"This is pure religious persecution," said Glen Stoll, who works closely with Hovind on legal issues.
I don't believe that the bible says anything about filing for permits as something that Christians should avoid. Nor is paying taxes. Thus, jumping up and claiming they're against your religious beliefs isn't going to work. Apparently, the state of Florida agrees with me:
"Scripture also says 'Render unto Caesar what Caesar demands.' And right now, Caesar demands a building permit," County Commission Chairman Mike Whitehead said.
If you want to submit yourself to God's rather arbitrary and non-sensical laws, that's fine. But as long as you're here, you have to follow these laws too.
And this isn't the first time Hovind's been in legal trouble.
According to Wikipedia (most reliable source on the internet, I know...) Hovind tried, unsuccessfully to file for bankruptcy in 1996 in order to avoid paying taxes. But he was found to have lied about his income and posessions.
In 1998, he attempted to avoid payments by claiming he could "revoke all signatures" on all documents he'd ever signed agreeing to pay.
In 2002, he tried, again, to file for bankruptcy and attempted to sue the IRS for harassment. IRS agents then raided his home and confiscated financial records. He was found to not posess any busisness liscences for any of his ventures and was making deposits totalling well over $1 million annually.
But apparently, forcing an American citizen to follow the laws, the same laws that every other American must follow, regardless of religion, is somehow persecution.
