UPDATE, 11/20/2015: People on Facebook have begun to weigh in, and so far the majority of the small number offering opinions agrees with our view about the unlikely similarities between Eric Hovind's "Genesis The Movie" (2015) and our "Behold Now Behemoth" (2008). If you also agree with how we feel about this and want to witness on our behalf as commanded in Matthew 18, we suggest that you do so on Eric Hovind's Facebook page so he can respond and that of his movie, Genesis The Movie, so that account can respond. Thank you so much for your growing moral support. We'll keep you continually posted. God Bless.
This is long but please read. CLICK ON EACH IMAGE IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT FULL SCREEN.
You may have seen me raise this question before: "Why Does Eric Hovind's "Genesis the Movie" look so much like my "Behold Now Behemoth"? Yes, this matter concerns my own interests, but that doesn't cheapen my motives given the circumstances, and I'm sure you'll agree with that, because there is also a possible issue of plain old-fashioned right and wrong, here.
It's funny that my name is David, insomuch as this is, IMO, a true David and Goliath situation. On the one hand is the independent producer, myself, with his modest Behold Now Behemoth, well-received in 2008, and the other is a mega-money-ministry which apparently brings in millions of dollars a year and has raised nearly half a million dollars for.....? Well, how you define what they are trying to produce is really the issue.
I'd not heard of Genesis the Movie before starting the crowdfunding for volumes 2 and 3 of Behemoth. Unlike Eric Hovind, for whom Creationism is apparently his daily business and bread-and-butter, I have been restricted by time and other constraints. But it was time for Behemoth volumes 2 and 3. Then the crowdfunding goes nowhere for once-well-received Behemoth. Why? In my opinion this is the answer: a nearly identical video being launched with well-funded publicity which has already raised nearly half a million dollars has basically sucked the air - and the capital -out of Behemoth. Sour grapes? No. It might be if it were not for the fact that their video/movie appears in my opinion to be so identical to Behemoth has to be almost an unauthorized tribute - and perhaps even makes Behemoth to the casual viewer look like a cheap copy of Genesis and that hurts my interests and the interests of all Creationists for whom a fair playing field is always at a premium.
If it is what it looks like, it is also plain just not right.
I brought up this question directly on Hovind's Facebook page and in an interesting response they asked me to observe Matthew 18 and discuss this with them in private. When Hovind's account which gets signed "The Team" (so I have no idea with whom I was communicating, although I have the screenshots) reached out in a private message, I responded. They wanted me to email Eric Hovind - but failed or refused to give me the email address in the private message - so he could tell me "personally" why the two films are in no way connected to one another. I told them I was not born yesterday and that if expecting me top believe that the two films were not in any way connected is what they were after, they were wasting our time, but I wanted to and was very willing to communicate with Hovind in private on the larger issue.
Since Hovind has suspended all communication with me - which his account initially requested - I believe I, and in my opinion all of the Flock, have the obligation to follow Matthew 18: we tried to do it privately, but Hovind will not hear us. So to follow Matthew 18 which Hovind's account recommended on this very issue, the next step in following Matthew 18 is that we need to talk to Hovind about it as a group, and if that does not work, announce this problem to the world.
Matthew 18:
"Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican".
Remember, additionally, what we are called upon to do in Deuteronomy 13:14:
"Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;"
Please don't be shy: please post this wherever Genesis The Movie is being discussed, ask Hovind and those around him about this directly per Matthew 18 and investigate per , Deuteronomy 13:14 and say what God tells you in your mind and heart to be true. Our Lord Jesus has said it on all such matters.
Remember also, on a more earthly level, if this is what it looks like, if it can happen to me, it can happen to you.
Thank you for your patience and your anticipated social media moral support, per Matthew and Deuteronomy.
God Bless.
Behold Now Behemoth review from 2008
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There are only so many ways to tell the same story. Should the author's of Little Red Riding Hood sue each other because their movie or book looks similar to the others. If I were to make a movie or book of Gen. 1-11, it would look similar to someone else doing the same because the content and the proof we want to show is similar. Let's just be happy that we are making these movies and making them available so others can believe! Afterall, it is God's movie, his content, his glory.
ReplyDeleteI'm a nonbeliever, but FWIW, if the sequences are identical -- that is, if the order in which each "shot" appears in yours is matched by the order in which the corresponding shot appears in "Genesis" -- then it seems clear to me that he has copied your outline/storyboard. They plainly haven't copied the particular artwork, though. IANAL so I can't say what copyright law would say when this is the case, but if they simply took your sequence as their starting point, without acknowledgment, that seems to me unethical.
ReplyDeleteWe all look at the same Scripture and try to make sense of what is given to us, but it is inevitable that the several expressions of whatever insight is given to each of us will not only seem the same but will be the same. The synoptic gospels often share the same incidents in the life of Jesus and even the same phraseology, and they do so without citation of source. This may madden the textual critic who is intent on ascertaining and tracing the origins of various texts but should not detract from the validity of the message. We see the repetition and sometimes enhancement of various incidents in the Old Testament as well, but never question the integrity and value of any of the authors. Acknowledgement and citation of sources was not so much an issue in the distant past simply because they considered the faithful communication of the message to be far more important than any reward that might accrue to them personally. Paul, in Philippians, speaks of those who repeated his message to mock him; he did not care, so long as the truth of Christ was preserved in the telling. Consider that, in a sense, we are all plagiarists of God, but we must always rather be message centered than self-centered. "To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!" (1 Corinthians 6:7-8 ESV) Indeed, why not rather be defrauded and suffer wrong. Is not the whole point to more widely disseminate an important truth with accuracy and winsomeness?
ReplyDeleteI will answer all three of the above comments in this one comment.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that Creationism covers the same ground is obvious. the idea that so many visual and conceptual similarities arose by necessity by following those ideas is not credible. let['s describe it this way, for starters:
1. Both are documentaries about creationism which cover the same ground in the style of the special-effects oriented science documentaries on the science channels. So there is a similarity right off the top.
2. Then PREPONDERANCE of visual similarities was something that IMO Hovind, as a producer, had a duty to avoid by doing due diligence on this matter. You need to find similar subject matter and make sure you avoid it. This plainly was not done. Since Hovind makes his living, apparently, in the Creationist field and behemoth was available and got good reviews make the idea that he was unaware of it essentially impossible. So why no due diligence?
3. It's one thing to say, :"documentaries have nebula travel scenes".... "they have dinosaurs".... they have flying dinosaurs over mountains"..... "they may even have waterfall with creatures".... "maybe others have a T-Rex roaring at the camera"..... "maybe they fly over misty mountains"...... "and elephants"..... "and CGI animals".... but for a new Creationist video to have all those similarities with the only previously existing creationist video of its kind ever made and thinking it to be a mere coincidence in my opinion and that of others lacks believably on a huge scale.
4. Some aspects, such as the general visual aesthetic of shady forest lighting augmented by glowing highlights, particular in the only other creationist video of its kind ever made IMO screams "copy".
5. ADD to that (please, do not compartmentalize these similarities because it is the preponderance which is the issue) the fact that both videos include the idea/concept of a man scratching the head a juvenile Apatosaurus, and IMO the idea that Behemoth "inspired", Genesis directly, just sends the copy-o-meter needle into the red line. Remember, it is not that genesis contains one of these things, it is that the one upcoming Genesis The Movie contains ALL of these things found only together in one other place: my Behold Now Behemoth from 2007.
Continued.....
ReplyDeleteSome people say we should be grateful for another Creationist video telling the truth. that's fine. but I am also trying to raise money for volumes 2 and 3 of behemoth at www.gofundme.com/christian_videos. Genesis could make Behemoth from 2007 look like the copycat. This is serious, people. how would YOU feel if YOU put a year of blood and sweat into Behemoth, it did well, got good reviews, and when you started to raise funds for volumes 2 and 3 you discovered Genesis being touted by a big-money operation as 'the first of its kind" and "unique"? be honest. It's unpleasant but stop and think about it. how would you feel?
Additionally, a couple of people have been verbally accosted by taking up for me on Facebook, with one making entirely false accusations of harassment against public figure Hovind. Hovind should speak out against these kinds of people ASAP of risk appearing as though he employs such trolls as social media henchmen.
Now please read this reply over again from the beginning so you can absorb it all, because it can be a little overwhelming to people unfamiliar with the concepts involved.
My most heartfelt thanks to the friends on Facebook and elsewhere who have like, shared, and spoken in defense of these concerns by following Mathew 18, which I will repeat here:
"Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican".
I shall continue to tell it, brothers and sisters in Christ. This has only begun. Thanks for the support.
God bless