Of course character assassination is poor debate style. It's a logical fallacy called ad hominem -- but it's only a fallacy if the points made have nothing to do with the topic being discussed, e.g. claiming "You can't believe anything this person says because he is a homosexual."

Bex said:


I have heard him on his videos state that he was a high school physics teacher. He did not qualify that by explaining that he would have been teaching his brand of "creation science" in non-mainstream schools. Mainstream schools would not employ someone to teach science who did not have a scientific degree; his bachelor's was in "education and Bible."

His doctorate degree is from a diploma mill.

The point I have been making is that anyone can learn about science if they are willing to read up on it. It does not require a scientific degree. However, Hovind uses his claims about his credentials to add an aura of authority to what he is saying and this is patently misleading. I have provided my evidence for his credentials earlier in this thread but I will repeat them here.

Hovind says on his "Dr. Dino" web site that he graduated from Midwestern Baptist College in Michigan in education and Bible and received his master´s and doctoral degrees in education from Patriot University, "a small Christian University in Colorado." (http://www.drdino.com/FAQs/FAQmisc.htm#Q: Where did you get your degree?) In Part One of his videotape seminar, he boasts a "PhD in education."

MBC offers little science instruction, and it is saturated with religious doctrine; the objective of the MBC Department of Education is to train students "for teaching in Christian schools" (http://www.midwesternbaptist.edu/school/courseeducation.htm) The Division of Science offers only 4 undergraduate courses (one is "Creation Science"), all slanted toward Biblical literalism (http://www.midwesternbaptist.edu/school/coursescience.htm). The objective of the sole science education course offered by the MBC Department. of Education is to learn "to present to an elementary class the universe which God has marvelously created" (http://www.midwesternbaptist.edu/school/courseeducation.htm). Hovind´s education at MBC would never qualify him to teach in any school with a legitimate science curriculum.

Hovind´s credentials from Patriot University are even less substantial. PU was formerly in Colorado Springs CO, but is now in Alamos CO, in a house near the College Heights Baptist Church The street address ["External Studies Department Bulletin," Fall 1997] is the residential address of PU´s Executive Director of External Studies, Dr Lonnie Skinner (http://www.anywho.com). The Bulletin indicates how a university could simply relocate to another town: There is no faculty, and credit is offered for "life experience and ministry evaluation". The courses, workbooks, audiotapes, and videotapes can be completed in 2-4 weeks. Tuition is a voluntary, monthly "freewill offering". The only graduate science course is "SC 701 - Biblical Basis of Modern Science". The DMin is offered in Biblical Studies, Pastoral Studies, Evangelism and Missions, Christian Education, and Christian Counseling. Patriot is accredited only by the American Accrediting Association of Theological Institutions, which Steve Levicoff in Name It and Frame It classifies as an "accrediting mill" (Levicoff, Chapter 12). The US Dept of Education does not recognize AAATI as an accrediting agency (US Dept of Education, September 1998, p 28). Hovind´s PhD clearly does not meet even minimally respectable academic standards.

Finally, you have again linked to Hovind's site. I have explained to you why I do not rebut entire websites. It takes you a second to link to it, and it would take me days to reply. I am debating with you, not Hovind. If you want to take a point what Hovind makes on its site and present it for discussion here then I will be happy to oblige.

Maybe we can start with why the sun burns. He's got some interesting ideas about that.