Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
The Worldnutdaily has a fawning article -- yes, it's an exclusive -- declaring Kent Hovind to be a victim of anti-Christian persecution rather than the more accurate willful felon and fraud that he actually is. How fawning? Try this:
So successful was his ministry, he built a dinosaur theme park in Florida, his videos of his presentations were a delight to thousands, he hosted a radio program and was in demand as a speaker 52 weeks a year.
He was so successful that he built a dinosaur theme park! That sounds so much better than "he put some wooden cutouts of dinosaurs in his backyard and charged admission to every yokel who could afford bus fare to reach the place."
Kent Hovind's followers, however, contend he was prosecuted because of his religious convictions - and because he was so effective in exposing what he calls "the big lie of evolution."This month, Hovind is appealing his case to the U.S. Supreme Court after a final rejection Feb. 25 by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta.
And he has no shot whatsoever of winning that appeal. The 11th circuit panel that confirmed his conviction included Judge William Pryor, a religious righter and staunch conservative. Is he part of the conspiracy too?
The Hovinds' ministry was launched in 1989 with the aim of winning people to faith in Jesus Christ through debunking evolution and presenting evidence for divine creation. Kent Hovind has offered $250,000 to anyone offering sufficient proof of Darwinian evolution. Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, author of "The God Delusion," has refused to debate Hovind, insisting the biblical creationist's work is not science at all and that science is advanced through systematic inquiry rather than debate.
Ah, that infamous $250,000 offer. A total fraud. I have challenged Hovind for years to prove any empirical statement using the same criteria he uses for his challenge. He hasn't accepted it and he never will because he knows he will lose.
An evangelical organization with similar aims, Answers in Genesis, has distanced itself from some of Hovind's teachings. An exchange between AIG's Ken Ham and Hovind began in 2003 when AIG published a list of Arguments We Think Creationists Should Not Use." Hovind saw many of his arguments in the list and responded to Ham. Asked about the outcome, Eric Hovind told WND Answers in Genesis "has done a great job of reminding creationists to be accountable for what we teach, and for that I'm grateful."
Wow. Talk about bullshit. Hovind, to the surprise of no one that knows him, refused to admit that any of the arguments that even AIG said were dishonest and false were problematic. Hovind's ignorance and dishonesty are utterly impenetrable. He can look you right in the eye and tell a baldfaced lie with total confidence.
But here's my favorite part:
In 2001, Hovind opened the biblical creation theme park, Dinosaur Adventure Land. The park and merchandise sales brought in more than $5 million from 1999 to March 2004, according to records presented at his 2006 trial.Hovind argues he took a vow of poverty as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ and, therefore, owns nothing and receives no income. All of his needs are taken care of by the ministry, he explains.
"I took a vow of poverty. The fact that I live like a king with millions in donations does not conflict with that vow for special, lucky, magic reasons that a heathen like you wouldn't understand."
Eric Hovind said his mother is "a duck out of water" in prison, even among the Christians there, as a woman who has remained faithful to her husband and "never gone out and partied.""She wouldn't obviously desire this, but she understands God works everything for good," he said. "We understand that God's hand is sovereign and perfect. And while we don't understand, we will trust his hand. And we will walk by faith, 'OK, God, how do you want to get glory out of me today? I don't get this, I don't understand this, but, OK, you get glory somehow."
I love the fact that they continually claim that all of this is only happening because God wants it to, for some purpose they can't discern, while simultaneously claiming that they're being persecuted unfairly.
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Comments
Posted by: Squiddhartha | June 3, 2009 9:37 AM
Posted by: Taz | June 3, 2009 9:47 AM
You know, I could understand if they were just tax protesters. I really could!
But the religious persecution is just nonsense. The case against Hovind is so cut-and-dry, and religion doesn't even enter into the equation.
I think what they want to do is make a martyr out of ol' Kent. That's the funny thing about fundies. They can't seem to decide of they're being oppressed or if their the majority. When they're in control, then majority rules is okay (see Prop 8), but when the tables are turned on them, then they're oppressed.
Which is it, fundies? Which is it?
They should just bulldoze Dinosaur Adventure Land and replace it with Bob Bakker Land or something.
Posted by: TV's Mr. Neil | June 3, 2009 9:56 AM
Nice to see Kent's videos and presentation were a delight to thousands.
Well firstly, how exactly did they delight those thousands (of people? dogs, bacterium?). Was it because it was so howlingly bathetic? Because is made a great door-stop, fuel for a school boiler? How WND, How?.
Secondly, here at the arse end of the world if a TV show doesn't pull in over 1M in mainland capitals, it's yanked on commercial TV. Thousands (presumably of people, although with WND it's best not to jump to conclusions) is a pretty piss-poor effort for over 20-odd years of work.
If that's the best WND can do for success, failure must be truly woeful. - DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | June 3, 2009 10:21 AM
@dingojack
Well his videos certainly delighted me. The first time I watched one of them I laughed so hard that I nearly wet myself.
Posted by: GBM | June 3, 2009 11:20 AM
Oh, Christ...the IRS has taped conversations between Hovind and his son discussing how to hide tax revenues from the Feds. They were presented as evidence at Hovind's trial, and are a matter of public record.
Kent is guilty as sin, no pun intended.
And WorldNut playing the Christian persecution card in his name is pathetic.
Posted by: CHV | June 3, 2009 11:40 AM
I think they've never considered that maybe, just maybe, God's mysterious ways include giving them enough rope.
Posted by: Jon Lester | June 3, 2009 11:51 AM
GMB -
Well yes, I imagined it would be completely hilarious for all the 'wrong' reasons*!
That Kent thinks you will be one of those he 'saved', truly is pathetic, on his part.
CHV -
OH I'm sure all those early christian martyrs were mere tax-dodgers too! [/snark]
Kent Horvind: sullying the Christian brand since time immemorial! - DJ
___________
*Bathetic - having the property of bathos.
Bathos - A ludicrous descent from the sublime to the ridiculous. Unintentionally risible. Insincerely emotional & manipulative. Trite, pedestrian & banal.
Posted by: DingoJack | June 3, 2009 12:14 PM
I understand that he's guilty and I think that he should have paid his taxes but since we're bashing people why don't we talk about all of the people who used scientific atheism to hurt people (Stalin, Lenin, Mao). I'd much rather find myself guilty of not paying taxes than guilty of murdering those who opposed me.
Posted by: Daniel R. Jennings | June 3, 2009 12:45 PM
At the risk of pushing this thread off topic but I have to say this, Daniel R. Jennings is an idiot. There was nothing scientific about Stalin, Lenin or Mao. They did not murder because of atheism. They murdered because they were trying to seize and hold on to power.
Jennings, you do not have an argument. Also, your attempt to deflect from the topic at hand is sad. Now be a good little worm and burrow back into your hole.
Posted by: Janine | June 3, 2009 1:09 PM
"God's mysterious ways include giving them enough rope."
Indeed: god's purpose not so mysterious. god's message to fundies: you are fucking idiots.
Posted by: Moopheus | June 3, 2009 1:10 PM
Sorry, I forgot to close the tag at scientific.
Posted by: Janine | June 3, 2009 1:11 PM
First explain exactly what you mean by "scientific atheism" and include how it differs from other forms of atheism. Then explain exactly how these tyrants used what you defined to hurt people, and how their ability to do so depended on it.
But hey, if it makes you happy: Stalin, Lenin, and Mao were authoritarian assholes who should rot in hell, if there was one. Feel better, now?
Posted by: Taz | June 3, 2009 1:19 PM
Daniel, what's your point? That just because at least three dictators existed, we shouldn't care about Hovind?
Posted by: JakeS | June 3, 2009 3:27 PM
There are plenty of examples of dictators who were religious who did the same as Lenin, Stalin, and Mao. Hitler is a good example of a leader who used religion as justification for his actions (among others including warping science). Read Machiavelli if you think they are a new phenomenon or that their behavior has anything to do with atheism and not their obsession with power.
Posted by: Noadi | June 3, 2009 3:57 PM
Uh, wait. They're trying to win people to faith by presenting evidence?
To quote a well-known and beloved Spaniard, I don't think that word means what they think it means.
Posted by: Russell Stewart | June 3, 2009 3:58 PM
Daniel R. Jennings stated:
Science is descriptive, not prescriptive, it doesn't tell you to do anything.
There is zero empirical evidence that the tyrants you mention harmed people due to atheism; instead the empirical evidence argues overwhelming the common thread between them and their acts and other tyrants is adherence and use of authoritarianism, a tool used more frequently by those who are religious. Atheists tend to be more libertarian regarding their civil rights and reject authoritarianism, including secular and non-secular authoritarians.
I realize this meme is still popular in evangelical circles in spite of the fact that any high school kid who got a decent grade in their history classes would know different. Rick Warren constantly expresses this; however, like much of what fundamentalists and evangelicals claim to their sheeple to encourage them to avoid the consideration of other worldviews, it's simply not true.
Posted by: Michael Heath | June 3, 2009 4:10 PM
Breaking news just in:
God whips up a hurricane to destroy New Orleans but cannot be bothered to stop persecution of Hovind.
Intercessory deity promises to answer your devout prayers, but tells Hovind to pound sand.
Posted by: carey | June 3, 2009 4:22 PM
"I understand that he's guilty and I think that he should have paid his taxes but since we're bashing people why don't we talk about all of the people who used scientific atheism to hurt people (Stalin, Lenin, Mao). I'd much rather find myself guilty of not paying taxes than guilty of murdering those who opposed me."
Interestingly, none of the above were particularly scientific; AFAIK all were Lysenkoists because it was politically convenient. For example Mao was willing to indulge in a fantasy world where the fact that farms were run by communists added some metaphysical property that allowed them to suddenly start producing triple the amount of food. The idiotic planning that flowed from beliefs like this led to one of the worst famines in modern history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Years_of_Natural_Disasters
Anyway the point is that not one single non-theist who comments here would defend the view that simply rejecting theism is sufficient for being a good person, but the rejection of magical thinking is still better than retaining it. Hovind is a fraud who made his money encouraging stupid people to pretend that reality doesn't exist, and I am glad he is in prison.
____________________________________________________________
Bathetic, huh? Learn something new every day, I guess. thnx
Posted by: GBM | June 4, 2009 3:28 AM
So before we criticise anyone, we have to reaffirm that we hate Stalin? What the fuck?
Posted by: Der Bruno Stroszek | June 4, 2009 4:33 AM
Let's see. Kent Hovind doesn't pay his taxes and he goes to jail for ten years. Tim Geittner doesn't pay his taxes and he becomes Secretary of the Treasury and put in charge of the IRS. Am I the only one who sees the discrepancy here? Seems to me that there is something else in play here.
Posted by: Glenn Wolf | June 7, 2009 6:20 PM
The similarities between the cases are good enough for a snarky one-liner on late night TV, but little else. When Geithner's tax issues came to light, he paid up. Contrast that with Hovind's chosen course of action.
Posted by: DaveL | June 7, 2009 8:24 PM
It is very Interesting how you jump on the band wageon to prove God is wrong. Kent did tell the truth and he is being persecuted for that. the IRS is illegal it is your donation. This is just the beginning and your willful ignorance does not scare me. I am very comfortable with the world of the Bible KJV
Posted by: Shirley Maggiacomo | June 23, 2009 7:50 PM
You know what??????? We sure have a lot of crimes out there that really do deserve our time and attention alot more than this one., We are paying for his time in jail for what is actually government fraud and the IRS is not even responsible for accountability. oh but we all are?? Hmmmmmmmm interesting maybe we shoud come out against them.
Come on people you may not agree with his religious beliefs but are you really concerned about his non profit deductions harming you ? I am more worried about the IRS and what they are doing with our money. Who is really the cheater???
Posted by: Shirley Maggiacomo | December 7, 2009 4:31 AM
Shirley Maggiacomo "Come on people you may not agree with his religious beliefs but are you really concerned about his non profit deductions harming you ?"
The point is, he's not ripping off those no-goodniks at the IRS; he's ripping you off. If he pays none, you pay more.
"I am more worried about the IRS and what they are doing with our money."
I assume they're passing it to the government. Okay, some of it goes to hookers and coke, but the same could be said about Hovind's income.
"Who is really the cheater???"
Just because you don't like paying taxes (to the nefarious IRS) doesn't mean that taxes don't need to be paid.
Posted by: Modusoperandi | December 7, 2009 4:53 AM
Hovind is a classic tax protester and was taking positions with regard to taxes that were declared fraudulent by the IRS and Federal Courts twenty years ago. He has no power to unilaterally alter tax law, and was on notice that he was acting in a fraudulent manner.
As a lawyer who works in the tax preparation industry, I applaud his conviction and sentencing. Hovind was making a good living off of our society. Why was it so hard for him to give some back to help pay the expenses of that society?
Posted by: kehrsam | December 7, 2009 8:42 AM
Sheesh, this isn't that complicated, kehrsam. Because it wasn't his money. It was the Lord's. That doesn't sound crazy at all.
Posted by: Modusoperandi | December 7, 2009 1:40 PM
You're just angry because Kent can crush you in ANY debate ANY time ANY place.
Posted by: ^_^ | January 4, 2010 10:19 PM
Actually, Kent Hovind and I were scheduled to debate one another many years ago. He pulled out of the debate and debated someone else on the same day instead.
Posted by: Ed Brayton | January 4, 2010 10:27 PM
And you sat around all night, crying, in your prom dress.
Posted by: Modusoperandi | January 4, 2010 11:33 PM
Modus, I haven't said it yet, but...I heart you, baby.
Posted by: Sadie Morrison | January 4, 2010 11:54 PM
Thanks. I try. Try to pollute the mind's eye, that is.
Posted by: Modusoperandi | January 5, 2010 12:57 AM