Kent Hovind, evasive babbler


Peter Reilly has really been hammering Kent Hovind on his tax issues on Forbes, and now he’s done an interview with him. It’s bizarre. Hovind doesn’t seem to be able to answer any question simply — he always goes flying off on some tangent that gives him an excuse to quote the Bible.

For instance, he’s asked whether he was told by an IRS agent or other individual that he didn’t have to file a 1040 tax form…and he replies by saying that all of his income was pledged to the church and he had no income, therefore he had nothing to file on. He’s grilled about Glen Stoll, who has been convicted on fraud charges, and Hovind dances around the details, insisting that he’s a “great godly man”.

Only listen if you have a strong tolerance for meandering con men.

He also keeps comparing government institutions to Hitler and the Mafia. I don’t think he’s at all repentant.

Comments

  1. says

    Referring to Kent Hovind as “Doctor” is misleading. Bugs me every time I hear it.

    Hovind is not wrong, he just “lost in court.” Civil government is bad, that’s the Hovind summary.

    Disingenuous entirely when Hovind claims to not know the details of his own tax case.

    “Evolution is the dumbest religion in history.”

  2. says

    From Rational Wiki:

    Kent Hovind promotes himself as Dr. Kent Hovind or Dr. Dino. Prior to his 58 felony convictions and ten-year prison sentence, Hovind received a Ph.D. from Patriot Bible University, an unaccredited Christian college. Because of Hovind’s use of the title of “Doctor” based on a degree from an unaccredited institution, legitimate scientists have closely examined his bona fides, including the work he submitted to fulfill the requirements for a doctorate. […]

    On December 9, 2009 Wikileaks released Hovind’s dissertation in Christian Education.[1] Usually, legitimate scholars are thrilled to find that people want to read their dissertations, but legitimate scholars don’t get their degrees from diploma mills like Patriot Bible University. Bloggers and forum participants have widely linked to Hovind’s dissertation since it contains a heady mixture of scientific inaccuracy, incoherent writing, frequent spelling errors, shoddy scholarship and other things which make the skeptical community giggle with glee.

    In 2013, Hovind claimed to have four doctorates, in (Christian) Education, Theology, Biblical Ministry, and Divinity (Honorary).[2] This article focuses on the first, and makes brief mention of the third. Evidence of the supposed degree in Theology has not as yet been found, nor are any details available on the “honorary” doctorate in Divinity. […]

  3. says

    For instance, he’s asked whether he was told by an IRS agent or other individual that he didn’t have to file a 1040 tax form…and he replies by saying that all of his income was pledged to the church and he had no income, therefore he had nothing to file on.

    Ah, the myth of broke Kent Hovind, hero to sovereign citizens everywhere…

    http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/01/22/newest-right-wing-hero-claims-filing-taxes-is-against-his-sincerely-held-religious-beliefs-video/

    Agents that raided Hovind’s Florida home in 2006 seized a half-dozen firearms and tens of thousands of dollars in cash, which was stashed around the home. At the same time the Hovind’s were sitting on all this cash, they requested financial assistance from Baptist Healthcare, claiming they had no income. On the same day the IRS raided his home, Hovind withdrew an additional $70,000 from the bank. The family had also purchased at least nine properties with the income they didn’t have.

  4. jerthebarbarian says

    @2

    Kent Hovind promotes himself as Dr. Kent Hovind or Dr. Dino. Prior to his 58 felony convictions and ten-year prison sentence, Hovind received a Ph.D. from Patriot Bible University, an unaccredited Christian college.

    If Kent Hovind were a character in a novel that was supposed to be biting satire the editor would force a rewrite because the author was being too on the nose.

    (Seriously – “Patriot Bible University”? It’s like he stepped out of a Joseph Heller novel or something.)

  5. Rich Woods says

    @Tony #3:

    Agents that raided Hovind’s Florida home in 2006 seized a half-dozen firearms

    I see he follows his lord and master’s teaching about turning the other cheek. Or were the guns also pledged to the church?

  6. Sir TJ says

    BTW, even if all his income is pledged to the church, the amount pledged to the church is a deduction; not an adjustment to income. It is subject to all the limitations on deductibility and does not effect the requirement to file.

  7. says

    I quit paying attention shortly after the thing started, given Hovind’s endless and boring filibuster. “Evasive babbler” is spot-on.

    I appreciate the work that Reilly had done in exposing Dr. Hovind, but this is not an effective interview. Aside from being entirely too long, it all misses the point. Hovind keeps believing that the law doesn’t apply to him in spite of every single bit of evidence, including the fact that he’s in prison, saying otherwise. Reilly keeps letting himself get distracted by Hovind’s….distractions.

  8. unclefrogy says

    I am really tired of this argument that the government is not legitimate (organized crime?) because it uses force and takes taxes to pay for the services that are provided. All the complainers have no problem at all of enjoying these services and benefits government provides they just do not want to pay their fair share. They are the real takers the real leaches on society.
    uncle frogy

  9. grumpyoldfart says

    I’m looking forward to the brawl when Kent gets out of jail and tries to win back control of the bank accounts from his son Eric.

  10. Rasalhague says

    I’m looking forward to the brawl when Kent gets out of jail and tries to win back control of the bank accounts from his son Eric.

    Unless Kent comes to his senses, that day will never come. With an ounce of humility and a decent lawyer, Kent would have been back at home years ago, but for some reason he just can’t do it. Right now he’s charting a course that will keep him in jail for the rest of his life.

  11. otrame says

    Remember, “Doctor” Hovind’s thesis began “Hi, my name is Kent Hovind,” after which he explained what would be in his 12 chapters. There were only four chapters.

    So, yeah, I don’t like people calling him Doctor unless also they show a picture of the mobile home that is the entirety of Patriot Bible University.

  12. says

    Kent ironically compares the IRS courts to Hitler ruling that an eighth Jew should be executed. But Nazis didn’t execute eighth-Jews. Or-quarter Jews. Or half-Jews. The Nazis didn’t want to make any German widows, widowers, and orphans. They cared tremendously about public opinion. Eighth-Jews were actually considered full Germans. He’s arguing that the tax code is a big conspiracy designed to make his life hard by comparing his conspiracy to something the Nazis were unable to do.

  13. GuineaPigDan . says

    @41:00 this part of the interview was pretty bizarre, where Hovind talks about abolishing the current prison system and having a “Biblical” version of law enforcement in place where people who commit crimes would be given the the option of serving time or 20 lashes. I don’t know if Hovind is being serious or just hyperbolic, but if that’s seriously the kind of law enforcement he wants, then that’s pretty ironic considering many of his Christian fundamentalist ilk are terrified of the prospect of radical Muslims imposing extremist interpretations of Sharia law on everyone, or the Catholic Church bringing back the inquisition.

  14. says

    Unclefrogy – That’s been my complaint about Tea Party types for a while now.

    Reminds me of a commercial I saw on the Discovery Channel for some show called Alaskan Bush People. It was all about how they could survive in the wilderness of Alaska with no help from the outside world. Yet they were all wearing store bought clothes and boots, had hunting rifles and ammunition, I think one of the commercials even mentioned something about a chainsaw. So yeah, no help from the outside world except for all their critical supplies (assuming the premise is even true).

    So I guess, very much like how the Tea Party views government.

  15. shockna says

    that’s pretty ironic considering many of his Christian fundamentalist ilk are terrified of the prospect of radical Muslims imposing extremist interpretations of Sharia law on everyone, or the Catholic Church bringing back the inquisition.

    They never had a problem with the awful things that make up much of Sharia law. Their problem is that they wouldn’t like the enforcers. Hovind wants it because it would make men like him even more absurdly privileged than they already are.

  16. says

    It seems Eric would like Kent to stay where he is.

    As instead of Kent begging for money surely his loving son would pay his legal costs. But then as has been said, just think how Eric will be pushed aside as Kent wants to take back the family business.

  17. twas brillig (stevem) says

    For instance, he’s asked whether he was told by an IRS agent or other individual that he didn’t have to file a 1040 tax form…and he replies by saying that all of his income was pledged to the church and he had no income, therefore he had nothing to file on.

    So all that money in his house was really the church’s money, not his, he’s just the caretaker, guarding the money from those IRS looters. Still, gotta show us the papers that the money isn’t yours. How draconian is it to be required to fill out the form, with a bottom line, “$0”?? They’ll even Give You the form, for free. Just fill in a few of the boxes, with “$0.00”! Is that too hard, too draconian? Paperwork, paperwork, only a few minutes to fill in the paperwork.