole idea of any religious movement is to recruit members who will tithe, follow without question, and do the bidding of their priests.
Awww…come on… Doesn’t America love a repentant sinner??? 🙂
Well, Luther wrecked a good thing when the church lost indulgences. Now it’s pay-as-you-go. You think forbidden fruit grows on trees?
RBG
My question, will the park’s program have a burning bush centerfold?
Was that a little over the top?
Ofcourse America loves a repentant sinner but churches don’t like to have them on the payroll. I know someone who worked at a church. She had an affair and was getting a divorce. The pastor asked her not to return to work at the church.
Sinners can tithe but don’t punch the clock at a church and make any bad moral judgements.
Seems there’s a trend of Jews trying cash in on ignorant Christians… Amnon Bar-Tur… meet Ben Stein…
More than anything… I want this Simpson’s Gag to become reality.
I want this park built.
I want this testament to the absurdity of all humanity to stand proudly as a warning beacon to the universe to never, ever, come down here.
Jesus Fucking Christ.
The bullshit some people will chose to care about is staggering.
Obviously, people who have any interest in sex have no place in religion of any kind.
Or blogging, for that matter…
Ask any Puritan.
All I can say is:
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked?
J/P=?
The image reminds me of an old Far Side comic with Noah on the ark saying, “Well, so much for the unicorns. From now on, all carnivores will be confined to ‘C’ deck.”
10. OFTLO. That said, meet you again at this year’s Gay Parade?
RBG
“Well, so much for the unicorns.
I thought they drown because they were frolicking?
That’s what the song said.
J/P=?
Tithes? Was it Valentine Michael Smith (in “Stranger From A Strange Land”) who was introduced to the Catholic church wherein the bars and slot machines were raking in the big bucks?
>> Dallas said,
>> The one industry that trumps porn in profits and that is religion. It would be wonderful if he can do all this under tax protected status, too.
I don’t deny that too many religious organizations misuse the religious non-profit status. In my experience, they are an extreme minority.
I’ve been affiliated with a number of churches and religious organizations and NONE of them were violating the rules that I ever was aware of. Furthermore, they weren’t even breaking the spirit of the law — nobody was getting high salaries, no lavish parties or other perks.
And — importantly — they spent a significant portion of their budget feeding the poor, funding orphanages, agricultural projects, etc, etc.
Any homeless person can knock on my current churches door and get food, clothing etc. Furthermore, we are major partner in an inner-city kitchen where we feed HUNDREDS of meals a day.
How many porno outfits do that?
Bible park. I thought that was in the middle east.
Middle West.
RBG