June 13, 2007
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Dr. Kent Hovind (PHD) goes to Prison for Tax Evasion.
I just found out today that The founder of Creation Science Evangelism ministries http://www.drdino.com in Pensecola Florida, and Dinosaur adventure land, Dr. Kent Hovind a.k.a. Dr. Dino went to Prison for Tax evasion.
I called Creation Science Evangelism Ministries today, and they confirmed it. Dr. Hovind will be serving a 10 year sentence, with three years probation. He chose not to file 501(c)3 status because he didn’t want the government to tell him what to preach, and due to this his ministry was NOT TAX EXEMPT. However, he refused to pay taxes or take out taxes on his employees, due to his religious convictions. (He did not support his tax money going to support Evolution, or Abortion) and as a result was convicted on January 19th of this year. His son Eric is taking over the work of his father, and will continue the ministry doing debates and seminars. Please pray for Kent and the Hovind family, as they continue to carry on Gods work.
Disclaimer: I do not necessarily agree with the personal decisions of Kent Hovind and his ministry, however I think that most of his information on Creation and the Bible is Factual, and correct. I have seen Dr. Hovind in person, and have supported his ministry for years and will continue to do so, despite his personal decisions, and his current conviction.
Comments (9)
I would also like to add that the ministry is “repentant” in that they have decided to comply with the government regulations and pay the taxes. This is a complex issue, one I cannot claim to understand. I do not want my hard earned $$ going to kill babies or teach children that there is no God. I don’t want it to go to research on embryonic stem cell research. There are many government programs I don’t like or want to support because of my religious convictions.
However, you have to deal with Jesus’ teaching which says “Give to Caeser what is Caeser’s.” And that we are supposed to obey the law of the land.
But if my $$ pays for abortions, will I not be held accountable for that at the judgement seat?
The government forces you to do one or another:
Get a 501(c)3 and comply with government regulations not to speak out on political issues etc. (They are allowed to regulate many things about 501(c)3s.)
Or, pay taxes into a totally corrupt system and pay for many anti-God, anti-moral programs which cause murder of innocent children and support persecution against Christians etc.
Or, of course you can do neither and go to jail. How is there any religious freedom in this?
Personally, I will most likely pay my taxes and take my chances with God, rather than with the government and risk my credibility with the public.
ouch, i hate hearing about this
these are issues i will have to face and don’t want to
will be praying for them for sure
Religious organizations in the US are tax exempt?
That will change if I become Chairman of the Revolutionary People’s Council.
Religious organizations in the US are tax exempt? Yes, many of them are and as a result cannot preach out against Evolution, Abortion, Homosexuality or other social and political issues. Most churches decide to go this route, because a lot of Americans will not donate, tithe, or give anything unless they can get it back at the end of the year. Sad but true.
I went to the article but it was plainly anti Christian constantly citing Mr Hovind’s education was ” none accredited” and so on. Due to the obvious slant of animosity instead of the just sticking to facts perhaps a little synopsis of your own to show what he did good and bad would be in order.
I agree with you completely. While I don’t necessarily agree with the stance he took and how he handled the trial, itself… and his defense, I honestly think the government was out to get him. The man is in prison for 10 years and in solitary confinement 23 hours a day!! That’s EXTREME for anyone. And he did TRY and pay the IRS back. In fact, the funds are promised and there!! No one else would have gotten that sentence. No one. The judge even attempted to contact the IRS to pay the funds back. They said “No way.” It’s their choice that he goes to prison… but they rarely do that if the funds can be paid back. It’s blatantly obvious that while he was wrong in some decisions, the government was just looking to shut him up.
He is a tax cheat, give me a break. He claimed the employees at his amusement park (not church) were volunteers and withheld over half a million dollars in payroll taxes (which as someone pointed out, he had in the bank and could have easily afforded to pay), then when the IRS came knocking claimed their paychecks were “love offerings” to his “volunteers”. He dodged his taxes and went to jail for it, period. This “he’s being persecuted for his beliefs” stuff is bullshit – the law applies to everyone, not just non-christians. He and his wife were charged with almost 90 counts, the idea that serving 10 years for breaking the law 90 times is just because he’s a creationist is absurd. Would you defend me if I withheld half a million dollars in taxes if my income was around a million a year?
@derekwilson24 - Tax exemption means no such thing – it just means you can’t endorse, campaign for or raise money for political candidates or parties. Non-profit groups get tax exemption to help them in their charitable aims, not to promote any ideology or political agenda over another, which is not the role of government.
@New1E13_15 - Saying his university was unaccredited is a very polite way of saying he has a fake PhD from a fake university. You don’t have to be anti-christian to oppose deliberate deception.
@agnophilo - @agnophilo - No response?