MR HOVIND GOES TO

Those who consider individuals like Kent Hovind to be harmless cranks with no ability to affect society at large need to reconsider their position.

On March 21, 2001, Kent Hovind was invited by Representative Jim Holt (R) to testify before a committee of the Arkansas Legislature debating the obscure legislation HB2548. The official title of the Bill was;

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT STATE AGENCIES AND OTHER PUBLIC ENTITIES FROM USING TAX DOLLARS TO PURCHASE OR DISTRIBUTE MATERIAL THAT THAT [sic] THEY KNOW OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN CONTAINS, OR PRESENTS AS FACTUAL, INFORMATION WHICH HAS BEEN PROVEN FALSE OR FRAUDULENT;

Why would Kent Hovind want to be involved with this? After all, Kent Hovind lives in Florida. Maybe it has something to do with the fact these words could come straight from Hovind's own sermons;

"I don't mind if the evolutionists want to convert people to their belief. I do mind if they want to use my tax dollars to do it. And I do mind if they are going to lie to do it." [5]

Firstly, lets understand the politics of Representative Jim Holt (R). He has described himself as a preacher/counselor and his religion as Baptist [7]. There is nothing wrong with that. Holt has also publicly described himself as a creationist [1], and by inviting Kent Hovind to testify we can conclude he is sympathetic to Young Earth Creationism. Kent Hovind describes Jim Holt as being "a close personal friend" [3] Conclusion, Jim Holt is a conservative, Baptist, Young Earth Creationist preacher who is a close friend of Kent Hovind (who is also a conservative, Baptist, Young Earth Creationist preacher).

We have now established the philosophical connection between Kent Hovind and Jim Holt but what is the connection with HB2548? Though there is much denial from both Holt [1] and Hovind [3], the clandestine purpose of HB2548 is obviously to attack the teaching of Evolution Theory in the public education system.

Kent Hovind has clearly influenced this Bill through his connection with Representative Holt, though I make no claim he wrote the text personally. The conclusion rests on these facts;

The small remainder of material can be traced to other Young Earth Creationists.

From these observations, we can conclude there is a connection between Kent Hovind and this attempt to influence education in Arkansas.

As a final piece of circumstantial evidence, Hovind wrote an article for his web site [3] countering what he felt was a misrepresentation of HB2548 by an Arkansas newspaper. From personal experience, I can say Hovind rarely responds to his critics. For him to put the effort into writing a rebuttal indicates a high level of personal involvement.

Comparison of HB2548 and the Comic Big Daddy

BIG DADDY

HB2548

HEIDELBERG MAN

Built from a jaw bone that was conceded to be quite human.

i) Heidelberg Man;

(ii) Built from a jaw bone that was conceded to be quite human;

NEBRASKA MAN

Scientifically built up from one tooth, later found to be the tooth of an extinct pig.

(i) Nebraska Man;

(ii) Scientifically built up from one tooth and later learned to be the tooth of an extinct pig;

PILTDOWN MAN

The jawbone turned out to belong to a modern ape

(i) Piltdown Man;

(ii) The jawbone actually belonged to a modern ape;

PEKING MAN

Supposedly 500,000 years old, but all the evidence has disappeared

(i) Peking Man;
(ii) Supposedly 500,000 years old. Ten humans were found with the “Peking Man” along with crushed monkey skulls and tools.

NEANDERTHAL MAN

At the Int'l Congress of Zoology (1958) Dr. A.J.E. Cave said his examination showed this famous skeleton found in France over 50 years ago is that of an old man who suffered from arthritis.

(i) Neanderthal Man;

(ii) At the International Congress of Zoology (1958) Dr. A. J. E. Cave said his examination showed that the famous Neanderthal skeleton found in France over 50 years ago is that of an old man who suffered from arthritis;

CRO-MAGNON MAN

One of the earliest and best established fossils is at best equal in physique and brain capacity to modern man ... so what's the difference?

i) Cro-Magnon Man;

(ii) One of the earliest and best-established [sic] fossils is at least equal in physique and brain capacity to modern man;

[5] Hovind, K. 1999, Creation Seminar Transcript 4a http://www.drdino.com/SeminarOnline/Text/Transcript4.jsp [2001]