I suppose my adrenaline is running high, just coming off the four-and-one-half-day Christopher Hitchens Appreciation page "debate" with an army of atheists (I won, frankly, by every debating rule in the book - they never debated and after four and a half days just blocked me after 400 posts consisting of mostly insults from the atheists). Being only human, therefore, and imperfect, I am in no mood, really, to then go to Facebook groups and see more ads for Eric Hovind's "Genesis the Movie". My problem with it is that movie, if you don't already know, is that in my opinion, and that of a growing number of others, is that there are similarities between Hovind's upcoming Genesis Movie and my Behold Now Behemoth from 2008 which are overwhelming. Too overwhelming to be coincidence, in my opinion and that of many others.
Before we get to the FAQ, I will repeat the similarities (so far) for those who don't know.
I'm not alone in my opinion of the similarities. Here is a very minimal sample of some of the previous responses on Facebook, used via the Fair Use Act, with personal information redacted. They can claim authorship if they want, but obviously I want to respect the privacy of friends and supporters. The opinions are those of the people who posted, not me.
While posting my request on Facebook for Eric Hovind to do the right thing according in accordance with Matthew 18 and explain why his upcoming Genesis The Movie for which he continues to raise finance looks so much like my Behold Now Behemoth from 2008, people have asked me the same questions repeatedly, and so it makes sense to post a FAQ.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Q. Eric Hovind says his movie, Genesis the Movie, is or will be the first special effects-driven Creationist movie/video of it's kind. Is that true or false?
A: If a movie is only defined as running 82 minutes or longer it is technically true but totally and IMO intentionally misleading in a very big way. If it means even something that runs 30 minutes, then the statement is entirely false. Behold Now Behemoth was released, seen and very favorably reviewed in 2008.
2. Q. In your opinion, should Eric Hovind stop publicly and repeatedly making the claim that his upcoming Genesis The Movie is the first such video and therefore unique?
A. Yes, of course. Absolutely. It is essentially untrue in actual fact, and he certainly knows it now.
3. Q. Have you contacted Hovind in private and does he know about this?
A: Yes, I conversed with his Facebook account in private and once I made my displeasure known, the account simply blocked me. I think most of us would agree that that's not the way one Christian brother is supposed to behave towards another. His show co-host., Maryanne Pike and I have communicated in private in Facebook a few times. Eventually she asked me to hold off my public complaint for one evening while she contacted Eric Hovind. That was many weeks ago. I asked her more recently for a follow-up. She did not respond directly to the request. Once again, IMO this is inappropriate behavior for one Christian to another.
4. Q. Creationism is coming from the same source, the Bible. therefore isn't such a preponderance of similarity to be expected from the two videos?
A. No. The 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 remotely credible. Let's describe it this way, for starters:
I. 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. Before Genesis the Movie behold Now Behemoth had been the only video/movie to ever do a Creationist video in that manner. Indisputable.
II. Even if Eric Hovind had been previously unaware of Behemoth, which in my opinion is unlikely in the extreme,then the 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 years beforehand, make the idea that Hovind was unaware of Behemoth, in my opinion, essentially totally impossible.
III. 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 one 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.
IV. 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".
V. 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, IMO, the copy-o-meter needle into the red line. Remember, it is not that Genesis The Movie contains one of these things or many things from many different videos, it is that the one upcoming Genesis The Movie contains ALL of these things only found together in one other place: my Behold Now Behemoth from 2008.
5. Q: Should not all Christians should be grateful for another Creationist video telling the truth?
A. That's fine on the surface. But I am also trying to raise money for volumes 2 and 3 of Behemoth (see the paypal buttons if you want to contribute) . Genesis, backed by a loud, big-money operation could make Behemoth from 2007 look like the copycat. Basically, my own opinion is that I am being steamrolled by an unauthorized remake of my own previous production.
6. Q: Should you really be personally upset?
A. Wouldn't you? This is serious business for me. 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 incorrectly 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? That's your answer.
7. Q. Besides Eric Hovind refusing to respond and Maryanne Pike's communications, has anyone else responded?
A. Perhaps. A couple of people taking up for me have been verbally harassed on Facebook (though this has since stopped, so it's okay to make your thoughts known publicly again), in an apparent effort to shut them up. Hovind should speak out against these kinds of people ASAP or risk, IMO, appearing as though he employs such trolls as social media henchmen for his own business advancement.
8. Why not sue?
A. 1 Corinthians 6 tells us not to, but rather to work it out within the church. I know media and I know social media. Like it would be in the halls of a single congregation, eventually this issue will sit on the surface of Genesis the Movie like a radioactive cloud to other Christians and by that time, Eric Hovind's answers may read and sound thin, indeed, to those from whom he is attempting to raise money from Genesis. Obviously, it would be best for him to follow Matthew 18, which he has steadfastly refused to do for months, and make a credible and completely believe case for the overwhelming similarities.
9. Q. Will you stop before you get a satisfactory response per Matthew 18?
A. No. I paid for Behemoth in 2007-2008 out of my own pocket, with my own money. We worked hard on it and while the special effects are now looking a dated, they were regarded as excellent even by mainstream standards in 2008. I intend to do more volumes of Behemoth. It is my opinion that Genesis The Movie is very, very dramatically damaging my interests by existing so similarly and making untrue claims about being the first and unique, destroying Behemoth's well-deserved accolades and reputation.
Here are additional shots from Behemoth and a review.
10. What do you think will happen?
A. That depends entirely on Eric Hovind, who is listed as the producer of Genesis the Movie and who, in my opinion and that of many others, has a great deal of explaining to do.
HERE ARE A COUPLE OF PIECES OF GENESIS THE MOVIE GRAPHICS, used here via the Fair Use Act, which Hovind and company are using to promote their movie and rase money (they already raised half a million dollars.
Please remember my Behold Now Behemoth and the fact that Eric Hovind apparently refuses to answer, per Matthew 18, questions about the similarities, when you see these posters online.
Used via the Fair Use Act.
Used via the Fair Use Act.
DON'T FORGET WHO CAME FIRST. WE CONTINUE TO ASK ERIC HOVIND, WHY THE OVERWHELMING SIMILARITY?
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".
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