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jesus world :Orlando – c h i e f y

c h i e f y

Member

Posts: 415
From: Surrey, United Kingdom
Registered: 03-07-2002
for $29.99 enter the 'Gate Of Jeruselem' at "Jesus World" in Orlando Florida, building began just 18 months ago!

Olivia Stewart-Liberty was the first brit to make the pilgramage to this huge new THEME PARK, which is just off the interstate 4 at Exit 78

anybody plan a tour? Who's near Florida? "A roped path leads down the hill to a cave. A large stone has been rolled to one side. but "He's not here, for HE has risen!" is proclaimed on the wall"

it's not a joke, it's SERIOUS, piped music abounds and a hill with three black crosses sets the tone outside with a market scene

from the photographs in the newspaper .... Marv seems to have made a reasonable 'job' of all this!!

Not far away "Herod's temple" and in case you're getting rather hungry it's JESUS WORLD's version of MacDonalds, "Goliath Burgers!" for $6.50! from the Oasis Palms Cafe

Suddenly a bedraggled man hobbles out hands outstretched "He is blind" somebody explains
"Jesus son of David!!" a cry goes out as miraculously "Jesus" attends the scene
As "Jesus" places his hands on the man's forehead "I can see! I can see!" The crowd gasps and "Jesus" turns to them holding a white dove "Why do you worry about your lives, food, clothes? Consider the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or stow way in barns." He turns and produces a lamb from a bush

The crucifixtion is re-enacted at 2.45pm and is very authentic, does anybody have a link to this theme park, there's no website in the news article (dated 22 June 03)

This place is the £10million "Holy Land Experience" Set up by ex-Marine Marv Rosenthal, apparently aiming to "challenge" Disney's domination of the tourist trade, their next planned attraction is a FULL SIZED "Noah's Ark"

is this a good thing or a bad thing? What are Marv Rosenthal's motives here??

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ENTER the chiefyDUNGEON

ArchAngel

Member

Posts: 3450
From: SV, CA, USA
Registered: 01-29-2002
hmmmmm... when I was a kid, I made this huge plan of a Christian theme park. haha, oh gosh. I had fun designing it.
my point in saying that. well, there's none. okay, well one. It's not an idea that was unheard of. people tried it before, like this one guy. uh, forgot his name, but he was a famous evangelist or something. His park didn't go up due to some scandals or "questionable" finicial practices.

I personally don't know Marv's motives. Could be good, could not. I really don't know enough.

To be honest, I'm skeptical of it. I'm not wondering if it's bad, just cheezy.

As I am skeptical, I also am interested in it. But not now, cuz I'm too tired. ciao.

here are two links I found on it:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/004/34.101.html
http://www.tenth.org/wowdir/wow2001-05-06.htm

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c h i e f y

Member

Posts: 415
From: Surrey, United Kingdom
Registered: 03-07-2002
Arch thanks for the links my friend

I loaded the second which is VERY interesting, a very good read indeed - have a look, I liked the part about planning a hologram of "Jesus walking on water"

this determination to bring the "word of God" to the ppl MAY prove pretty expensive though
when Olivia Stewart-Liberty visited - she drove into the enormous car park, to find a couple of battered vans from evangelical organisations such as "Johnny's Baptist Ministry" and a few shabby cars
SHE HAD THE PLACE TO HERSELF!

I bet she wished that she could do that at "Gatorland" eh? (Gatorland? That's a new one on me, I saw it in the list quoted in LINK2! )

Arch you're sceptical - I don't blame you but what about "spreading the word of God" ?
This Marv seems to have done a "serious" job - from the photos printed in the UK's "Mail on Sunday"

would anybody GO if they were passing through Florida?

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ENTER the chiefyDUNGEON

GUMP

Member

Posts: 1335
From: Melbourne, FL USA
Registered: 11-09-2002
Mr. Rosenthal is a Messianic Jew and from the two times I've talked to him I see no reason to question his motives.

I've been to the "Holy Land Experience" 3 times now, the Scriptorium was opened last year and that is why I went back again for a third time. I may go back again for their special Christmas presentation.

BTW, there are not any real "rides" at this moment, only shows. It would be nice if in the future they add some "Holy Rollers" or something... maybe a rock climbing wall entitled "Climbing Mt. Sinai with Moses"?

www.holylandexperience.com

[This message has been edited by GUMP (edited June 24, 2003).]

TheManFromGanymede
Member

Posts: 14
From: Boulder, CO
Registered: 06-21-2003
hmm... There's no "raised eye-brow" smiley.

Anyways, I think I might be a bit skeptical too. On one hand, teaching the Gospel is a good thing. On the other hand, it seems to... cheapen it all, I guess. Seeing Jesus as a guy in a costume at a small amusement park rather than as a personal savior who you can know in reality, for example.

I can't truly speak to another person's motives, but I think that doing this for money would be a bad investment, and the park itself is too expensive for Marv not to be taking it very seriously. I would guess that he sincerely wants to evangelize.

I might stop by if I were already in Florida. I'm not sure if I could convice my wife to go, though.

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ArchAngel

Member

Posts: 3450
From: SV, CA, USA
Registered: 01-29-2002
yeah, my scepticism is very similar to theManfromGanymede's.

Yeah, and I probably would stop by if I was in Orlando...

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c h i e f y

Member

Posts: 415
From: Surrey, United Kingdom
Registered: 03-07-2002
wehay GUMP has met Rosenthal twice!

now that I have read GUMP's info and www.holylandexperience.com I think Marv is a genuine person no doubt

he cannot be motivated by commercial reasons, you only have to read about the lack of numbers attending to see that Marv must be RICH to sustain the running costs (it has to be running at a loss SURELY ) and is obviously a man who - like ArchAngel - once had a "vision" - he has thought about this a very long time

at some stage Marv has had the FINANCE to do it, GUMP is right though, the addition of a few "rides" could tip the balance and get some moderate attendance figures for him, BUT like Ganymedster says .... is this cheapening it all ?

What would poor old Marv say to that? the bloke - I think - is a sincere guy and by now must have heard every joke and insult in the book, good luck to him I say if I'm ever in Florida I will definitely call in !

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chiefyDUNGEON CLOSES on July 1, 2003 it's just getting TOO scary in there!

ArchAngel

Member

Posts: 3450
From: SV, CA, USA
Registered: 01-29-2002
whoa... I missed that little part about Gump meeting Rosenthal... cool!
Yeah, from what I read, he seemed to havef good motives.. (e.g. the cost to enter was just enough to pay the cost of the park.)
I do hope, tho, that attendence will pick up.
Yeah, I bet there were some major obstacles. There are for every christian ventures.

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c h i e f y

Member

Posts: 415
From: Surrey, United Kingdom
Registered: 03-07-2002
actually if you think where that place is, next to Gatorland, Disneyland etc etc, all those places are totally crowded out with mind boggling queues, you spend more time queuing than ANYTHING ELSE......

but I think Rosenthal's holy experience may prove a refreshing change on that score, if nothing else

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from your old mate
c h i e f y
global chiefy to yer old seafarin' seadog maties

Crptc_Prgrmr

Member

Posts: 169
From:
Registered: 02-05-2002
This is all interesting. Perhaps people should stop using the term "amusement park" and instead of fitting it in a box see what it has to offer. If it doesn't have a single "ride", and consists of plays and re-enactments, it's hard for me to see how this all would cheapen anything in anyway (and I believe rides could be done in a way that provides fun while not dishonoring God, just as vegitables can play the parts of biblical characters without cheapening it).

Sadly on the other hand, I would say that most Churches are doing an excellent job of cheapening Christianity, as Spurgeon said, Everywhere there is Apathy. Nobody cares whether what is preached is true or false. A sermon is a sermon whatever the subject: only the shorter it is, the better.

Down in Texas one place had a replica of an empty tomb, you can't imagine what an affect just looking at something like that can have, as a young boy I just stood there and imagined what it must have been like to see that, and better yet to see a dead guy come walking out. It's not about the objects themselves, it's about the story that really happened. If you can awaken that sense of mystified joy, I'd say you're doing alright.

I'm excited about the museum AiG is building, that should be a real something to see, though it's a distance from our area. Buddy Davis is one of the best (The Best from what I've seen) taxonimists/archeologists/sculpturists to work with dinosaurs, I've seen his T-Rex heads twice, so just seeing his work would be worth it, just the full-size-full-body-T-Rex would be enough. I've been to two creation-based museums, ICR's in California and one in Texas, but this will have a little more to look at.

Anyway, just my thoughts...

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There's a difference you know, 'tween having faith and playing make-believe. One will make you grow, the other one just makes you sleep...

Faith without works is like a song you can't sing, it's about as useless as a screendoor on a submarine...
(Rich Mullins)