IRS seizes Creationist Theme Park in Pensacola.

[madfloridian]

A big tip of the hat to The Progressive Puppy blog.


Borrowed the picture from Progressive Puppy

Three years ago, "Doctor Dino" Kent Hovind of Creation Science Ministries was found guilty on 58 counts of failure to pay employee taxes and making threats against federal investigators. For almost two decades Hovind had claimed no income or property, insisting that was "employed by God" and that his staff were not subject to the IRS. Now, finally, the government has confiscated the holdings of this Christianist con artist, which means that Hovind's theme park, Dinosaur Adventure Land, may soon be available for purchase by other fundies who want to perpetuate the myth that T-Rexes and humans walked the planet at the same time. From PNJ.com: U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers’ 16-page order released late Thursday gives the government the green light to divide up the nine properties in and around the 5800 block of North Palafox Street and begin to sell them until the $430,400 forfeiture amount is satisfied. The properties have a combined value of more than what the Hovinds owe, according to Rodgers’ order, and any excess property available after the sales will be returned to the Hovinds. The Hovinds’ son, Eric, and business associate Glenn Stoll unsuccessfully tried to block the government’s attempt to seize the properties. They said they are the legal owners.

According to court documents filed by the U.S. attorney’s office, Kent Hovind tried to make a series of quick transfers to conceal his ownership of the properties at risk for seizure. But the Deity must have been sleeping on the job that day and the good reverend's chicanery was discovered. ("By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, and we wept...")

Here is more about the Dinosaur Adventure Land that was closed.

Feds can seize Dinosaur Adventure Land

A ruling this week says the nine properties that make up Dinosaur Adventure Land, and two bank accounts associated with the park will be used to satisfy $430,400 in restitution owed to the federal government.

Kent Hovind, who founded the park and his ministry, Creation Science Evangelism, is serving 10 years in federal prison as a result of a tax-fraud conviction for failing to pay more than $470,000 in employee taxes in a long-running dispute with the Internal Revenue Service.

Kent Hovind was found guilty in November 2006 on 58 counts, including failure to pay employee taxes and making threats against investigators.

The East Peoria, Ill. native sparred with the IRS for 17 years before his conviction. He claimed no income or property since he was employed by God and said that his ministers were not subject to payroll taxes.

Seems Hovind's claim of working for God was not found credible by the IRS.

[YOY]

1. Isn't the creationist museum his as well?

Oh please...make that go away as well...make it public as hell.

[madfloridian]

9. Not sure about the museum...isn't Ken Hamm connected with that?

I am just not sure. His site is Answers in Genesis.

[YOY]

11. Which one is an Aussie?

n/t

[madfloridian]

15. Hamm is the Aussie who was in the film done by Pelosi's daughter.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1112781

He is really something else.

[YOY]

17. I've seen him speak...he's apeshit.

n.t.

[Peregrine]

13. No, the museum is Ken Ham's

Friday over 200 atheists are going to the museum, led by PZ Myers (Pharyngula).

[annarbor]

2. Dear God, No!!!!

Priceless....

Jesus, what irony :)

[aquart]

3. God didn't file the correct papers ...or make the proper deductions.

God wants to do business in America, he can damn well follow the rules!

[BR_Parkway]

21. And even God must produce a birth certificate, or Lou Dobbs will

call him out as "undocumented"

[SleeplessInAlabama]

22. A usurper, even n/t

[pattmarty]

45. Yeah, I agree. Oh, and by the way, we can start taxing ALL his...............

........"homes" he has in America also. We have a "small" tax on ALL churches in this country, we could wipe out the deficit and fund healthcare and public education from K-16.

[BolivarianHero]

49. Give to caesar what belong to caesar.

Give to the LORD what belongs to the LORD.

Seems these freaks need to brush up on their Hebrew mythology.

[intheflow]

52. Not Hebrew mythology.

Jesus said that about rendering unto Caesar, in the New Testament. (Of course Jesus was a Jew, but his quotes are not part of modern Judaism, and thus are not considered "Hebrew mythology".)

But aside from that, that was the first thing I thought of when I read this. I don't know how they missed that part of the New Testament. Of course, these are the people who are obsessed with misinterpreting the Old Testament and using it to repress everyone who doesn't agree with their idiotic misinterpretations about morality and the beginning of life on Earth. I'm not sure any of them have actually read the New Testament. They just love their Jeebus on blind faith, they don't need no stinkin' reading comprehension skills!

[aquart]

57. I kinda like "The sons of Eli are worthless men."

I Samuel 2:12

The Sin of Eli’s Sons

12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the LORD 13 and the custom of the priests with the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14 Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. Thus they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take boiled meat from you, only raw.” 16 If the man said to him, “They must surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as you desire,” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for the men despised the offering of the LORD.

Samuel before the LORD as a Boy

18 Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD, as a boy wearing a linen ephod. 19 And his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the LORD give you children from this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the LORD.” And they went to their own home.
21 The LORD visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the LORD.

Eli Rebukes His Sons

22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 23 He said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? 24 “No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear the LORD’S people circulating. 25 “If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the LORD desired to put them to death.
26 Now the boy Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with the LORD and with men.
27 Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Did I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 28 ‘Did I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My priests, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to carry an ephod before Me; and did I not give to the house of your father all the fire offerings of the sons of Israel? 29 ‘Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the choicest of every offering of My people Israel?’ 30 “Therefore the LORD God of Israel declares, ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever’; but now the LORD declares, ‘Far be it from Me—for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed. 31 ‘Behold, the days are coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father’s house so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 ‘You will see the distress of My dwelling, in spite of all the good that I do for Israel; and an old man will not be in your house forever. 33 ‘Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the increase of your house will die in the prime of life. 34 ‘This will be the sign to you which will come concerning your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both of them will die. 35 ‘But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always. 36 ‘Everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and say, “Please assign me to one of the priest’s offices so that I may eat a piece of bread.”’”

[cliffordu]

4. Now my schadenfreude is fully erect....

:rofl: :bounce: :rofl: :bounce: :rofl: :bounce: :rofl:
:bounce::rofl: :bounce: :rofl: :bounce::rofl:
:bounce: :rofl: :bounce::rofl: :bounce: :rofl: :bounce:
:rofl: :bounce: :rofl: :bounce::rofl: :bounce: :rofl:

:bounce::rofl: :bounce: :rofl: :bounce::rofl: :bounce:

:rofl: :bounce:

[ejpoeta]

5. lol. uggh.

[Robb]

6. So his argument was *God* was supposed to remit payroll taxes for him?

Oy. :eyes:

[armyowalgreens]

7. Where's his god now?

[Hassin Bin Sober]

18. Where's you messiah now!

[Ikonoklast]

8. He can call on God as a material witness to appear at the hearing.

Good luck with that.

[gratuitous]

14. The Almighty issued this statement

"I'd happily vouch for Mr. Hovind's character, but take it from me, he has none."

[FatDave]

36. Hey, it worked in that George Burns movie.

[moonbatmax]

55. Hey, if it worked for John Denver... (n/t)

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. Well shit.

Does this mean the federal government will now have to operate a Creationist theme park in order to repay the money? Like that brothel in NV?

[marmar]

12. What was it called? La-La Land?

:crazy:

[sledgehammer]

16. "He claimed no income or property since he was employed by God..."

Disappointing that his employer didn't vouch for him at trial. Made him work all those years for no income, and just drops him when he needed help.

Honestly, I hate such manipulative bosses.

[ColbertWatcher]

19. BWAHAHAHAHA! k+r, n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

20. "long-running dispute with the {IRS}" Gee, who was in charge when all this began? n/t

[Vickers]

23. "the Deity must have been sleeping on the job"

*Whew!*

Keyboard still works.

:P

[noel711]

24. Poor guy... he's biblically illiterate...

He missed the part where Jesus said: "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's..."

In regard to a question about paying taxes...

Jesus' answer is a definite 'yes.'

If you're gonna live in Caesar's world,
with Caesar's cash, then ya gotta
pay off the emperor...

Even those of us who are ordained clergy
pay our taxes because it's a justice issue:
We are accountable for paying for our
roads, schools, post office, medicare for the elderly
and simple benefits to help the poor.
There's a price to be paid for living in a democracy.

Guys like him make anyone with faith
look like a bloomin' idiot.

[TlalocW]

25. Okay, seriously, Soros needs to buy it

I always see all this crap from right-wingers about Soros funding every liberal cause/person/organization in the country but never offering any real proof. Soros needs to live up to his reputation, buy it, hire actual scientists to retro-fit all the creationist crap with actual science, do some upgrading, and then open it to the public with an admission charge of $2, with $1 going to support science education in America. He can afford it.

TlalocW

[dembotoz]

26. perhaps the charges will EVOLVE into jail time

[piratefish08]

27. They asketh Jeebus to provide and he answereth "You want HOW FUCKING MUCH?"

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[FLAprogressive]

28. Pensacola, home of the Morning Schmoe

[madfloridian]

29. Their site is selling fossils of dinosaurs

http://shopping.drdino.com/category-exec/category_id/53/nm/Fossils

Selling books:

http://shopping.drdino.com/category-exec/category_id/17/nm/End_Times

And videos

http://shopping.drdino.com/category-exec/category_id/35/nm/Creation

Apparently the site of Dinosaur Adventure Land has moved to the above site.

[and-justice-for-all]

30. Awsome! nt

[madfloridian]

31. Love your picture. Funny and much needed.

Maybe we could shut them up that way about the earth being 6000 years old. ;-)

[RedCloud]

32. But why didn't God forewarn them? Was it Zeus's turn to handle all things earthly?

[boppers]

33. Law is darwinism!

:rofl:

[_dynamicdems]

34. This is priceless.

I never thought I'd be cheering on the IRS, but in this case:



:yourock:

[RagAss]

35. Nobody trumps the IRS !

[Critters2]

37. I've been surprised how many people, including progressives, think I don't pay taxes

because I work for a church. Well, this is what happens when one doesn't pay taxes....even if you work for a religious non-profit.

[valerief]

44. Think I could skip twenty years without paying taxes? I don't think so. nt

[Critters2]

51. And I could? I underpaind by $200 (mine are not withheld) and just sent

off the check, to avoid the deadline before all the IRS threats were to kick in...and that was for 2008 taxes. This guy has been hiding assets, paying attorneys, and playing games. You could probably do the same. Lots of people have, in all kinds of fields. WE who work for non-profits get no special consideration. And there are no special rules or laws for religious orgs. We're covered under the same regs as secular non-profits.

Always good to see the paranoia of the religion haters, though.

[valerief]

54. I didn't understand your last line.

I also didn't insinuate that you could get away with it. I was just noting that I couldn't but this clown could.

Always glad to see the defensiveness of... Oh, I won't go there.

[progressoid]

38. Wish I could rec this a dozen times.

[troubledamerican]

39. "Obama's IRS is persecuting believers" is what they will say.

[Duppers]

40. Why aren't church-owned businesses held to the same standard?

Frank Schaeffer says the same here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x468572

[Vidar]

41. Good riddance.

[Historic NY]

42. Well that was intelligent, not paying taxes....even Jesus knew better..

Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him.

[happygoluckytoyou]

43. GOT IN SPECIFIC TROUBLE WHEN HE BLAMED HIS BOSS FOR MAKING HIM WORK SUNDAYS

[elehhhhna]

46. "Seized" or "raptured"??!?

[jmm]

47. So much for rendering onto Caesar what is Caesar's.(n/t)

[Buzz Clik]

48. That park has monetary value? Who knew.

[Mnpaul]

50. Is this the park Maher used in Religulous?

If it is Bill will have some more good material.

[mod mom]

53. While they are at it-can they seize C-Street?

[mother earth]

56. Something done right for a change, good on the IRS.