Unless I have missed something somewhere, local and state media coverage of the recently announced "plan" to build a monster theme park in the Shoals seems to have missed a significant aspect of the background of this venture and the company and its associations with certain dubious commercial religious enterprises. The link below describes the company's founder, Rick Silaskas, as having had certain religio-mystical experiences, including a miraculous restoration of his unexplainably once-lost ability to "create music." The occasion reported in the link is a meeting of the "Christian Media Association" at North Church, a fundamentalist, tongue-speaking and who-knows-what-else megachurch in Carrollton, Texas. The article was written by Cheryl Wicker, a professional shill, and one not to be taken in any sense as a legitimate journalist.
http://christianmovieconnect.c...ement-at-cma-dallas/
Here is the account of Rick Silanskas'' alleged amazing personal history:
"However, following 9-11 he unexpectedly lost the ability to create music. God miraculously restored his gift and allowed him to compose a piece of music that is being used by the Bereavement Program of the Pentagon to bring healing to those who have lost a family member in the war."
Silaskas purports to have had a dream of a little Russian girl, following which, with great effort, he tracked her down and adopted her, later memorializing the rescue of this waif in a book and movie.
<<<Rick’s story of success cannot be told without telling the account of a little Russian girl who reached out to him from a run-down basement in his dreams one night. He awoke from the dream determined to find and rescue the little girl. In his own dramatic style, Rick related to the CMA audience this quest, which involved engaging a police sketch artist to draw the face of the little girl in his dream and then searching all over Eastern Europe until he found her… and adopted her. This is told in the touching documentary, “Nadia’s Story,” which Rick showed at the meeting, and in the book “Unshakable.”
* * * *
The dream that launched a search for a scared little girl will also launch DreamVision with a full length animated musical motion picture, “Anna” telling the true story of Nadia and featuring DreamVision’s “emotionally-driven” CGI animation. Also in the works is a mystery/thriller drama “Unshakable” based on Rick’s book, and a syndicated animated TV series, “Anna and Friends.”>>>
The host church for this event, the "North Church", includes this within its online statement of beliefs:
"The baptism of the Holy Spirit as a separate, distinct experience subsequent to salvation providing enduement [SIC] of the power for life and service, normally accompanied by speaking in tounges [SIC]"
http://northchurch.org/pages/statement-of-faith/
The description of this meeting at North Church states that, "The meeting was hosted by Bob Higley, VP of Marketing at TBN"
"TBN" for those who need reminding, is the Trinity Broadcasting network, the international cable TV company headed up by the infamous Crouch clan of televangelist hucksters (featuring the pink-haired Jan Crouch) and featuring such charlatans as the phony faith healer, Benny Hinn and numerous proponents of the heretical "prosperity gospel" (Send ME your money and God will bless YOU").
You can hear Silanskas' "keynote address"- sermon/-testimony by clicking on the link at the end of the article.
BE VERY CAREFUL! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzH7AyYGDks