I asked Ernie Land of Creation Science Ministries, Inc to weigh in on the Hovind family dispute currently roiling a tiny bubble of the internet, that I don’t seem to be able to tear myself away from.  He wrote me:

Kent speaks, as many of us do, taking ownership of the Ministry he patriarchs over. The alter ego CSE Trust was never defended by the trustees or trust writers, that was an error on their part. Given a proper defense, they could have revealed how wicked and corrupt the Judge was in her rulings. I feel I could have gone in as a trustee and destroyed her ruling in her own legalese. That said I would most likely have filed UCC notices followed by financial statements all secured and perfected that would have wrecked her credit and bench sitting, as well as stopped the Government in its tracks. I would play the game by the bankers rules, which allows the standing armies to be on my side instead of against me.

There were legal maneuvers to place CSE Trust property into  State Corporations by Kent’s family. Does that mean those maneuvers were moral and ethical? I think not, but I also understand how an evil, corrupt Government makes one play by their evil, and corrupt methods. Many of what we call regulations, codes, and rules are just plain out violation of the highest law of the land, but those who wish to challenge them, like the Ranchers in Nevada, have not the resources or means to have them fairly heard. 80% of those lower laws would be overturned based on Constitution, which is now ruled by U.C.C. at an International level.

Jesus established his Church on Peter and in the Holy Land, so ultimately the Church is a foreign entity, as those who set up the CSE Trust argued. As such it is not taxable, so given proper defense the alter ego thing and the tax liability would all be far removed, Kent would have spent zero time in jail, and he would, as the Catholic Church has successfully done for centuries, been patriarch over CSE Trust Ministry. As I said to you in a earlier email, these are the very foundations the family has been placed under fear of, so how do they react, they run. They file for divorce, and separation. They withdraw. They use the power they acquired to keep from Kent’s patriarchship the very properties that it was established on.

I do understand them and their fear. Kent is fearless, and may very well end up back in jail due to his speaking out and lack of fear. All the new CSE can do is allow Kent to exercise his freedom of expression, while advancing his Ministry under separate guidance. The Board, and myself have committed to allowing him to speak even on political subjects separate from the Ministry, while only supporting the things of the Ministry that will advance the Kingdom work. We rule over the assets of a newly formed Ministry, we do not rule over its Preacher.

I may be reading between the lines too much, but I’m thinking Ernie would be happier absent Kent’s recent statements about Eric.  Ernie has frequently assured me that he cares deeply about the whole family and I have no reason to doubt him.

New CSE Holding Talks With God Quest

As far as the assets that God Quest has, Ernie wrote:

CSEM, and its Board can only acquire from Eric/God Quest, Inc. any items that can be legally transferred and in the transfer be cautious CSEM is not acting as an alter ego for Kent. The two boards are trying to hammer out agreements that would allow legal and proper transfer of properties that could aid Kent, but most importantly aid the Ministry in advancing the Ministry work Kent so much enjoys, while not putting Eric or God Quest in a position to be seen as alter egos of Kent or Eric. It is very hard when disputes between family members are entangled in legal maneuvers watched over by officials being guided by corrupt immoral laws.

I think that comment is pretty consistent with the practical observations in my previous post on the conflict.

For those of you who have not been following along.  Here is some background.

Background

Members of the Hovind family are involved in two ministries that seek to spread the word about Young Earth Creationism, the notion that you can arrive at the age of the Earth by adding up all those begats in Genesis.  That gets you to about 6,000 years as opposed to about four and a half billion years that establishment science calls for.  Geologic evidence indicative of an old earth is accounted for by the Flood.  In YEC, there is no such thing as prehistoric only antediluvian.

The original ministry founded by Kent Hovind – Creation Science Evangelism – did not come to a good end legally. The acceptance of YEC implies a fairly massive conspiracy since it contradicts not only the idea of evolution making it unpopular in the biology department but there is also much that the geologists and astronomers will object to along with many other disciplines that are not popping into my head right now.

Conspiracy theories are a bit like Lays potato chips, so it is not surprising that Kent embraced many other conspiracy theories including concepts referred to as “sovereign citizenship” and “tax protest”. (Kent did not necessarily agree with those terms and they are being used here for shorthand).

It did not end well with both Kent and his wife Jo going to prison and real estate of the ministry being seized.  There is civil liability for nearly a decade worth of income tax that likely still hangs over them.

Kent’s son Eric picked up the torch founding Creation Today d/b/a God Quest, which appears to be conventionally tax compliant, applying for and receiving exempt status and filing Form 990 using a conventional local CPA firm.  As part of the transition, it seems that God Quest picked up miscellaneous assets from CSE for a song.  According to Kent, there was $2 million worth of stuff that Eric/God Quest picked up for $6,300.

Now that Kent is out of prison and rebooting the original CSE, he wants his stuff back and has his Hovindicators attacking Eric.  See for example Eric Hovind Exposed, which was kind enough to acknowledge me the last time I linked to them, although I was hurt to learn from them that I was on the do not admit list to Kent’s homecoming party.  I’m still trying to decide whether I should take being misidentified as a reporter for the Pensacola News Journal as a compliment.

Ernie Land is running Kent’s new ministry, Creation Science Evangelism, Inc, which like God Quest, is planning on being conventionally tax compliant.  He explains it this way.

The new CSEM has 2 separate entities that work in some unison but separate. There is Creation Science Evangelism, Inc. that will maintain the store, etc. for profit side, and then CSE Ministries, Inc., a Florida recognized nonprofit Corporation with application to the IRS for Federal recognition as an educational not for profit. CSE, Inc. may donate and/or 1099-K monies going to the not for profit. Basically, I see CSE, as a for profit with any profit benefiting CSEM and it’s purpose to advance the Creation and Bible knowledge, as well as (CSE) running Dinosaur Adventure Land. I see the Board of CSEM as advancing the cause of God’s kingdom work on earth in many ways. Preaching Bible, educating people on creation, hosting Bible studies and actual Church services, feeding the homeless, with possible homeless shelters, and even operating a salvation army type store for the poor and homeless.

CSEM will register in Alabama and seek property exemption for DAL. Both CSE and CSEM will be tax compliant. I do not agree the Church is under the State, but again I will comply based on coercion, and threat from an evil corrupt establishment

Ernie indicates that the boards of CSEM and God Quest are trying to sort things out.

Kent Hovind Is Sincere – But

People who uncritically accept Kent Hovind’s narrative of his travails should be aware that even though he is probably sincere in his statements that he has not broken any laws, his understanding of what is legal is highly unconventional.  This is pretty clearly the source of his legal troubles rather than his views on evolution.  As we Hovindologist say, it was about the taxes, not the dinosaurs.

I have to give Ernie Land credit.  He holds similar views on the illegitimacy of much of what the rest of us recognize as government, but also recognizes that on a practical level the theories don’t work well.  Failure to do that is what is most annoying abut the peddlers of untax packages and the like.

Eric Hovind

Eric Hovind indicates that he is sticking with his previous statement.

So thankful that many people care so deeply about our family and the cause of Christ. I love my dad and mom more than any can know. Thank you so much for keeping us in prayer.

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Peter J Reilly CPA is once again neglecting his more conventional tax blog to dive into Hovindology.  Mr. Reilly is a Unitarian Universalist and admires the King James version of the Bible for its majestic language, but does not think it is a good source of scientific information.  On the other hand, he really like Christians, particularly when they are being, you know, Christian.