Kent Hovind

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Kent Hovind's mugshot.
Kent Hovind's mugshot.

Kent "Dr. Dino" Hovind is a very influential young Earth creationist from Pensacola, Florida.

Hovind was the head of Creation Science Evangelism, a creationist activist group with a young Earth creationist and dominionist point of view, and also operated a small museum and amusement park known as "Dinosaur Adventure Land". In April 2006, during the runup to Hovind's trial for tax evasion, much of the park was shut down due to Hovind's refusal to secure a building permit. [1]


Contents

[edit] All you need to know

There is a broader, perhaps slightly less biased, article on Wikipedia about Kent Hovind

He constantly promotes himself as "Dr. Dino," even though his Ph.D. (i) is from a diploma mill[2], and (ii) is in "Christian education," a topic that has nothing to do with dinosaurs. He lists himself as "Dr." in the Pensacola phone book, unusual for someone without an M.D.

[edit] $250,000 challenge

For those living in an alternative reality, Conservapedia has an "article" about Kent Hovind

He is well known for his "250,000 Dollar Challenge", in which he states that he will pay $250,000 to anyone that can prove evolution. Much doubt has been raised as to whether the money exists or whether the challenge is legit. The challenge is based on a definition of "evolution" that includes the scientifically separate fields of abiogenesis and cosmology and bears only a superficial resemblance to what scientific theory actually says. Hovind has offered no way to independently verify the existence of the jackpot (James Randi's diametrically opposed Million Dollar Challenge, for example, will give out information on the JREF's prize account at Goldman Sachs upon request), and he has not revealed the names of his board of selected challenge judges, making their objectivity and bona fides impossible to verify.

Specifically, in order to win his "evolution" challenge Hovind sets these conditions:[3]

NOTE: When I use the word evolution, I am not referring to the minor variations found in all of the various life forms (microevolution). I am referring to the general theory of evolution which believes these five major events took place without God:
  • 1. Time, space, and matter came into existence by themselves.
  • 2. Planets and stars formed from space dust.
  • 3. Matter created life by itself.
  • 4. Early life-forms learned to reproduce themselves.
  • 5. Major changes occurred between these diverse life forms (i.e., fish changed to amphibians, amphibians changed to reptiles, and reptiles changed to birds or mammals).
Note that only #4 and #5 are actually germane to evolution to begin with; #1 is a matter of cosmology, #2 is astrophysics, and #3 is a separate field of biology known as abiogenesis. Note also that Hovind phrases much of his challenge in a vaguely anthropomorphic manner, apparently implying intentional causation where science assumes none. Whether this is intentional or not is unknown, but it is certainly misleading.

[edit] Current ministry

He is currently serving a 10-year jail sentence for 58 tax related charges; Hovind is known to be a fan of numerous anti-government conspiracy theories and has also shown strong indications of being a supporter of anti-Semitism, and generated a fair amount of confusion and giggling when, at his arraignment, he attempted to enter a plea of "subornation of false muster", apparently an obsolete military term meaning "being ordered to say you showed up at roll call when you weren't actually there". At the time no one knew what the hell he was talking about, and many brains were permanently warped trying to figure out even that much. Needless to say, he (and his wife, also up on similar charges) was easily convicted and sentenced; while a significant number of evangelical supporters claim that he is being persecuted and want him set free, this looks highly unlikely.

He still blogs from his cell by way of written notes carried by family and supporters, and has taken to writing self-aggrandizing "knee-mail" dialogues between himself and God; independent observers have noted that his writing has started to look rather unhinged as of December 2007.

[edit] Qualifications

Hovind graduated from Patriot Bible University - an auspicious degree for any enterprising huckster.[4] The preceding cite may make the University look like little more than a trailer. In the interest of balance, we cite Patriot Bible University's own reply.[5] People who have reviewed his doctoral dissertation, which Hovind claims is on the dangers of teaching evolution to children[6], have remarked that it is of substandard quality, with spelling mistakes and poor grammar.[7]

[edit] The Hovind Scale

Kent unwittingly lent his name to the Hovind [8], a unit of measurement which evaluates statements for kookery; speaking roughly, 0 is the score for a scientifically valid statement, 100 is the score for a lie that isn't even wrong. 1 Hovind is approximately equal to 0.38 Schlaflys under the old imperial system of measurement, still used in the US except in scientific and military contexts.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ↑ During a hearing, Hovind was mocked by the local county commissioner with the infamous line "Scripture also says 'Render unto Caesar what Caesar demands.' And right now, Caesar demands a building permit."
  2. ↑ Barbara Forrest. September 1999. Unmasking the False Prophet of Creationism. from the National Center for Science Education
  3. ↑ http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/hovind.html
  4. ↑ The Daily Kos on Kent Hovind, here.
  5. ↑ Patriot Bible University's blistering, poorly-designed rebuttal of the preceding footnote is on their website.
  6. ↑ Karen Bartlett, PhD reviewed Mr. Hovind's thesis and wrote "NONE of the four chapters of the document (address) this subject"
  7. ↑ Karen Bartlett, PhD The Dissertation Kent Hovind Doesn't Want You to Read
  8. ↑ [1]
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