Kent Hovind

Kent E. Hovind (born 15 January 1953), the self-styled Dr Dino, is an American Young Earth Creationist (YEC) evangelist who is currently offering US$250,000 to anyone who can prove evolution "is the only possible way," that the Universe and life arose, although the offer is widely considered to be spurious. He is the founder of Creation Science Evangelism, his non-profit ministry.

Biography

Hovind was born in 1953. On 9 February 1969, Hovind has said that he "accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior". He graduated from East Peoria High School in 1971. In 1974 he graduated from Midwestern Baptist College with a bachelor's degree in religious education. Hovind is married and has three children and 2 grandchildren.

Related Topics:
1953 - 9 February - 1969 - Jesus - Christ - 1971 - 1974 - Midwestern Baptist College - Bachelor's degree - Religious education

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Between 1975 and 1988 Hovind was a pastor and a high school science teacher. In 1989, Hovind started his Creation Science Evangelism.

Related Topics:
1975 - 1988 - Pastor - High school - Science - 1989

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After the Internet came into common household use, Hovind created his "Dr. Dino" web site and began producing articles and information as well as selling his products — video tapes, books, fossil replicas, etc. — to a mass market. None of his material is copyrighted, and he encourages people to copy his material and distribute it to others. His efficient use of the web site led to increased fame and numerous public speaking engagements. He speaks at hundreds of churches, schools and other venues each year. His audiences often number in the hundreds or even the thousands (for debates). His son, Eric, has lately engaged in similar speaking engagements, although attendance may be much lower for his events.

Related Topics:
Internet - Copyright

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Education

Hovind was awarded a masters's degree and doctorate in "Christian Education" from the unaccredited correspondence school Patriot University (now Patriot Bible University) in 1988 and 1991 respectively.

Related Topics:
Correspondence school - Patriot University - 1991

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Critics of Hovind have charged that Patriot Bible University is a diploma mill (or degree mill), as it has unreasonably low graduation requirements, lack of sufficient faculty or educational standards, and a suspicious tuition scheme, among other issues. The university has varied its policies over the years, and no longer offers the Ph.D. Hovind received. However, their current policies allow students to attain bachelor's degrees, master's degrees and even "Doctor of Ministry" degrees in months, rather than years, for about $45 per month (the university offers a monthly fee, unlike most universities, which only charge per-credit feeshttp://www.patriotuniversity.com/financial.htm). The University itself has claimed that it simply does not "choose" to be accredited by standard associations.http://www.patriotuniversity.com/accreditation.htm Patriot Bible University is authorized to operate as a Bible College and to legally issue religious degrees by the State of Colorado Higher Education Commission.

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Hovind has made a number of statements about both the topic and length of his dissertation which critics who received copies of it from Patriot have criticized as being deliberately deceptive.http://home.austarnet.com.au/stear/bartelt_dissertation_on_hovind_thesis.htm The paper appears to be well below college-level material in many respects. Also, it fails to fit the description Hovind ascribes to it as a thesis on teaching evolution in public schools. Hovind himself has claimed that he has continued to modify it over the course of a decade and refers only to the "final" version of it, not the one for which he received his Ph.D.

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As a result of Patriot Bible University's status and his allegedly poor thesis, his educational credentials are often dismissed by opponents. While he uses the title "Doctor", many of his critics decline to acknowledge the title. Hovind says that if people don't like his education, they can call him whatever they like, including "Mr." and "Hey you." Hovind claims his critics are more out to attack him and his credentials rather than his arguments pertaining to creation and evolution.

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Tax Evasion

In 1996 Hovind unsuccessfully filed for bankruptcy to avoid paying federal income taxes. Hovind was found to have lied about his possessions and incomehttp://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/hovind-decision.html. He claimed that as a minister of God everything he owns belonged to God and he is not subject to paying taxes to the United States on the money he received for doing God's work (citing US tax code §508(c)(1)(a)). The court ordered him to pay the money and supported the IRS view that Hovind's claim "was filed in bad faith for the sole purpose of avoiding payment of federal income taxes." In the ruling, the judge called Hovind's arguments "patently absurd." The judge also noted that "the IRS has no record of the debtor ever having filed a federal income tax return," although this was not the court's reason for denying the bankruptcy claim.

Related Topics:
1996 - Bankruptcy - Income tax - God - IRS

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On May 13, 1998, Hovind and his wife attempted to evade all responsibility for any previous promises, debts, or legal agreements made prior to April 15, 1998, by filing a document called "Power of Attorney and Revocation of Signature"http://205.152.130.14/or_1b.asp?uinstr=1998483189 with the Escambia County Clerk of Courts. The document reads, in part: "I/we do hereby revoke and make void... all signatures on any instruments...". The Hovinds claimed they had signed government documents "due to the use of various elements of fraud and misrepresentations, duress, coercion, under perjury, mistake, 'bankruptcy'."

Related Topics:
May 13 - 1998 - April 15 - Escambia County

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In the document, the Hovinds argue that Social Security is essentially a "Ponzi scheme" (though this itself is not an entirely novel accusation).The Hovinds referred to the United States Government as "the 'bankrupt' corporate government" and said they were revoking their United States citizenship, saying they were each "a natural citizen of 'America' and a natural sojourner." They referred to their home state of Florida as "the State of Florida Body-Politic Corporation." Judges and the IRS did not appear to honor this as a legally relevant document in future decisions.

Related Topics:
Ponzi scheme - United States Government - United States citizenship - Judge

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In 2001 Hovind started Dinosaur Adventure Land, a YEC-theme park in Pensacola, Florida.

Related Topics:
2001 - Dinosaur Adventure Land - Theme park - Pensacola - Florida

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In 2002 Hovind was again in trouble for not paying his taxes, and unsuccessfully sued the United States Internal Revenue Service for harassment. In 2004, IRS agents raided Hovind's home and business to confiscate financial records. IRS agent Scott Schneider said none of Hovind's businesses had a business license, nor tax-emempt status. The Associated Press quoted Schneider as saying "Since 1997, Hovind has engaged in financial transactions indicating sources of income and has made deposits to bank accounts well in excess of $1 million per year during some of these years, which would require the filing of federal income taxes."http://www.sptimes.com/2004/04/18/State/Biblical_theme_park_s.shtml On June 3 2004, the IRS issued tax lienshttp://www.clerk.co.escambia.fl.us/ of $504,957.24 against Hovind and his son and their businesses. A separate lien was filed for each, due to previous legal maneuverings on the part of the elder Hovind to evade taxation by moving property between himself, his son, and other legal entities.

Related Topics:
2002 - 2004 - Business - June 3 - Lien

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