The Garden of Eden (Hebrew גַּן עֵדֶן, ''Gan ʿEdhen''; Arabic: جنة عدن, '''') is described in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden ''in'' Eden (Gen. 2:8). This garden forms part of the Genesis creation narrative and theodicy of the Abrahamic religions, often being used to explain the origin of sin and mankind's wrongdoings.

The Genesis creation narrative relates the geographical location of both Eden and the garden to four rivers (Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, Euphrates), and three regions (Havilah, Assyria, and Kush). There are hypotheses that place Eden at the headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates (northern Mesopotamia), in Iraq (Mesopotamia), Africa, and the Persian Gulf. For many medieval writers, the image of the Garden of Eden also creates a location for human love and sexuality, often associated with the classic and medieval trope of the locus amoenus.

Etymology

The origin of the Hebrew עדן, which it translates to "delight", may derive from the Sumerian term EDIN. The Sumerian term means steppe, plain, desert or wilderness, so the connection between the words ''may'' be coincidental. This word is known to have been used by the Sumerians to refer to the arid lands west of the Euphrates. Alan Millard has put forward a case for the name deriving from the Semitic stem ''dn'', meaning "abundant, lush".

The story from Genesis

God charges Adam to tend the garden in which they live, and specifically commands Adam not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve is questioned by the serpent concerning why she avoids eating from this tree. In the dialogue between the two, Eve elaborates on the commandment not to eat of its fruit. She says that even if she touches the fruit she will die. The serpent responds that she will not surely die, rather she and her husband would "be as gods, knowing good and evil," and persuades Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve eats and gives the fruit to Adam, who also eats. At this point the two become aware, "to know good and evil," evidenced by an awareness of their nakedness. God then finds them, confronts them, and judges them for disobeying.

God expels them from Eden, to keep Adam and Eve from also partaking of the Tree of Life. The story says that God placed cherubims with an omnidirectional "flaming sword" to guard against any future entrance into the garden.

In the account, the garden is planted "eastward, in Eden," and accordingly "Eden" properly denotes the larger territory which contains the garden, rather than being the name of the garden itself: it is, thus, the garden located in Eden. The Talmud also states (Brachos 34b) that the Garden is distinct from Eden.

Geography

The Book of Genesis does not state a physical geographic location for the garden of Eden, but ideally it is "the garden of God" or divine home (Ezek 31:8-9). Also, according to some ancient myths, all of the world's major rivers flow out of the divine home. Genesis 2:10-14 names the garden of Eden as the source of four rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, great waterways of Mesopotamia, and the Pishon and Gihon. Four waterways were possibly cited because in ancient times, similar to today, the world was charted in four different directions, North, South, East and West.

Location

The Biblical description of the garden says:

''Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.[...] The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria And the fourth river is the Euphrates. ''

There have been a number of claims as to the actual geographic location of the Garden of Eden, though many of these have little or no connection to the text of ''Genesis''. Most put the Garden somewhere between Najaf and Kufa in Iraq in the Middle East. There is uncertainty whether the places mentioned in this verse correspond to modern places of the same name. For example, the Hebrew word for the Tigris has been suggested to be Hiddekel, but the locations of the Pishon and Gihon are generally unknown.

2 Peter 3:6 states that the world before the worldwide catastrophic flood of Noah's time was destroyed by that flood. Therefore some believe it is impossible for us to know the location of the garden of Eden as there is no correlation between today's geography and the pre-flood geography. Four rivers are named as flowing out of the garden (Genesis 2:10-14) but in the same way that Ipswich in Queensland, Australia has no geographical correspondence to Ipswich in the UK after which it is named, there is no correlation in location to any current rivers that were named after Eden's four rivers by survivors of the flood.

In the Middle East

Lebanon

The prophet Ezekiel mentions that the trees in the Garden of Eden come from Lebanon (). Based on an analysis of this chapter, Terje Stordalen has suggested "an apparent identification of Eden and Lebanon in Ezekiel 31" and symbolical relationships between Eden and Lebanon. John Pairman Brown wrote "it appears that the Lebanon is an alternative placement in Phoenician myth (as in Ez 28,13, III.48) of the Garden of Eden". and Paul Swarup also discusses connections between paradise, the garden of Eden and the forests of Lebanon (possibly used symbolically) within prophetic writings.

Sumer and Dilmun

Some of the historians working from within the cultural horizons of southernmost Sumer, where the earliest surviving non-Biblical source of the Biblical account lies, point to the quite genuine Bronze Age entrepôt of the island Dilmun (theorized by some to be Bahrain) in the Middle / Near East, described as 'the place where the sun rises' and 'the Land of the Living'. The setting of the Babylonian creation narrative, Enûma Elish, has clear parallels with the Genesis narratives. After its actual decline, beginning about 1500 BC, Dilmun developed such a reputation as a long-lost garden of exotic perfections that it may have influenced the story of the Garden of Eden. Some interpreters have tried to establish an Edenic garden at the trading-center of Dilmun.

Under the Persian Gulf

The Genesis creation narrative relates the geographical location of both Eden and the garden to four rivers (Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, Euphrates), and three regions (Havilah, Assyria, and Kush). While the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are well known the Pishon and Gihon are not known at all. Gihon is sometimes identified with the Karun River of Iran that flows into the Shatt al-Arab below Basra. Kush is sometimes associated with Egyptian Kush, but it is also associated with the Kossaei, the homeland of the Kassites (Kashshu), in the Zagros Mountains.

Regarding the Pishon on the location of Eden in Genesis 2:10 says: "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah".

Havillah is thought to have been the Arabian shore of the Persian Gulf. Satellite photos of the area show that before 4,000 BCE there was a river that drained into the Persian gulf at that area, now known as Wadi Ramah and Wadi Batin. Dr. Juris Zarins, the Latvian-American Professor of Southwestern University believes that the Garden of Eden lies in the vicinity, presently under the headwaters of the Persian Gulf, and he further believes that the story of Adam and Eve in-and especially out-of the Garden is a highly condensed and evocative account of the shift from hunting-gathering to agriculture. The story of Eden, Zarins believes, came about 6500 B.C. during the Neolithic Wet Phase when rains returned to the Gulf region. The reaches of eastern and northeastern Saudi Arabia and southwestern Iran became green and fertile again. Foraging populations came back to where the four rivers, Tigris and Euphrates, Karun (Gihon) and Wadi Ramah (Pishon) now ran full, and there was rainfall on the intervening plains. Animal bones indicate that in this period Arabia had abundant game. Thousands of stone tools suggest intensive, if seasonal, human occupation around now dry lakes and rivers. These tools are found even in the Rub al-Khali or Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia. This region was believed to be the homeland of the Proto-Sumerians. Both "Eden" and the word "Adam" also existed in cuneiform, the latter meaning something like "settlement on the plain". Although both words were set down first in Sumerian, along with place names like Ur and Uruk, they are not Sumerian in origin. They are believed to be older. The Assyriologist Benno Landsberger proposed that these names were all linguistic remnants of a pre-Sumerian people who had already named rivers, cities-and even some specific trades like potter and coppersmith-before the Sumerians appeared. Landsberger called the pre-Sumerian language simply Proto-Euphratian, and it is believed to be associated with the beginning of farming. Other scholars suggest that its speakers were the members of the Ubaid culture that spread southwards around the Persian Gulf. The existing place names and words for farming and other crafts were incorporated into Sumerian and written down for the first time. And in developing the mythology the lush and lovely spot called Eden was codified by being written. Zarins writes "Adam and Eve were heirs to natural bounty. They had everything they needed. But they sinned and were expelled. How did they sin? By challenging God's very omnipotence. In so doing they represented the agriculturists, the upstarts who insisted on taking matters into their own hands, relying upon their knowledge and their own skills rather than on His bounty." The 5.9 kiloyear event saw this area revert to the desert it is today. His theory is supported by C. A. Schlabach.

Tabriz (Iran-Azerbaijan province)

David Rohl suggests that the land of Eden was a vast area referred to in ancient Sumerian texts as the ''Edin'' (lit. "plain" or "steppe"), north of Mesopotamia beyond the Zagros Mountains, in the Armenian Highland. The Garden of Eden was then located in a long valley "in the east of Eden," to the north of Sahand volcano, near Tabriz. He cites several geographical similarities and toponyms which he believes match the biblical description. These similarities include: the nearby headwaters of the four rivers of Edin, the Tigris (Heb. ''Hiddekel'', Akk. ''Idiqlat''), Euphrates (Heb. ''Perath'', Akk. ''Purattu''), Gaihun-Aras (Heb., ''Gihon''), and Uizun (Heb. ''Pishon''); the mountain range of Kusheh Dagh (the land of Cush); and Upper and Lower Noqdi (the Land of Nod). In his book ''From Eden to Exile: Unraveling Mysteries of the Bible'', Eric H. Cline says "his suggestions have not caught on with the scholarly establishment. His argument is not helped by the fact that it depends upon speculations regarding the transmission of place-names for both the various rivers and nearby related areas from antiquity to the present. In the end, while Rohl’s suggestion is not out of the question, it seems no more probable than any other hypothesis, and less likely than those suggested by Speiser, Zarins, and Sauer."

Jerusalem

Several religious traditions identify the location of the garden of Eden with the city of Jerusalem, in particular Gihon Spring.

Other areas

Josephus

The Jewish historian Josephus Flavius (1st century AD) suggests that the four rivers are the Tigris, Euphrates, Nile, and a river of the Indian subcontinent, either the Indus or the Ganges. Since these four are not even close to flowing together, the topography of the world would have had to have been much different in Josephus' mind - there is no way to specify a location for Eden using these four rivers unless the world looked quite different than it does today.

Mòinteach Bharbhais

According to local folk-traditions in the Isle of Lewis, the Garden of Eden was located on the Barvas moor, just outside of the town. The area as it now appears is greatly altered from what it would have appeared as thousands of years ago, according to archaeological climate graphs, which appear to show a far milder and temperate atmosphere around the times of the Younger Dryas and the climactic amelioration after that.

Jackson County, Missouri, North America

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the Mormons or Latter Day Saints), the Garden of Eden is believed to have been located in present-day Jackson County, Missouri. According to Mormon theology, Independence, Missouri, was revealed to be the "center place" of Zion and the original dwelling place of Adam and Eve in the Garden which God planted "eastward in Eden". Mormons believe that Adam and Eve traveled 85 miles north to the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman after they had transgressed and were driven from the Garden. (Adam-ondi-Ahman is sometimes mistakenly associated with the location of the garden itself). As for its location in the western hemisphere, some Latter-day Saints have presumed the continents were not yet separate before the Great Flood and that this approach would be consistent with the configuration of the super-continent Pangaea.

In the footnotes of the ''Pearl of Great Price'' that are published by the church, it is stated that there were lands and rivers that were given names later attached to other lands and rivers as in the Book of Genesis. The geographic descriptions of Eden in the Bible would therefore refer to entirely different lands and rivers than those carrying the same names today, whose names were transposed after the biblical flood to local lands and rivers in the Near East.

Adam's Peak, Sri Lanka

Adam's Peak, named after a footprint like formation found near the summit of a conical mountain. The Christian and Muslim tradition relates that this is the footprint of Adam and the possible location of Garden of Eden. Moreover there are four rivers starting from this mountain.

Interpretation

Eden as paradise

upright|thumb|right|Eden as depicted in the first or left panel of [[Hieronymus Bosch|Bosch's ''The Garden of Earthly Delights'' Triptych. The panel includes many imagined and exotic African animals.]] "Paradise" (Hebrew פרדס ''PaRDeS'') used as a synonym for the Garden of Eden shares a number of characteristics with words for 'walled orchard garden' or 'enclosed hunting park' in Old Persian. The word "paradise" occurs three times in the Old Testament, but always in contexts other than a connection with Eden: in the Song of Solomon iv. 13: "Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard"; Ecclesiastes 2. 5: "I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits"; and in Nehemiah ii. 8: "And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's orchard, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me." In the Song of Solomon, it is clearly "garden"; in the second and third examples "park". In the post-Exilic apocalyptic literature and in the Talmud, "paradise" gains its associations with the Garden of Eden and its heavenly prototype. In the New Testament, there is an association of "paradise" with the realm of the blessed (as opposed to the realm of the cursed) among those who have already died, with literary Hellenistic influences observed by numerous scholars. The Greek Garden of the Hesperides was somewhat similar to the Christian concept of the Garden of Eden, and by the 16th century a larger intellectual association was made in the Cranach painting (''see illustration at top''). In this painting, only the ''action'' that takes place there identifies the setting as distinct from the Garden of the Hesperides, with its golden fruit.

Alan Millard has hypothesized that the Garden of Eden does not represent a 'geographical' place, but rather represents 'cultural memory' of "simpler times", when man lived off God's bounty (as "primitive" hunters and gatherers still do) as opposed to toiling at agriculture (being "civilized"). Of course there is much dispute between Judeo-Christian and secular scholars as to the plausibility of this idea - the refuting claim being that cultivation and agricultural work were present both before and after the "Garden Life".

The Second Book of Enoch, of late but uncertain date, states that both Paradise and Hell are accommodated in the third sphere of heaven, ''Shehaqim'', with Hell being located simply " on the northern side:" see Seven Heavens.

Psychoanalytic treatment

The myth of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden has been interpreted psychoanalytically as an archaic form of the Oedipus myth. The Garden of Eden symbolizes the closed parental system which is safe but oppressive and the Tree of Knowledge represents individuation and freedom but also risk, and even death.

In Jewish eschatology

In the rabbinic literatures of the Talmud and the Jewish Kabbalah, the scholars agree that there are two types of spiritual places called ''Garden in Eden''. The first is rather terrestrial, of abundant fertility and luxuriant vegetation, known as the ''"lower Gan Eden"''. The latter is envisioned as being celestial, the habitation of righteous, Jewish and non-Jewish, immortal souls, known as the ''"higher Gan Eden"''. The Rabbanim differentiate between Gan and Eden. Adam is said to have dwelt only in the Gan. Whereas Eden is said never to be witnessed by any mortal eye.

According to Jewish eschatology, the "higher Gan Eden" is called the "Garden of Righteousness". It has been created since the beginning of the world, and will appear gloriously at the end of time. The righteous dwelling there will enjoy the sight of the heavenly Chayot carrying the throne of God. Each of the righteous will walk with God, who will lead them in a dance. Its Jewish and non-Jewish inhabitants are "clothed with garments of light and eternal life, and eat of the tree of life" (Enoch 58,3) near to God and His anointed ones. This Jewish rabbinical concept of a ''"higher Gan Eden"'' is opposed by the Hebrew terms Gehinnom and Sheol, figurative names for the place of spiritual purification for the wicked dead in Judaism, a place envisioned as being at the greatest possible distance from "heaven".

In art

Garden of Eden motifs most frequently portrayed in illuminated manuscripts and paintings are the "Sleep of Adam" ("Creation of Eve"), the "Temptation of Eve" by the Serpent, the "Fall of Man" where Adam takes the fruit, and the "Expulsion". The idyll of "Naming Day in Eden" was less often depicted. Much of Milton's ''Paradise Lost'' occurs in the Garden of Eden. Michelangelo depicted a scene at the Garden of Eden in the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

See also

Antediluvian

Antelapsarianism

Christian naturism

Fertile Crescent

Golden Age

Jannah

Paradise

Persian gardens

Tamoanchan

The Summerland

Utopia

References

External links

Smithsonian article on the geography of the Tigris-Euphrates region

Many translations of II Kings 19:12

Category:Torah places Category:Christian cosmology Category:Biblical phrases Category:Adam and Eve Category:Concepts of Heaven Category:Utopias Category:Fertile Crescent Category:Book of Genesis Category:Abrahamic mythology

ar:جنات عدن bo:ཡེ་དེན་གྱི་ལདུམ་རའི་སྐོར། ca:Jardí de l'Edèn cs:Zahrada Eden cy:Gardd Eden de:Garten Eden et:Eedeni aed el:Εδέμ es:Edén eo:Edena ĝardeno fa:باغ عدن fr:Éden ko:에덴 동산 hr:Eden id:Taman Eden it:Giardino dell'Eden he:גן עדן la:Paradisus (mythologia Iudaica) lt:Edenas hu:Édenkert ms:Taman Eden nl:Hof van Eden ja:エデンの園 no:Edens hage pl:Eden (raj) pt:Jardim do Éden ro:Grădina Edenului ru:Эдем simple:Garden of Eden sk:Rajská záhrada sl:Eden sr:Еденски врт fi:Eedenin puutarha sv:Edens trädgård th:สวนอีเด็น tr:Eden vi:Vườn Eden zh:伊甸園

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
name	Kent Hovind
residence	Pensacola, Florida, currently incarcerated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons
birth name	Kent E. Hovind
birth date	January 15, 1953
birth place	USA
known	Advocate of Young Earth creationism, convicted of tax-related crimes
occupation	Evangelist, Christian theme park operator
religion	Independent Baptist
spouse	Jo Delia Hovind
children	Kent Andrew HovindEric HovindMarlissa Dublin
website	Creation Science Evangelism
weight	}}

Kent E. Hovind (born January 15, 1953) is an American Young Earth creationist famous for his creation science seminars that aim to convince listeners to reject theories of evolution, geophysics, and cosmology in favor of the Genesis creation narrative as found in the Bible. Hovind's views are contradicted by scientific evidence and research. Some of his ideas have also been criticized by Young Earth creationist organizations like Answers in Genesis.

Hovind established the Creation Science Evangelism ministry in 1989 and frequently argued for Young Earth creationism and made other controversial remarks in his talks at private schools and churches, at debates, and on radio and television broadcasts. Since January 2007, Hovind has been serving a ten-year prison sentence after being convicted of 58 federal counts, including twelve tax offenses, one count of obstructing federal agents, and forty-five counts of structuring cash transactions. He is currently incarcerated at the FPC Satellite Camp of the ADX Florence prison in Florence, Colorado.

Biography

On February 9, 1969, at the age of 16, Hovind became a born again Christian. In 1971, he graduated from East Peoria Community High School. He holds three degrees in Christian education (1974, 1988, 1991) from unaccredited institutions. He is married and has three adult children and five grandchildren. One of his sons, Eric Hovind, travels doing creationist presentations and debates using many of his father's arguments.

Between 1975 and 1988, Hovind served as an assistant pastor and teacher at three private Baptist schools, including one he started. As these were private schools, Hovind was not required to have any teaching credentials or accredited qualifications. In 1989, Hovind started Creation Science Evangelism. In 1998, Hovind created his ''Dr. Dino'' web site and began producing articles and selling video tapes, books, and fossil replicas.

Prior to his convictions, Hovind spoke at churches, private schools, and other venues each year. Hovind also hosted a daily internet radio talk show and has established Dinosaur Adventure Land in Pensacola, Florida.

Education

In 1971 he graduated from East Peoria Community High School in East Peoria, Illinois. From 1972 to 1974, Hovind attended the non-accredited Midwestern Baptist College and received a Bachelor of Religious Education.

In 1988 and 1991 respectively, Hovind was awarded a master's degree and doctorate in Christian Education through correspondence from the non-accredited Patriot University in Colorado Springs, Colorado (now Patriot Bible University in Del Norte, Colorado, which no longer offers this program). Having a website called "Dr. Dino" has provoked some academics to look closely at how Hovind presents his education and credentials. Chemistry professor Karen Bartelt has said that it is "''very'' unusual for a person with a Ph.D., even a real one, to list oneself in the phonebook as "Dr Hovind", as Hovind has done." [emphasis in original]. Barbara Forrest, a professor of philosophy, expert on the history of creationism and activist in the creation-evolution controversy, wrote that Hovind's lack of academic training makes it impossible to engage him on a professional level.

Other critics of Hovind have pointed out that Patriot Bible University is a diploma mill, as it has unreasonably low graduation requirements, lack of sufficient faculty or educational standards, and a suspicious tuition scheme. The school's current policies allow students to attain bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and even "Doctor of Ministry" degrees in months, rather than years, for as little as $25 per month. Currently Patriot offers a monthly fee, unlike most universities, which only charge per-credit fees.

Bartelt has stated that Hovind's doctoral dissertation is evidence of the poor requirements at Patriot and that Hovind lacks knowledge of basic science. Bartelt noted that Hovind's dissertation is incomplete (it contains four chapters totaling 101 pages, but Hovind's introduction claims the work is 250 pages with 16 chapters), of low academic quality, with poor writing, poor spelling, and poor grammatical style. Bartelt asserts that pages are repeated, references are absent, and it is not an original work with original ideas.

In the past, when questioned about his education and qualifications, Hovind has said his critics use ad hominem arguments, and Patriot has issued similar comments. In 2010, Patriot responded to Wikileaks' claim to have revealed Hovind's dissertation, writing that the Wikileaks file was not the "finished" product, but because they do not "retain ownership to student thesis’ or dissertations, as is commonly practiced by many schools", they "cannot release student work to the public". Patriot will not send copies of Hovind's doctoral dissertation, which is unusual for an institution to do since dissertations are made available to the public. As a general rule, doctoral dissertations are published by the associated university and made available to the public, so that other students conducting research in similar areas may use the information in the dissertation as a reference. Bartlet wrote that the copy she viewed is on file at the National Center for Science Education (NCSE), but the organization cannot distribute it due to copyright restrictions. The NCSE's copy was received from Skip Evans, who obtained Hovind's dissertation from Patriot with Hovind's permission in March 1999.

Creation Science Evangelism

After receiving his first correspondence degree, Hovind started the Creation Science Evangelism ministry (CSE) in 1989. The ministry aims to evangelize people by teaching them creationism. During Hovind's trial, the prosecution said the ministry does not have the proper licensing nor is it registered as a nonprofit, which resulted in legal troubles mentioned below. In January 2007, Eric Hovind, Kent's son, announced that he will run CSE due to his father's ten year prison term. After finishing high school at Pensacola Christian Academy in 1996, Eric attended Jackson Hole Bible College a one-year non-accredited institution. In November 2007, God Quest Inc. filed to do business under the trade name CSE with Florida. God Quest Inc. was incorporated by Eric Hovind, Bill Nadolny, Scott Porter, and Stephen Lawwell in July 2007.

In February 2008, Eric Hovind signed a letter on behalf of God Quest Ministries for the Florida Family Policy Council to the Florida Board of Education opposing the statement: "Evolution is the fundamental concept underlying all of biology and is supported by multiple forms of scientific evidence." In June 2008, Eric announced that the CSE website would incorporate the CSE blog and change format allowing for "only positive comments" about Hovind and CSE. During the 2008 election, CSE issued political articles for evangelical voters and linked to material by David Barton.

Dinosaur Adventure Land

In 2001, Hovind started Dinosaur Adventure Land (DAL), a young Earth creationist theme park located behind Hovind's home in Pensacola, Florida. The park depicts humans and dinosaurs co-existing in the last 4,000–6,000 years and also contains a depiction of the Loch Ness monster. Dinosaurs are central to Hovind's website and creation advocacy because "the creation world view says dinosaurs have always lived with man and there might still be a few alive today." A 2004 ''Skeptical Inquirer'' article explored visiting Hovind's dinosaur theme park and concluded that the park is deceptive and deliberately misleads visitors. The Southern Poverty Law Center noted the park also "claims that a few small dinosaurs still roam the planet."

The venture has encountered legal issues, as the owners failed to acquire a building permit for the park (see below). In 2008 Eric Hovind and Glen Stoll attempted to prevent the forfeitures of Hovind's ten properties, including DAL, in connection with Kent Hovind's federal tax problems. The government sought the property, deeded to Stoll and Eric prior to Hovind's convictions, since cash that Hovind withdrew from his bank accounts cannot be recovered. In July 2009, the courts ruled that the properties could be seized and sold to satisfy Hovind's federal tax debts. On August 24, 2009, Dinosaur Adventure Land's website announced it was "closed until further notice". In November 2010, CSE announced the "re-opening" of the "Creation Store" in central Pensacola."

Earnings and assets

According to the IRS, Hovind reportedly earned $50,000 a year through speaking engagements and, in 2002 alone, the ministry sold more than $1.8 million in merchandise. Also, Hovind's theme park and merchandise sales earned more than US$5 million from 1999 to March 2004. On average, they say, Hovind "has made deposits to bank accounts well in excess of $1 million per year." Eventually that grew to about $2 million a year. About half that income went to employees who were salaried or were paid hourly wages. However, Hovind derived "substantial revenue" from these activities that appeared to be "income to [him] personally."

Prior to his prison term, Kent Hovind also owned at least 10 properties, including DAL. As of 2009 the government is seizing the property for money owed, but in a court filing Eric Hovind said he owned one of the properties and "took active control over the lot by personally building a home on it with $70,000 he borrowed from CSE." The court accepted Eric's ownership due to improvements made on the property and allowed Eric to keep that property, but is allowing the government to seize the other nine properties.

Creationism

The "Hovind Theory"

Hovind summarizes his version of the young Earth creation story in the self-titled "Hovind Theory" taken from a variety of creationist sources. The "Hovind Theory" was presented at Hovind lectures and in his work "Unmasking the False Religion of Evolution".

Hovind explained the Biblical account of Noah as follows: Noah's family and two of every "kind" of animal (including young dinosaurs) safely boarded the Ark before a ice meteor came flying toward the Earth and broke up in space. Some of the meteor fragments became rings and others caused the impact craters on the moon and some of the planets. The remaining ice fragments fell to the North and South Poles of the Earth, concentrated towards those regions by the Earth's magnetic field.

He explains the fossils were created by billions of organisms that were washed together by the mass destruction of the worldwide flood, buried, and fossilized.

The resulting "super-cold snow" fell near the poles, burying the mammoths standing up. Ice on the North and South Poles cracked the crust of the Earth, releasing the fountains of the deep, which in turn caused certain ice age effects, namely the glacier effects. This made the Earth "wobble around" and collapsed the vapor canopy that protected it.

During the first few months of the flood, the dead animals and plants were buried, and became oil and coal, respectively. The last few months of the flood included geological instability, when the plates shifted. This period saw the formation of both ocean basins and mountain ranges, and the resulting water run-off caused incredible erosion – Hovind states that the Grand Canyon was formed in a couple of weeks during this time. After a few hundred years, the ice caps slowly melted back, retreating to their current size, and the ocean levels increased, creating the continental shelves. The deeper oceans absorbed much of the carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere and thus allowed greater amounts of radiation to reach the Earth's surface. As a result, human lifespans were shortened considerably in the days of Peleg.

The level of support for evolution is essentially universal within the scientific community and academia, while support for creationism is minimal among scientists in general, and virtually nonexistent among those in the relevant fields: Biology, Paleontology, Geology, etc.

About the Hovind theory in particular: Karen Bartelt, a chemist, commented that Hovind's "message appeals to those who are unaware that his 'evidence' is without merit." Furthermore, the plausibility of the Hovind Theory has been criticized by both scientists and other young Earth creationists.

Hovind's ideas have been published in the controversial Chick Tracts, comic strips intended to convert people to fundamentalist Christianity.

Hovind's $250,000 offer

According to Hovind's website, he has offered $10,000 since 1990 to those who can "prove the theory of evolution." He has since raised the amount of the reward to $250,000.

Responses

Critics view this offer to be spurious because of the conditions which Hovind imposes. The theory of evolution as defined by Hovind covers not only the process of evolution but also abiogenesis, astrophysics, and cosmology. Also, unlike Hovind, scientists in the field of evolutionary biology do not distinguish between micro- and macro-evolution as distinct processes, instead contending that all evolution takes place as microevolution, and that macroevolution is cumulative microevolution.

Critics argue that the offer is merely a publicity stunt designed to be impossible to win because it requires the claimant to disprove all possible theories for the origin of species, no matter how ridiculous: his FAQ states that claimants must "prove beyond reasonable doubt that the process of evolution ... is the only possible way the observed phenomena could have come into existence."

Hovind has said a panel of judges would decide if a claim had met his criteria, but he has refused to say who would be (or is) on that panel, or what their qualifications might be. Challengers who have submitted claims to Hovind say they have become convinced that he does not actually use a panel of judges, in spite of his promise to do so. In one case, after twice stating that he would send a particular response to his judges (according to his website any responses he sent were considered "legitimate"), Hovind stated, "Thanks for reminding me about not sending minor changes to the committee. This would be a waste of time for everyone involved. If you ever get any evidence that does support evolution please send it to me". The respondent felt that this indicated dishonesty on Hovind's part and confirmed public suspicions that he never intended to pay.

People have approached Hovind in regard to the challenge, addressing it from perspectives ranging from "Large-scale Evolution" to the "Big Bang Theory" to polar bears. In 2001, biologist Massimo Pigliucci attempted to collect Hovind's prize. During a debate with Hovind, Pigliucci said Hovind did not send any details or names of scientists judging the evidence and Hovind "could have decided on his own" to dismiss the evidence. Pigliucci later issued a "counter-challenge" as "a spoof meant to uncover Hovind's challenge for the gimmick that it is" by asking for "empirical evidence, that Christianity is the only true religion and that a god with the exact characteristics of the one(s) described in the bible actually exists".

The winter 2005 issue of ''Skeptic'' included an article titled "Doubting Dr. Dino" by Adam Kisby. Kisby lays out Hovind's arguments in formal logic, and says that the assumptions "God is a necessary cause of the universe" and "The universe is eternal, i.e., un-caused" lead to contradictions. Kisby sent his proof to Hovind and reports that "many weeks later I received a terse reply from Hovind in which he dogmatically rejected my proof." Hovind's reason was "the universe is evidence of a Designer – not proof there is no Designer." Kisby concluded "I contend that either my proof is technically correct or Hovind's $250,000 offer is fundamentally flawed. If my proof is correct, then Hovind is constrained by the terms of his offer to release the money. On the other hand if Hovind's offer is flawed then he is morally obligated to withdraw it or modify it." The Spring 2006 issue of ''Skeptic'' contained criticisms of Kisby's proposed proof.

Some creationist groups also do not approve of Hovind's offer. Answers in Genesis said it "would prefer that 'creationists' refrained from gimmicks like this."

Criticism

From creationists

Hovind has been criticized by other creationists, including young Earth creationists and old Earth creationists, who believe that many of his arguments are invalid and, consequently, undermine their causes. Disagreements over how to respond to Hovind's claims have themselves contributed to acrimony between creationist organizations. The Australian and U.S. arms of Answers in Genesis (AiG) were critical of Hovind after he had criticized a position document from Creation Ministries International, "Arguments we think creationists should NOT use". In particular AiG criticized Hovind for "persistently us[ing] discredited or false arguments" and said Hovind's claims are "self-refuting".

The U.S. arm of AiG, led by Ken Ham, had an acrimonious split with its Australian parent in 2005. The Australian organization then split itself entirely off from its parent group, now styling itself Creation Ministries International. Material critical of Hovind was no longer available on the U.S. Answers In Genesis website, whereas the Australian CMI website retained the critical material. In the 2002 article and a 2006 update, written by Carl Wieland and Jonathan Sarfati stated that the claims made by Hovind are "fraudulent" and contain "mistakes in facts and logic which do the creationist cause no good." CMI also criticized Hovind for using "fraudulent claims" made by Ron Wyatt in his claims. In August 2009, the Australian CMI website has since published an article praising Creation Science Evangelism for removing some faulty arguments, but decided against deleting its article altogether because "there are lots of 'free-to-copy' DVDs of Kent Hovind’s old talks circulating widely around the world and it will be some time before they disappear from circulation.

Creationist astronomer Hugh Ross, of ''Reasons to Believe'', debated Hovind on the age of the Earth during the John Ankerberg Show, televised nationally on the Inspiration Network in September through October 2000. Ross said Hovind was "misrepresenting the field" of different sciences, and Ross told Hovind: "Astronomers view the credibility of the 'Young Earth' as being much weaker than that for a flat Earth." Hovind and Ross previously debated in July 1999 on the Steve Brown Show.

Hovind has stated that carbon dating – a method used by scientists to estimate the age of various objects and events – is unreliable. He has been criticized by Greg Neyman of Answers in Creation (an old Earth creationist group), who says that in Hovind's statements "Hovind goes on to show that he knows absolutely nothing about the science of Carbon Dating." Neyman says that Hovind's claim that "scientists assume the amount of carbon-14 is constant" is wrong, and Neyman writes "there are many periods of decreasing C-14, which disproves his theory that the Earth is young based on C-14 equilibrium."

From non-creationists

Prior to his convictions, Hovind debated atheists, non-YEC Christians, skeptics, and scientists. In May 2004, Michael Shermer debated Hovind in front of a predominantly creationist audience. In Shermer's online reflection, while claiming he won the debate with intellectual and scientific evidence, he felt it was "not an intellectual exercise," but rather it was "an emotional drama." While receiving positive responses from creationist observers, Shermer concluded "Unless there is a subject that is truly debatable with a format that is fair, in a forum that is balanced, it only serves to belittle both the magisterium of science and the magisterium of religion." Others, like evolutionary biologist Massimo Pigliucci, have debated Hovind, and have expressed surprise at Hovind's ignorance of evolutionary theory. Pigliucci indicated surprise at hearing Hovind try "to convince the audience that evolutionists believe humans came from rocks" and at Hovind's assertion that biologists believe humans "evolved from bananas." In addition, William Reville, Biochemist and Director of Microscopy at University College Cork, wrote about Hovind, explaining "Creation science is not science. Science is based on ideas that are testable. What the creationists believe is not rational, but it cannot be disproved."

In Hovind's debates, he focuses on points that he claims serve to discredit evolutionary theory, physical cosmology, and geology. He also presents what he claims is evidence for a Biblical flood, a young Earth, and the canopy theory. Scientists working in the appropriate fields, as well as some young Earth creationists, do not agree with Hovind's assertions.

Others criticize Hovind for his involvement with Arkansas state Representative Jim Holt's Anti-Evolution Bill in 2001 (House Bill 2548). This bill "would have required that when public schools refer to evolution that it be identified as an unproven theory." Some politicians claimed this bill "would have made Arkansas a laughingstock." Holt called upon Hovind as an expert who "testified for Holt before the State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee, alleging much of the information pertaining to evolution in our science textbooks is false." As for the legislation, "Holt admitted much of the information in his bill came from Jonathan Wells' ''Icons of Evolution''."

Critics charge that Kent Hovind's presentations on creation and evolution are a mix of Christian Fundamentalism and conspiracy theories. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has criticized Hovind because of his selling of books such as Des Griffin's ''Fourth Reich of the Rich'' and Peter Kershaw's ''In Caesar's Grip'', and recommending ''The Protocols of the Elders of Zion'', a well-known antisemitic hoax. The SPLC reported that Hovind accuses Darwinism of having produced "Communism, Socialism, Nazism, abortion, liberalism and the New Age Movement." It also quotes Hovind as claiming that "democracy is evil and contrary to God's law." In response to criticism, Hovind has stated: "I love the Jews. But ''The Protocols of Zion'' [sic] was written to explain how to control the world, I mean, it lays it all out. But it’s really carefully done so that if it is ever discovered the Jews take the blame for it."

The SPLC also criticized Hovind for "point[ing] his followers to ''Citizens Rule Book'', popular among antigovernment "Patriots"; Media Bypass, an antigovernment magazine with strong antisemitic leanings"; and books by tax protester Irwin Schiff" (Schiff has since been convicted and sentenced to 13 years in prison).

While Kent Hovind is in prison, Eric has continued operating CSE and has received criticism for errors in his claims. Biologist PZ Myers criticized Eric and CSE employee Jonathon Sampson for their comments on cephalopods, writing "We do have explanations of cephalopod evolution" and "they lack the intelligence to grasp it." In his criticism, Myers criticized Hovind for failing to look up the evolutionary scholarship on cephalopods and linked to his blog article on cephalopod evolution.

Controversial remarks

Politics and conspiracies

Hovind has made controversial remarks regarding conspiracies, science, creation, equal rights, religion, and government over the years. Hovind's creationist presentations have asserted that the reason creationism based on the Genesis creation narrative is not taught in public schools is tied to "an international conspiracy" of "'The New World Order' (NWO) consisting of Ted Turner and his wife Jane Fonda, the British Royal Family, the State of Israel, the ACLU, and a smattering of former and present US government officials, business leaders, and social activists (particularly those advocating population control) — shades of the Trilateral Commission." In May 1999, he claimed "the implementation of the NWO's world-domination plan was May 5, 2000."

Hovind has several conspiracy theories about the U.S. government. He believes that the cyanide-releasing compound Laetrile is a "cancer cure" and argues that the US government is conspiring to suppress a cure for cancer. On his radio program, he has said that the U.S. government was behind the 9/11 attacks, killing nearly 3000 people and that a "lot of folks were told not to come to work." He also believes the Oklahoma City bombing was carried out by the government. "Did you know the Federal Government blew up their own building to blame it on the militias and to get rid of some people that weren't cooperating with the system?" Regarding UFOs, Hovind recommends books by conspiracy theorists who believe "some UFO’s are U.S. Government experiments with electrogravitic propulsion as opposed to jet propulsion, while others are Satanic apparitions." Additionally, Hovind believes that the Federal Reserve, the Council on Foreign Relations, the United Nations, and various other groups are planning to create a one world government and that the 1993 World Trade Center attack was staged by the US Government in order to pass "anti-terrorism" legislation that restricts civil liberties. He says, "I love my country, but fear my government. And you should too." He also believes there is no such thing as the separation of church and state, and opposes public schools.

Hovind has also alleged that there is a conspiracy surrounding taxes, the New World Order, and communism, while he promotes tax protesting. Hovind wrote "Although it is tempting for me to go off on a tangent from my creation ministry and spend much time warning people of the communist origin (Karl Marx thought it up in 1848 and pro communists Colonel E. House, Roosevelt, Rockefeller and Sen. Nelson Aldrich implemented it in 1913.) and unconstitutional nature (it violates the 4th, 5th, 13th and 14th amendments) of the current tax system, I will resist that temptation and leave it to others to fight that battle." Hovind further alleged "I sincerely believe that I am not a person required to file a Federal Income Tax Return. This belief is a result of extensive research that I have done." On obeying tax laws, he argued "Some will say the Bible teaches us to obey the authority over us. I agree and I do. The IRS is not the authority over me any more than the government of Japan is." Hovind further offered information and resources for people to avoid paying taxes by claiming to not be residents of the United States.

As part of his "one world government" conspiracy theory, Hovind also believes that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), HIV, West Nile virus, Gulf war syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, Wegener's disease, Parkinson's disease, Crohn's colitis, Type I diabetes, and collagen-vascular diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer's were all engineered by "the money masters and governments of the world" for the purpose of global economic domination. Hovind believes "Satan has been using the great pyramid as his symbol for the New World Order" and that "the Great Pyramid could have been built by Adam's relatives" He believes that the United States government is secretly plotting to implant an "electronic ID" microchip in the body of every US citizen, which is the Mark of the Beast. The aim, he believes, is to put "a chip into each of the major muscles and network them together so that a paralyzed person would be able to get some movement from their muscles" so that there "is going to be a system where you cannot buy or sell without the mark in the hands or in the forehead." Yet, the mechanisms and history of such a project do not withstand scientific and historical scrutiny.

Regarding barcodes and the security strip on money, Hovind stated they are tied to a government plot in which barcodes and the "magnetic tape through the center of the paper" money "is of the same type that is on the back of your credit card" for tracking money and people. Thus, the government "want[s] to be able to track the money and find out where it goes."

Hovind has also stated an opposition to democracy, saying: "If Evolution is true, there is no Creator, so laws come from man's opinion. That is called a democracy, which is a terrible form of government. Democracies always degenerate into dictatorships. In America, it is sad to say, has become a democracy." Hovind also stated: "democracy is evil and contrary to God's law" and "democracy is a horrible form of government."

While speaking at Kent State University on an invite from Truth in Love Ministry, Hovind said about protesting evolution, "You should have another rebellion here at Kent State and do it for the right reason," but "This time, don't get shot."

Science

He believes all findings of science will eventually be found to agree with Scripture – which he says is ''a priori'' known to be true. He claims that scientists also have an ''a priori'' assumption, namely that God does not exist (or at least not one that performed special creation).

Hovind tells his audiences, "Evolution is the foundation for communism, nazism, socialism, Marxism and those who want a one-world government." He maintains that biology textbooks are lying and that he considers evolution to be a religion supported by false evidence that is used to brainwash youth. He claims, "Satan is using evolution theory to make kids go to hell." Hovind claims he is not trying to eliminate evolution from schools, but says "schools should teach both viewpoints." He has claimed that everything is a religion, including mathematics. Hovind disregards all fossil evidence, saying that "no fossils can count as evidence for evolution" because "all we know about that animal is that it died", and we do not know that it "had any kids, much less different kids." In regards to different races, Hovind believes the best explanation for the origin of races is that "all families, countries, nations, and tongues were created or developed from" the Tower of Babel Bible story (Genesis 10:20). In 2000, he alleged "global warming is a communist conspiracy."

During a debate with Farrell Till, Hovind made the following statement about Donald Johanson: "[He] found the leg bones of Lucy a mile and a half away from the head bones. The leg bones were 200 feet deeper in a deeper layer of strata. I would like to know how fast the train was going that hit that chimpanzee." According to Donald Johanson, this is false; and although Hovind has been informed of this, he continues to make the statement.

YouTube copyright controversy

On September 16, 2007, ''Wired'' reported, "YouTube has banned a group called the Rational Response Squad (RRS) after it complained its videos were being taken down due to spurious DMCA requests" from Creation Science Evangelism. Furthermore, while the article noted the lack of "any kind of review" with a DMCA request is a problem, the ministry's own website said that "none of the materials ... are copyrighted, so feel free to copy these and distribute them freely." CSE later said that for some of the videos they may not have had copyright claims. In response to the copyright claims, the RRS has posted a message stating it is ready to sue CSE and/or Eric Hovind.

Five days later, on September 21, 2007, the CSE copyright page was changed to say that their material may be copied but must be unedited. Previously, Hovind's website stated, "None of the materials produced by Creation Science Evangelism are copyrighted". According to a spokesperson for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a group dedicated to preserving free speech on the internet, CSE's claim was "clearly bogus". As of September 25, 2007, some of the videos had been put back up and the Rational Response Squad's accounts had been reinstated.

Legal problems

Property taxes and zoning ordinance

On September 13, 2002, Hovind was charged for failure to observe county zoning regulations with respect to Dinosaur Adventure Land. Despite arguments that the owners did not need a permit due to the nature of the building, the park was found in violation of local regulations.

After a 5-year misdemeanor court battle over the $50 building permit, on June 5, 2006, Hovind pled ''nolo contendere'' as charged to three counts: constructing a building without a permit, refusing to sign a citation, and violating the county building code. Hovind was ordered to pay $225 per count. That month Hovind complied with the county law: Hovind estimated he spent $40,000 in legal expenses on this case, but, in a 2002 CSE newsletter, Hovind requested donations stating that the costs approached $100,000.

Federal civil tax matters, bankruptcy, and renouncing citizenship (1996–2006)

Hovind's ministry is not listed as a tax-exempt organization by the Internal Revenue Service, nor is it considered a church by people who work there. The ministry's organizational structure was described by the United States Tax Court as appearing to be "based on various questionable trust documents purchased from Glen Stoll, a known promoter of tax avoidance schemes", leading it to conclude that Hovind used these trust documents as well as other fraudulent means to conceal the ownership and control of his activities and properties.

Hovind was originally reported to the IRS by Pensacola Christian College senior vice president Rebekah Horton in the mid 1990s, after she learned of Hovind's anti-tax stand.

In 1996 Hovind filed a Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition to avoid paying federal income taxes, claiming he was not a citizen of the United States and that he did not earn income. Hovind was found to have lied about his possessions and income. 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. The court ordered him to pay the money, upheld the IRS's determination that Hovind's claim "was filed in bad faith for the sole purpose of avoiding payment of federal income taxes" and called Hovind's arguments "patently absurd". It 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. On June 5, 1996, the Court dismissed Hovind's bankruptcy case.

On May 13, 1998, Hovind and his wife filed a "Power of Attorney and Revocation of Signature" document with the Escambia County Clerk of Courts which would nullify any of their promises, debts, or legal agreements made prior to April 15, 1998. 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'." In this document, the Hovinds argue that Social Security is essentially a "Ponzi scheme", referred to the United States Government as "the 'bankrupt' corporate government", renounced their United States citizenship and Social Security numbers to become "a natural citizen of 'America' and a natural sojourner", and 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.

In 2002, Hovind was again delinquent in paying his taxes, and unsuccessfully sued the IRS for harassment.

In 2004, IRS agents raided Hovind's home and business to confiscate financial records. IRS agent Scott Schneider said Hovind's businesses had neither business licenses nor tax-exempt status and stated that "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." On June 3, 2004, the IRS filed notices of Federal tax liens of $504,957.24 against Hovind and his son and their businesses due to previous legal maneuverings to evade taxation by moving property between himself, his son, and other legal entities.

On July 7, 2006, the United States Tax Court (Docket number 011894-05L) found that Hovind was deficient in paying his federal income taxes in tax years 1995–97 in the amount of $504,957.24. The Tax Court ruled that the IRS had a valid, perfected lien on Hovind's property in that amount and noted that Hovind's defense was based on "bizarre arguments", "some of which constitute tax protester arguments involving excise taxes and the alleged '100% voluntary' nature of the income tax." Starting in 2006, the IRS began levying against Hovind's property to satisfy his unpaid tax liabilities.

Federal criminal tax-related trial and convictions in 2006

On July 11, 2006, Hovind was charged in the District Court in Northern Florida in Pensacola with twelve counts of willful failure to collect, account for, and pay over federal income taxes and FICA taxes, forty-five counts of knowingly structuring transactions in federally insured financial institutions to evade reporting requirements, and one count of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the administration of the internal revenue laws. Twelve of the charges were for failing to pay employee-related taxes, totaling $473,818, and 45 of the charges were for evading reporting requirements by making multiple cash withdrawals just under the $10,000 reporting requirement (a technique known as "smurfing"). The withdrawals, totaling $430,500, were made in 2001 and 2002. Jo Delia Hovind, his wife, faced 44 charges.

The government charged that Hovind falsely listed the IRS as his only creditor in his bankruptcy, filed a false and frivolous lawsuit against the IRS in which he demanded damages for criminal trespass, made threats of harm to those investigating him and to those who might consider cooperating with the investigation, filed a false complaint against IRS agents investigating him, filed a false criminal complaint against IRS special agents (criminal investigators), and destroyed records.

After being indicted, Hovind maintained his innocence, and claimed incomprehension of the charges, a claim that the magistrate rejected. Hovind stated that he did not recognize the government's right to try him on tax fraud charges, and initially attempted to enter a plea of "subornation of false muster". Hovind's legal argument hinged on his claim that he was not an employer and therefore owed no taxes for payments to workers. The plea was rejected and Hovind then entered a not guilty plea "under duress" when the judge offered to enter a plea for him.

At the time of the arrest Hovind's passport and guns were seized. Hovind protested, arguing that he needed his passport to continue his evangelism work, and that "thousands and thousands" were waiting to hear him preach in South Africa the following month. The court refused to reconsider, accepting the argument that "like-minded people" might secret Hovind away if he left the country. Because of reports of weapons on the Hovind property, the indictment was originally sealed for fear of danger to the arresting agents. More than a half-dozen guns were seized at the Hovind's home, including an SKS semiautomatic rifle. Also, "During an IRS raid at the home, agents found and seized numerous cash stashes totalling $42,000."

Evidence produced at the trial revealed that Jo Hovind had requested financial assistance from Baptist Healthcare claiming that the Hovinds had no income. "'Dr. and Mrs. Kent Hovind do not earn salaries,' wrote Martha Harris, the trust secretary of Creation Science Evangelism to Baptist Healthcare. 'As health insurance is not provided for this couple, we would appreciate (financial assistance).'" However, continues the article, "Kent Hovind, a tax protester, makes a substantial amount of money". The Pensacola News Journal noted, "On the day the IRS searched the Hovind home, Kent Hovind withdrew $70,000 from the Creation Science Evangelism account. Half in a check; the other in cash."

At the time of the indictment, Hovind's defense appeared to be that although there were 30 people working for him, all of whom received remuneration in cash, none of them were employees. According to Hovind, "Nobody's an employee, and they all know that when they come. They come, they work ... The laborer is worthy of his hire – we try to take the purely scriptural approach. We do the best we can with helping people with their family needs. There are no employees here." Hovind had also claimed that he was not liable for taxes that he and his ministry did not have to "render unto Caesar" because his workers are "missionaries", not "employees".

On October 21, 2006, the trial began in which he hoped to convince a jury that his amusement park admission and merchandise sales belonged to God and cannot be taxed. Former and current workers, IRS agents, a bank employee, and a lawyer of a non-profit Christian organization testified in the trial. Workers testified that they had to punch time cards, and had vacation and sick days, while others testified that Hovind claimed he had "beat" the tax system. During the trial, the judge "admonished" Hovind's attorney for wasting time and asking irrelevant questions.

The trial concluded on November 1 with the defense deciding not to present a case. After closing arguments were presented on November 2, the jury deliberated three hours before finding the Hovinds guilty on all counts, 58 for Hovind and 44 for his wife. The ''Pensacola News Journal'' noted, "The saddest thing: Had they cooperated with the agents, they probably wouldn't be worrying about prison sentences now."

Sentencing, appeals, and prison life (2007–current)

On January 19, 2007, Hovind was sentenced to ten years in prison and ordered to pay the federal government restitution of over $600,000. After his prison term finishes he will serve another three years of probation. During the sentencing phase, a tearful Hovind, hoping to avoid prison, told the court, "If it's just money the IRS wants, there are thousands of people out there who will help pay the money they want so I can go back out there and preach." However, Hovind's court room behavior was in stark contrast to phone calls he made while in jail and played by the prosecution. The tapes, posted online by the ''Pensacola News Journal'', included one conversation with Kent and his son, Eric Hovind, plotting to hide a motor vehicle title and property deeds to prevent the government from collecting the property to pay for owed debt.

In February 2007, Hovind argued to the judge that the convictions for structuring transactions to evade reporting requirements should be thrown out. On April 18, 2007, the court rejected the defendants' "unit of the crime" arguments, and the motions for acquittal were denied.

After the convictions, Hovind was incarcerated in the Escambia County Jail as a "danger to the community" and a flight risk. Following his sentencing in January 2007, Hovind was incarcerated at the Federal Prison Camp, Pensacola (minimum security), at Saufley Field, Pensacola, Florida, and was later moved to the Federal Correctional Institution, Marianna (medium security), at Marianna, Florida. In May 2007, he was listed as being an "administrative security level" inmate at Federal Correctional Institution, Tallahassee, in Tallahassee, Florida, and the United States Penitentiary (USP) in Atlanta, Georgia, until being placed at Federal Correctional Institution, Edgefield, in South Carolina. In August 2010, he was placed at United States Penitentiary, Atlanta; in September he was moved to Federal Correctional Institution, Jesup. In June 2011, he was moved back to Federal Correctional Institution, Tallahassee then to the FPC Satellite Camp (minimum security) under the adminstration of ADX Florence in Florence, Colorado.

On June 29, 2007, Jo Hovind was sentenced to one year of imprisonment (out of a possible 225 years) and three years of supervision upon release. She was also ordered to pay $8,000 in fines. In court, Jo Hovind told the judge "I really did not have a leadership role in CSE" and finished "I would never knowingly do anything illegal." The prosecutor said that Jo Hovind's statement contradicted the evidence, stating, "I do not believe she's being truthful to the court". The judge stated that "Mrs. Hovind was in charge of the payroll," and that while "Mr. Hovind was the decision-making authority" at CSE and Dinosaur Adventure Land, Jo Hovind had cashed some 200 checks, all under $10,000, for a total of $1.5 million during a four year period. The judge stated that Jo Hovind's sentence was imposed to engender "respect for the law" and as a deterrence to others who might be tempted to break the law.

On July 2, 2007, Hovind's appeal to the Eleventh Circuit Appeals Court for the 2006 U.S. Tax Court judgment (''Kent E. Hovind v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue'') was denied. Hovind "filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit claiming he was prevented from challenging the amount of his tax liability." But "a three-judge panel ruled that Hovind failed to raise the issue at the right time, so he waived his rights to contest his tax liability."

In 2007, the government placed liens on Hovind's 10 properties for money owed. This action stemmed from the June 27, 2007, judgment, which included an order that Hovind's property be forfeited under for costs of $5,800, a fine of $2000, and restitution of $604,874.87. If payment should not be made in full, the Hovinds would be required to pay the principal at an additional 5.1% interest.

On December 30, 2008, the Hovinds' criminal appeal was denied by the Eleventh Circuit Appeals Court. The Court stated that the Hovind's attempts to dismiss their convictions were "without merit". With the appeal denied, wife Jo Hovind began serving time on January 20, 2009, at Federal Correctional Institution, Marianna, and then moved to Metropolitan Correctional Center, Orlando, where she was released on December 3, 2009. The court ruling allowed forfeiture proceedings on Hovind property to continue to satisfy the debt. Eric Hovind kept DAL and CSE open throughout 2008, but in July 2009 a judge allowed the government to seize Hovind property for restitution. On November 30, 2010, Hovind filed a motion in U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida claiming the prosecution and defense erred at various stages of the case. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Kent Hovind, BOP Register number 06452-017, is scheduled for release from prison on August 11, 2015.

References

External links

; Official Hovind

Dr. Dino – Hovind's official website

KentHovindBlog.com Hovind's official blog

*CSE Blogs – Hovind's former official blog at Archive.org

Dinosaur Adventure Land – Hovind's YEC-theme park website

; Creationist but critical of Hovind

Maintaining Creationist Integrity: A response to Kent Hovind from Answers in Genesis (Archive.org)

Rebuttals to the works of Kent Hovind by Answers In Creation

Maintaining Creationist Integrity from Creation Ministries International

Analysis of Ross–Hovind Debate, 2000 from Creation Ministries International, by Jonathan Sarfati

; Critical of creationism and Hovind

Analysis of Kent Hovind Includes a section on Hovind's relationship with Chick Publishing and responses to the $250,000 Challenge.

Unmasking the False Prophet of Creationism by Barbara Forrest. September 1999.

A Miracle Occurs by Michael Shermer

Kent Hovind FAQs from talk.origins

How Good Are Those Young-Earth Arguments? a detailed critique by Dave E. Matson

The Kent Hovind Page by John Stear

When Giants Roamed by the Southern Poverty Law Center (2004)

An Academic Review of Hovind's Dissertation by Karen Bartelt, Ph.D

; Court records

Hovind bankruptcy decision (1996)

Escambia County Florida Clerk of the Circuit Court Affidavit (August 10, 2005) A court affidavit Hovind presented containing his biography.

Kent Hovind v Scott Schneider (2002)

(Memo Opinion)

Escambia County (Pensacola, Florida) Clerk of Courts – Court database

; Media sources

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Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
name	John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band
background	group_or_band
years active	1972–present
origin	Narragansett, Rhode Island, United States
genre	Rock, heartland rock
label	Scotti Bros.
associated acts	Beaver BrownErnie and the Automatics }}

John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band is the name of an American rock band from Narragansett, Rhode Island, that began their career in the 1970s and achieved mainstream success in the 1980s. Originally known as simply Beaver Brown, the group (consisting of John Cafferty (born ca. 1950) on vocals and rhythm guitar, Gary Gramolini on lead guitar, Patrick Lupo on bass, Kenny Jo Silva on drums, Bobby Cotoia on piano, and Michael "Tunes" Antunes on saxophone) started out as a New England bar band and initially established a popular following throughout Rhode Island, Connecticut,and Massachusetts. They also had a following at The Fast Lane and Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

They achieved their greatest fame when they performed the music of a "Springsteen-esque" fictional band in the 1983 movie ''Eddie and the Cruisers''. The soundtrack album from the film reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart and produced a #7 hit single ("On the Dark Side") on the Billboard Hot 100. "On the Dark Side" also held #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for five weeks.

The group's 1985 follow-up album ''Tough All Over'' made the top 50, getting some attention for "C.I.T.Y" and the title track, which became their second #1 single on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Another song from that album, "Voice of America's Sons", was the featured theme song on the official motion picture soundtrack of the movie ''Cobra'', starring Sylvester Stallone. Subsequent releases were mostly sequels to the ''Eddie and the Cruisers'' concept, and Cafferty and the band faded from popular consciousness.

Prior to ''Cobra'', Cafferty's "Heart's on Fire" was featured in another Stallone film, ''Rocky IV'', and has been used in several parodies. They have been referenced in the Sean Connery/French Stewart/Burt Reynolds edition of ''Celebrity Jeopardy!'' on ''Saturday Night Live''.

They still tour sporadically. On September 3, 2004, keyboardist Bobby Cotoia died due to complications from liver disease at the age of 50.

Discography

Studio Albums

''Eddie and the Cruisers Soundtrack'' (1983) (#9) (3x Platinum) The band is simply called Beaver Brown on this album.

''Tough All Over'' (1985) (#40) (Platinum)

''Roadhouse'' (1988)

''Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! Soundtrack'' (1989)

Compilation Albums

''Eddie and the Cruisers: The Unreleased Tapes'' (1991)

''Eddie and the Cruisers: Live and In Concert'' (1992)

''Light of Day: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen'' (2003) (2x Platinum)

''John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band: Extended Versions'' (2004)

Singles (Billboard Hot 100)

"On the Dark Side" (1984) (#7, #34, #68, #94) as it climbed the charts.

"Tender Years" (1984) (#31)

"Tough All Over" (1985) (#22)

"C-I-T-Y" (1985) (#18)

"Small Town Girl" (1985) (#64)

"Voice of America's Sons" (1986) (#62)

"Heart's on Fire" (1986) (#76)

"Song and dance" (1988) (#-) failed to chart.

"Pride and Passion" (1989) (#66)

(Mainstream Rock Tracks)

"On the Dark Side" (1984) (#1)

"Tough All Over" (1985) (#1)

Band members

John Cafferty (Vocals and guitar)

Gary Gramolini (Guitar)

Patrick Lupo (Bass)

Kenny Jo Silva (Drums)

Bobby Cotoia (Piano/Keyboards) Died: September 3, 2004

Michael "Tunes" Antunes (Saxophone)

Other band members

Paul "Cozy" Jackson (Saxophone)

Freddy (Saxophone)

Jackie Santos (drums)

Steve Burke (keyboards)

Bibliography

Himes, Jeffrey (1984). "Beaver Brown: Maturity and Power." ''The Washington Post''. October 24.

Strauss, Duncan (1987). "Cafferty Does Spooky Simulation of Springsteen." ''Los Angeles Times''. October 20.

(2006). "Upcoming Events." ''New York Daily News''. August 13.

Category:American rock music groups Category:Musical groups from Rhode Island Category:Rocky music Category:People from Narragansett, Rhode Island