What is
Going on in Arkansas?
Last Wednesday, March 21, 2001, I came at my expense to testify before the
house committee about lies that are being promoted as fact in tax funded institutions
in the state of Arkansas. Representative Jim Holt had written an excellent bill
(below) to prohibit tax dollars from promoting known lies. Even those who spoke
to oppose the bill admitted that they knew the items spelled out in the bill
were indeed false. They only questioned whether Arkansas needed a law to get
them out of tax-funded institutions.
As I pointed out to the committee, the bill says nothing about religion,
creation or evolution yet columnist Steve Barnes (who was there for the entire
committee meeting) is very confused, or has deliberately lied, to cover for the
lies in the textbooks. My mother always told me if you told a lie to cover a
lie, the second lie must be bigger than the first. The article by Steve Barnes
(reproduced below) proves my mother was right.
Anyone is welcome, as always, to present any real scientific evidence that
supports any theory but they should not be allowed to use tax dollars to teach known
lies! It just so happens, that all the lies mentioned in Arkansas HB 2548 are
being used to support the evolution theory in textbooks around the world. If
that offends "believers" in the evolution religion, that is just too
bad. If all they have to support their theory is lies, they ought to wake up
and reconsider the wisdom of what they "believe".
Rep. Jim Holt (501-790-4658) is personal a friend of mine. He has 6
well-behaved children. He has spent countless hours and dollars on this needed
bill yet nearly all the email he has received has been negative. Since the
opposition has motivated their forces to send hundreds of letters against the
bill, I encourage everyone who loves truth to write their congressman or
senator, both state and federal, TODAY (the bill will be voted on today, March
23, 2001) and demand that they support legislation that would prevent their tax
dollars from being spent to promote known lies.
UPDATE:
This bill was defeated on March 23, 2001. However, Rep. Holt will be
bringing it up for a repeat vote soon. We need to keep praying and continue to
contact the Arkansas representatives about this important revote!
The email addresses for each Arkansas representative and senator is below
followed by the entire text of the bill, HB 2548.
Lying is evil. Edmond Burke said, "All that is needed for the triumph
of evil is for good men to do nothing." Do something!
Dr. Kent Hovind
15-year veteran high school science teacher.
850-479-3466
www.drdino.com
I have inserted my comments (KH) into Steve Barnes article below to point
out his lies.
By Steve Barnes
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Reuters) - A committee of the Arkansas legislature on
Wednesday recommended banning the theory of evolution from textbooks in the
latest challenge by state officials to the scientific view of how life
develops.
KH- This is a bold faced lie! The committee voted to not allow tax dollars to
pay for known lies to be taught. They never banned evolution! Steve needs to
read the bill or call me and I will read it to him!
A committee of the state House approved the legislation and forwarded it to
the full House, 20 years after the state legislature passed a similar bill
later struck down in federal courts as unconstitutional.
KH- There is no similarity between what the committee did and the law 20 years
ago. The law 20 years ago required teachers to give equal time to creation and
evolution. This bill says nothing about either topic. Steve needs to read the
bill!
The measure advanced despite a warning from the American Civil Liberties
Union (news - web sites) (ACLU) that it could violate the constitutionally
mandated separation of church and state.
KH- There is no such thing as "separation of church and state" found
anywhere in the constitution and a bill banning lies is not even remotely
related to this subject. Steve needs to read the bill!
``Would anybody here pretend that this isn't about religion?'' Rita Sklar of
the ACLU's Arkansas chapter asked the committee.
KH- Yes! Anyone who reads the bill will realize there is nothing about religion
in it. It may be remotely connected if you realize that evolution is a religion
and all they have to support their religion is lies.
``Do you believe you were descended from a monkey?'' Rep. Denny Altes shot
back. ``If we teach kids that they were descended from monkeys, don't you think
they'll act like monkeys?''
KH- In light of all the shootings and violence in schools these days Rep. Altes
has a point!
Fundamentalist Christian activists have had little success in repeated
attempts at the state level to block the teaching of biological evolution,
which holds that humans developed from animals, or promote divine
``creationism'' as a competing theory.>
The most recent failure was in Kansas, where a newly elected state board of
education last month overturned a 1999 decision by the previous board to drop
evolution from state education requirements.
KH- Kansas did no such thing! The state school board simply said no one had
been able to give any evidence for "macro-evolution" so the state
would not "require" that it be taught. Teachers were still welcome to
teach it if they wanted to. Steve needs to learn to read things before he makes
comments!
Focus On State-Funded Textbooks
The Arkansas legislation was approved by the House Committee on State Agencies
and Governmental affairs.
It would bar the topic of evolution or related radio-carbon dating of animal
and plant fossils from state-funded textbooks used in schools, museums,
libraries and zoos.
KH- Where did he get this! The bill would do no such thing. It would simply
require "theories" to be clearly labeled as "theories" and
not be taught as if they were gospel. Steve needs to read the bill!
In books already on hand, the bill would require teachers to instruct students
to mark ``false evidence'' or ``theory'' in the margins next to references to
evolution and the carbon dating of fossils.
``We have been elected to make sure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely
and only for truth,'' Rep. Jim Holt, a freshman Republican and self-described
Christian conservative, told the committee.
KH- What does Rep. Holts religion have to do with anything! Does Steve
discriminate against people who are religious? If the textbooks contain lies,
get them out. It does not take a genius to figure that out. If your books and
zoos, etc. were teaching that the earth was flat wouldn't you want that taken
out? Steve needs to read the bill!
Political observers questioned whether the bill would survive the state
Senate if it makes it through the full House. The Senate is traditionally less
conservative than the House.
Rep. Barbara King, a retired teacher, was the lone vote against sending the
bill to the House floor. She said the measure was unnecessary and was probably
unconstitutional.
KH- Since some of the lies mentioned in the bill have been in the books, zoos
and museums for over 125 years it is obvious to anyone with any sense that the
bill is necessary, and what can be unconstitutional about spending tax dollars
on truth instead of lies?
The committee vote came exactly 20 years after Arkansas passed a law
requiring public school teachers who referred to evolution in the classroom to
give equal treatment to the Biblical account of creation.
KH- Steve got one right!
The ACLU filed suit and was awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in
legal fees when a federal judge overturned the law in 1982.
Arkansas along with Mississippi, Oklahoma and Tennessee barred the teaching of
evolution in their public schools in the 1920s, a move hailed by failed
Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan.
Bryan was a key figure in the 1925 prosecution of John T. Scopes, a Tennessee
high school teacher charged with violating the ban. Scopes was convicted and
fined $100. The state's high court later acquitted him, saying he had been fined
excessively, but upheld the law.
KH- Steve is confused or lying! The court never "acquitted him! The fine
was overturned on a technicality. Steve needs to read the case!
In 1968 the U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites) ruled unconstitutional any
laws barring evolutionary teaching in public schools.
KH- There is no similarity between barring tax dollars from supporting lies and
"requiring creation to be taught. Where does Steve get these ideas?
Anyone who lies to cover for lies needs a job in communist China not America!
I will come back to Arkansas at my expense to publicly debate any of the
statements in my letter or any lies exposed by HB 2548. For many years I have
offered $250,000 for anyone with real scientific evidence for evolution. If all
they have is lies to support their theory they need a wake up call!
Dr. Kent Hovind, 29 Cummings Road, Pensacola, Florida 32503, 850-479-3466.
Email addresses for Arkansas senators and representatives:
The committee that wisely voted to recommend HB 2548:
sagee@arkleg.state.ar.us
aaltes@aol.com
cbledsoe@arkleg.state.ar.us
brights@arkleg.state.ar.us
childersm@arkleg.state.ar.us
clemonsb@arkleg.state.ar.us
delliott@arkleg.state.ar.us
hutchinsonj@arkleg.state.ar.us
bking@arkleg.state.ar.us
mathisb@arkleg.state.ar.us
rminton@arkleg.state.ar.us
pritchardb@arkleg.state.ar.us
bscrimshire@arkleg.state.ar.us
TaylorJ@arkleg.state.ar.us
swomack@arkleg.state.ar.us
btrammell@arkleg.state.ar.us
ormondc@arkleg.state.ar.us
rankinr@arkleg.state.ar.us
The Rest of the Representatives:
adamsb@arkleg.state.ar.us
jallison@arkleg.state.ar.us
rbennett@arkleg.state.ar.us
bbevis@arkleg.state.ar.us
gbiggs@arkleg.state.ar.us
bolinj@arkleg.state.ar.us
pbond@arkleg.state.ar.us
pbookout@arkleg.state.ar.us
borhauers@arkleg.state.ar.us
boydt@arkleg.state.ar.us
hcleveland@arkleg.state.ar.us
ocook@arkleg.state.ar.us
cowlingk@arkleg.state.ar.us
mcreekmore@arkleg.state.ar.us
dangeaul@arkleg.state.ar.us
jdees@arkleg.state.ar.us
jimbobduggar@characterlink.net
jeason@arkleg.state.ar.us
elliottj@arkleg.state.ar.us
dferguson@arkleg.state.ar.us
jfiles@juno.com
fited@arkleg.state.ar.us
gfrench@arkleg.state.ar.us
jgillespie@arkleg.state.ar.us
bgipson@arkleg.state.ar.us
bglover@arkleg.state.ar.us
gossk@arkleg.state.ar.us
mgreen@arkleg.state.ar.us
dhaak@arkleg.state.ar.us
dhausam@arkleg.state.ar.us
hendrenk@arkleg.state.ar.us
bhickinbotham@arkleg.state.ar.us
holtj@arkleg.state.ar.us
donhouse@bscn.com
rhunt@arkleg.state.ar.us
jacksonp@arkleg.state.ar.us
gjeffress@arkleg.state.ar.us
pjacobs@arkleg.state.ar.us
johnson_c@vx4500.uapb.edu
sjones@arkleg.state.ar.us
jjudy@arkleg.state.ar.us
jlewellen@arkleg.state.ar.us
loweryj@arkleg.state.ar.us
mackd@arkleg.state.ar.us
jmagnus@arkleg.state.ar.us
mcmellont@arkleg.state.ar.us
jmilligan@arkleg.state.ar.us
jmilum@arkleg.state.ar.us
thomasmoore@hotsprings.net
nicholsw@arkleg.state.ar.us
soglesby@arkleg.state.ar.us
ormondc@arkleg.state.ar.us
mparks@arkleg.state.ar.us
lprater@arkleg.state.ar.us
drackley@arkleg.state.ar.us
rankinr@arkleg.state.ar.us
srodgers@arkleg.state.ar.us
roebuckt@arkleg.state.ar.us
msalmon@arkleg.state.ar.us
schalls@arkleg.state.ar.us
scrogginp@arkleg.state.ar.us
mshoffner@arkleg.state.ar.us
msmith@arkleg.state.ar.us
rsmith@arkleg.state.ar.us
msteele@arkleg.state.ar.us
tsteele@arkleg.state.ar.us
stovallb@arkleg.state.ar.us
ctaylor@arkleg.state.ar.us
lteague@arkleg.state.ar.us
lthomas@arkleg.state.ar.us
verkampj@arkleg.state.ar.us
wwalker@arkleg.state.ar.us
pweaver@arkleg.state.ar.us
rwhite@arkleg.state.ar.us
awillis@hnb.com
jwood@arkleg.state.ar.us
Senators:
jargue@arkleg.state.ar.us
bakerg@arkleg.state.ar.us
mbeebe@arkleg.state.ar.us
dbisbee@arkleg.state.ar.us
jbrown@arkleg.state.ar.us
bryless@arkleg.state.ar.us
ccash@arkleg.state.ar.us
jcritcher@arkleg.state.ar.us
gdelay@arkleg.state.ar.us
meverett@arkleg.state.ar.us
sfaris@arkleg.state.ar.us
jfitch@arkleg.state.ar.us
bgullett@arkleg.state.ar.us
bgwatney@arkleg.state.ar.us
jhill@arkleg.state.ar.us
choofman@arkleg.state.ar.us
bhorn@arkleg.state.ar.us
ghunter@arkleg.state.ar.us
jjeffress@arkleg.state.ar.us
bjohnson@arkleg.state.ar.us
jmahoney@arkleg.state.ar.us
dmalone@arkleg.state.ar.us
pmalone@arkleg.state.ar.us
pmiller@arkleg.state.ar.us
Jriggs@arkleg.state.ar.us
simesa@arkleg.state.ar.us
ksmith@arkleg.state.ar.us
tsmith@arkleg.state.ar.us
trustys@arkleg.state.ar.us
bwalker@arkleg.state.ar.us
dwebb@arkleg.state.ar.us
rwhitaker@arkleg.state.ar.us
hwilkins@arkleg.state.ar.us
ewilkinson@arkleg.state.ar.us
twooldridge@arkleg.state.ar.us
Subtitle of House Bill No. 2548
"AN ACT TO PROHIBIT STATE AGENCIES AND OTHER PUBLIC ENTITIES FROM USING
TAX DOLLARS TO KNOWINGLY PURCHASE OR DISTRIBUTE MATERIAL THAT CONTAINS, OR
PRESENTS AS FACTUAL, INFORMATION WHICH HAS BEEN PROVEN FALSE OR
FRAUDULENT."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Amendment No. ______ to House Bill No. 2548.
Amend House Bill No. 2548 as originally introduced:
Add Representatives Fite, Prater, Mack, Nichols, Adams, M. Smith, Bennett,
Duggar, Green, Altes as cosponsors of the bill
AND
Add Senators Critcher, Hunter, and Baker as cosponsors of the bill
AND
Page 1, line 11, delete "KNOWINGLY"
AND
Page 1, line 12, delete "CONTAINS" and substitute "THAT THEY
KNOW OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN CONTAINS"
AND
Page 1, line 19, delete "KNOWINGLY"
AND
Page 1, line 20, delete "THAT CONTAINS" and substitute "THAT
THEY KNOW OR
SHOULD HAVE KNOWN CONTAINS"
AND
Page 1, delete Section 1 and substitute the following:
"SECTION 1. (a) No state agency, city, county, school district, or
political subdivisions shall use any public funds to provide instruction or
purchase books, documents or other written material which it knows or should
have known contain descriptions, conclusions, or pictures designed to promote
the false evidences setforth in subsection (d) of this section.
(b) State agencies, public school districts, museums, zoos, and all political
subdivisions of the state shall only provide information that is as accurate as
possible.
(c)(1) During classroom instruction conducted by state agencies,
museums, zoos, public schools, and political subdivisions of the state, when
any statement in instructional material is identified by the instructor to be a
false evidence under subsection (d), the instructor shall instruct the class to
make a marginal notation that the statement is a false evidence under this act.
(2) During classroom instruction conducted by state agencies, museums, zoos,
public schools, and political subdivisions of the state, when any statement in
instructional material is identified by the instructor to be a theory, the
instructor shall instruct the class to make a marginal notation that the
statement is a theory.
(3) Example of such theories include, but shall not be
limited to:
(A) The theory of the age of the earth;
(B) The theory of the origin of life;
(C) The theory that homology in vertebrate limbs is evidence for common
ancestry;
(D) The theory that the "geologic column" accurately represents
different time periods on earth. The "geologic column" does not exist
anywhere on the earth, except in textbooks; and
(E) The theory that fossils represents missing links between life forms. It can
not be proven that any fossil had any offspring.
(F) Carbon, Radioisotope Dating;
(i) Shells from living snails were carbon dated as being 27,000 years old;
(ii) One part of the Vollosovitch Mammoth carbon dated at 29,500 years and
another part at 44,000 years; and
(G) Potassium Argon Dating. Basalt from Mount
Kilauea Iki, Hawaii in 1959 gave a K-AR age of 8,500,000 years old.
(d) The General Assembly finds that:
(1) Science is a special way of knowing and understanding the physical world
that uses the "scientific method " to conduct rigorous investigations
into processes that are observable and repeatable;
(2) (2) Science is a discipline that employs skeptical peer review and
experiments attempting to falsify ongoing and prior scientific work to ensure
the validity and integrity of results;
(3) Many ideas and evidences of prior scientific work once believed to be true
have been proven false or even fraudulent in many cases, including, but not
limited to the following:
(A)(i) Haeckel's Embryos;
(ii) Proven false in 1874 by Professor
Wilhelm His, Sr. Ernst Haeckel was convicted of fraud for this in 1874.
Human embryos never have gills - not even rudimentary ones;
(B)(i) The Miller - Urey Experiment;
(ii) Scientists have never proven that this test represents the atmosphere at
any time on earth.
(C)(i) Archaeopteryx as a missing link;
(ii) An X-ray resonance spectrograph of the
British Museum fossil showed that the material containing the feather
impressions differed significantly from the rest of the fossil slab.
(D)(i) Peppered Moths;
(ii) The photographs used in current textbooks are fraudulent as the moths were
discovered to be dead and glued in place.
(E)(i) Fossil Horses;
(ii) It is fraudulent to state that modern horses descended from fossil horses
with four toes.
(F)(i) Heidelberg Man;
(ii) Built from a jaw bone that was conceded to be quite human;
(G)(i) Nebraska Man;
(ii) Scientifically built up from one tooth and later learned to be the tooth
of an extinct pig;
(H)(i) Piltdown Man;
(ii) The jawbone actually belonged to a modern ape;
(I)(i) Peking Man;
(ii) Supposedly 500,000 years old. Ten humans were found with the "Peking
Man" along with crushed monkey skulls and tools.
(J)(i) Neanderthal Man;
(ii) At the International Congress of
Zoology (1958) Dr. A. J. E. Cave said his examination showed that the famous
Neanderthal skeleton found in France over 50 years ago is that of an old man
who suffered from arthritis;
(K)(i) Homo-erectus (originally "Java Man" and later Pithecanthropus
erectus) was made from a few scraps of bone found in
1891. (ii) The skull cap came from an ape and three teeth and thigh bone (50
feet away) came from a human. Two normal human skulls were also found, but
purposely hidden for 30 years.
(L)(i) Cro-Magnon Man;
(ii) One of the earliest and best-established fossils is at least equal in
physique and brain capacity to modern man;
(M)(i) "Lucy;"
(ii) Charles Oxnard studied 16 years and used computer multi-variant analysis
and concluded "Lucy" is not intermediate
(N)(i) Vestigial Structures;
(ii) As science improves, our knowledge of the body has increased and functions
of parts formerly thought to be useless are becoming known; and no proven
vestigial structures exists.
(O)(i) Lobe-fined fish;
(ii) Lobe-fined fish are "index fossils" for rock 325-410 million
years old. These fish are still alive today.
"Coelacanth" was found in 1938 and still inhabits the Indian Ocean.
It is obvious that it cannot be an "index fossil" for any age
rock."
