After all, he offers $250,000 (which may or may not exist) to anyone who can demonstrate evolution (although he defines it differently than the scientific community) to a reasonable doubt (meaning with 100% certainty, allowing for no other possibilities whatsoever) in front of a neutral committee (handpicked by Hovind himself) and according to certain criteria (carefully worded so as to rule out any possibility whatsoever of the challenge ever being met).
Maybe it has something to do with the fact he's currently doing time in a Federal Prison for tax evasion.
2007-05-29 08:39:43 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It was tax FRAUD actually.
And here is one that still hasn't been claimed as well: http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/05/19/5000-for-proving-the-earth-is-a-globe/
It is so similar it staggers the imagination.
2007-05-29 08:43:02 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hovind's challenge is worded in a way that makes it impossible to win. Check this out, anyone who's not familiar with it:
"I have a standing offer of $250,000 to anyone who can give any empirical evidence (scientific proof) for evolution.* My $250,000 offer demonstrates that the hypothesis of evolution is nothing more than a religious belief."
WATCH THAT ASTERISK! Here's what it leads to:
"* NOTE: When I use the word evolution, I am not referring to the minor variations found in all of the various life forms (microevolution). I am referring to the general theory of evolution which believes these five major events took place without God:
1. Time, space, and matter came into existence by themselves.
2. Planets and stars formed from space dust.
3. Matter created life by itself.
4. Early life-forms learned to reproduce themselves.
5. Major changes occurred between these diverse life forms (i.e., fish changed to amphibians, amphibians changed to reptiles, and reptiles changed to birds or mammals)."
Besides the fact that most of those 'numbers' do not fall anywhere NEAR what the Theory of Evolution actually states (the ToE is part of biology--someone want to tell me wtf star and planet formation has to do with biology?), it is also QUITE certain that the Theory of Evolution makes NO CLAIMS WHATSOEVER that ANY EVENT took place "without God." Evolution is NOT, I repeat, NOT atheistic. Realize that his definition of "the general theory of evolution" is a COMPLETE fabrication!
He also asks for an impossible proof, and that is 'prove God didn't do it.' Asking for proof of a universal negative is absurd. One CAN'T 'prove God didn't do it.' That's why creationism isn't science! Anything that CAN'T be falsified is not science.
Hovind is flatly lying (he's never even been able to confirm that he has the prize money at all), and he's created a HUGE strawman argument here. For a more in-depth look into how dishonest this 'challenge' is, check my sources out.
2007-05-29 08:45:47 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The challenge could be reworded as follows: If anyone can persuade Kent Hovind or a committee of people who think just like him to stop ignoring the overwhelming scientific evidence for evolution, their reward will be $250,000 that the U.S. government took off him in lieu of back taxes before throwing him in prison. Sounds like a challenge worth trying, if you ask me! :-)
2016-04-01 03:14:08 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I remember Hovind saying even Hawkings refused to debate him. He is going to need that $250 K to bail himself out of prison. By the way, I love watching reruns of his show.
2007-05-29 08:45:21 · answer #4 · answered by Patrick the Carpathian, CaFO 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, actually as the first answerer claimed to you, many scientist have actually beaten him, he just denies it by sinking little holes inside each one of the things people say. But overall, his arguements haven't stood up against any evolutionist. So, yes he has been beaten.
2007-05-29 08:46:22 · answer #5 · answered by Ironic Destiny 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, how did you expect him to get the 250,000 in the first place? Get it honestly? Ha! no way!
2007-05-29 08:42:58 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Only one thing is certain, is that nothing is certain.
Besides death and taxes, that is.
2007-05-29 08:45:44 · answer #7 · answered by sheepeshlysheepy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like you've answered your own question.
2007-05-29 08:42:59 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Many scientists have won.
2007-05-29 08:42:42 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Look at the elephant Kent. Don't you see it's grey?
"It's purple. Prove to me it isn't"
...It's right there. It's grey.
"It's purple, you can't convince me otherwise."
2007-05-29 08:44:54 · answer #10 · answered by Southpaw 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋