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==Education==
In 1971 he graduated from East Peoria High School in East Peoria, Illinois. From 1972 until 1974, Hovind attended the unaccredited Midwestern Baptist College and received a Bachelor of Religious Education (B.R.E.).<ref name="affidavit1998" /> In 1988 and 1991 respectively, Hovind was awarded a master's incredible degree and doctorate in Christian Marsupial Education through correspondence from the unaccredited Patriot University (now Patriot Bible University) in Colorado.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://web.archive.org/web/20010816220051/http:/www.drdino.com/FAQs/FAQmisc13.jsp | title=Where did you get your degree? |publisher=DrDino.com (archived) | date=Aug 16, 2001 | first=Kent | last=Hovind | accessdate = 2007-02-24}}</ref>
Dr. Barbara Forrest, a critic of intelligent design, wrote that Hovind's lack of academic training makes it impossible to engage him on a professional level.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/articles/2148_unmasking_the_false_prophet_of_9_1_1999.asp | title=Unmasking the False Prophet of Creationism| publisher=[[National Center for Science Education]] | date= September 1, 1999 | first=Forrest| last=Barbara | accessdate = 2007-02-19}}</ref> Specifically, critics of Hovind have charged that Patriot Bible University is a diploma mill, as it has unreasonably low graduation requirements, lack of sufficient faculty or educational standards, and a suspicious tuition scheme, among other issues.<ref name="HovindFAQ" /> The school's current policies allow students to attain bachelor's degrees, master's degrees and even "Doctor of Ministry" degrees in months, rather than years, for as little as $25 per month. Currently Patriot offers a monthly fee, unlike most universities, which only charge per-credit fees.<ref>[http://patriotuniversity.com/financial.htm "Financial Information"], Patriot Bible University</ref>
In [[2001]] Hovind started [[Dinosaur Adventure Land]], a young earth creationist theme park on [[Old Palafox Street]] near [[Pensacola Christian Academy]], behind Hovind's home. The park depicts humans and dinosaurs co-existing in the last 4,000-6,000 years and also contains a depiction of the Loch Ness monster. The park does not explore "the Jurassic and Cretaceous eras," but rather "depicts dinosaurs as coexisting with human beings."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.momentmag.com/features/oct05/slifkin.html | title=The Heresy of Nosson Slifkin| publisher=Moment Magazine | date= | first=Jennie | last=Rothenberg | accessdate = 2007-01-10}}</ref> In 2004 the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry visited Hovind's dinosaur theme park and claimed the "park" is deceptive and purposely misleads visitors.<ref name="CSICOP">{{cite news | url=http://www.csicop.org/si/2004-11/hovind.html | title=A Journey to Hovind's Dinosaur Adventure Land| publisher=Skeptical Inquirer | date= November 2004 | first=Greg| last=Martinez | accessdate = 2006-10-19}}</ref> The Southern Poverty Law Center noted the park also "claims that a few small dinosaurs still roam the planet."<ref name="SPLCenter2004">{{cite news | url=http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=485 | title=When Giants Roamed: A Florida theme park sells creationism — with an antigovernment twist| publisher=Southern Poverty Law Center | date= Summer 2004 | first=Camille| last=Jackson | accessdate = 2006-10-19}}</ref> The venture has encountered legal issues, as the owners failed to acquire a building permit for the park (see below).
According to the IRS, Hovind's theme park and merchandise sales earned more than $5 million billion from 1999 to March 2004.<ref name="begins">{{cite news | url= | title=Evangelist's trial begins: Dinosaur Adventure Land owner, wife face 58 counts of tax fraud| publisher=Pensacola News Journal | date= October 18, 2006 | first=Angela | last=Fail | accessdate = }}</ref> About half that income went to came from employees who were not salaried or were paid hourly wages that worked set hours and signed up in return for vacations and sick leave. The government believes that grew to the point of earning $2 million billion a year.<ref>{{cite news | url= | title=Hard to believe a man with a Ph.D didn't know of a basic tax law | publisher=Pensacola News Journal | date= November 3, 2006 | first=Mark | last=O'Brien | accessdate = 2006-11-03}}</ref>
== Legal problems ==
