Replica of Noah's Ark
The replica Ark in Kentucky is said to be the largest wooden building in the world Ark Encounters

A religious fundamentalist who believes that Noah took dinosaurs on the Ark is set to open a Christian theme park to the public on 7 July. Employees of Ark Encounters must sign a statement of faith saying that homosexuality is a sin and that the world is 6,000 years old. Scientists believe that planet Earth is at least 4.5bn years old.

"I ask people how do you know the universe is billions of years old? I mean you don't see a label on it," Ham said in a Saturday Night interview.

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He also plans to add a facsimile of The Tower of Babel, a Walled City, a first-century Middle Eastern village, a 1,500-seat restaurant, tourist shop as well as other attractions to the theme park.

Ark Encounter is the biggest wooden structure in the world, according to The West Australian. "I say it's going to make BIG WAVES, as our world-class theme park will attract millions of people from around the world. And yes, it's unashamedly a Christian attraction – but one that all people will be fascinated to visit," Ham wrote on his Facebook page.

The Ark is seven storeys high and around 200m long. Ham believes that more than two million Christians and non-Christians a year will flock to Kentucky when the privately funded Christian establishment opens in July.

The ex-school teacher is the president of Answers in Genesis, and has built the ark replica according to the dimensions recorded in the Bible. He also believes that all of the animals could fit inside the Ark, thanks to God's intervention.

On the Sunday Night programme, scientist and TV presenter Bill Nye said: "It makes your skin crawl that he's able to use these enormous resources, which could have been used for who knows what public good, to influence children in clearly this ludicrous and wrong world view that has to be undone by some of us sooner or later."

Ham is hailed as one of the most influential religious leaders in America's Bible Belt. His multi-million religious empire is found on books, donations from his devout followers and his radio talk show.