A state circuit court in Orlando, Florida has decided that the Christian theme park, Holy Land Experience, is entitled to a property tax exemption as a nonprofit organization, according to a report in Monday's USA Today. The park is operated by Zion's Hope, an organization devoted to converting Jews to Christianity. Previously, the Orange County Property Appraiser's Office had exempted only the park's administrative building and educational facilities. But Judge Cynthia McKinnon, in a July 5 ruling, held that the entire park is tax exempt: "The undisputed evidence before the court is that (Zion's Hope) is using the property to spread what it considers to be God's word to many people at one time."
In a press release yesterday, Liberty Counsel which represented the theme park explained the decision, saying: "The government treads on thin ice when it bifurcates a ministry into what it considers secular and religious activities.... Every aspect of The Holy Land Experience is part and parcel of the religious ministry. The government may not make doctrinal decisions by determining some aspects are central to the religious ministry and some are not. The First Amendment prohibits governmental gerrymandering."
