Ben Hobrink

[[File:Ben_hobrink.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Don't let the non-threatening sweater fool you — that apple is about to become his lunch!]]{{crenav|1}}
'''Ben Hobrink''' {{lived|1948|}}<ref name=Wielenga>{{cite news|last1=Wielenga|first1=Sjoerd|title=[http://www.eo.nl/magazines/visie/artikel-detail/ik-geloof-als-een-kind-wat-god-zegt-is-waar/ 'Ik geloof als een kind: wat God zegt, is waar']|accessdate=1 October 2015|work=Visie|volume=41|publisher=Evangelische Omroep|date=2013|language=Dutch}}</ref> is a [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[Young Earth creationism|Young Earth Creationist]], preacher and [[author]] of ''[[Modern Science in the Bible]]'' (Dutch: ''Moderne Wetenschap in de Bijbel''), a book on [[biblical scientific foreknowledge]].

==Education==
According to his book<ref name=Hobrink>{{cite book|last1=Hobrink|first1=Ben|title=Moderne Wetenschap in de Bijbel: De Bijbel is de wetenschap 3500 jaar vooruit|date=2005|publisher=Gideon|location=Hoornaar|isbn=9789060677940}}</ref> and several interviews,<ref name = "Wielenga"/><ref name=GNR>{{cite web|author1=Groot Nieuws Radio|title=[https://www.grootnieuwsradio.nl/k/n663/news/view/72762/67912/ben-hobrink-wetenschap-onderstreept-de-bijbel.html Ben Hobrink: Wetenschap onderstreept de Bijbel]|website=Groot Nieuws Radio|accessdate=7 December 2015|date=20 March 2015|language=Dutch}}</ref> Hobrink originally wanted to study [[physics]], but chose to read [[biology]] because of an extremely enthusiastic biology teacher. Consequently, he read Biology at the Vrije Universiteit ('Free University', usually shortened to VU){{efn|No, you're not allowed to abbreviate 'Free University'. Shame on you for even thinking of that.}} and the University of Amsterdam (UvA), specializing in food sciences. Both of the universities are legitimate, [[Academic accreditation|accredited]] universities (the UvA ranking 58<sup>th</sup> in the 2015 ''Times World Higher Education Rankings'', the VU 154<sup>th</sup>).<ref>{{cite news|title=[http://www.nu.nl/wetenschap/4136323/wageningen-beste-nederlandse-universiteit.html 'Wageningen beste Nederlandse universiteit']|accessdate=1 October 2015|work=NU.nl|date=1 October 2015|language=Dutch}}</ref>

=='Doctorandus'==
On the cover of ''Modern Science in the Bible'', Hobrink is called 'drs. Ben Hobrink'. ''{{wpl|Doctorandus,}}'' ([[Latin]] for 'he that has yet to become doctor'), abbreviated to 'drs.', is a former Dutch academic title approximately equivalent to a modern Master of Arts (or, in some cases such as Hobrink's biology degree, a Master of Science). Although it is assumed that Hobrink has a legitimate degree (i.e. not one from a [[diploma mill]]) and therefore has the right to call himself 'drs.', his continuous usage of this title (on the front and side cover, twice on the back, as well as on verso of the title page) gives the impression of [[credentialism]]. Hobrink also refers to himself as a 'biologist', his area of expertise (presumably that of his Master's thesis) is food science, not evolutionary biology, and according to the description of one of his other books, ''Evolutie: Een ei zonder kip'' (''Evolution: An egg without a chicken''), "[t]he author has been a biology teacher".<ref>{{cite web|title=[http://www.bol.com/nl/p/evolutie/1001004010528328/ Evolutie: Een ei zonder kip]|website=Bol.com|accessdate=1 October 2015}}</ref> That's not quite the same as a biologist. One cannot help but be reminded of [[Kent Hovind|that other Young Earth Creationist]] that claimed to have taught 'high school science for 15 years', and feel sorry for his students.

===Biblical inerrancy and attitude to science===
{{main|Biblical literalism}}
Throughout his book, Hobrink appears to be a pretty reasonable and pro-science guy, not engaging in any blatant [[anti-science]] rants à la [[Kent Hovind]] or [[Ben Stein]]. In interviews, he also sounds very enthusiastic about science, and especially about physics, stating that "physics just works" and that it "helps to explain the [[universe]]".<ref name = "GNR"/> However, he has explicitly stated that "if something in the Bible turns out to be in conflict with modern science, the Bible is right. Per definition.",<ref name = "Wielenga"/> thus mirroring [[Ray Comfort]] almost down to the letter.{{efn|Ray Comfort is quoted as having said "If there is ever conflict between Science and Scripture, the problem must be on the science side."<ref>https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ray_Comfort</ref>}} This is, of course, not exactly the right attitude toward science for somebody who claims to be a biologist.

==Hobrink on YouTube==
Realizing that he should expand his activities to the popular areas of the internet, Hobrink has opened up his own [[YouTube]] channel, under the incredibly original name of [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwr1ncG_4l42jX5xCw0kMkw/feed Ben Hobrink]. He has published a grand total of nine videos so far, which have gained him ''thirty-six'' subscribers and a stunning 4,119 views.{{efn|[[Thunderf00t]], for comparison, has over 450,000 subscribers with a total view count of about 100 million.}} These are not the statistics one would expect from one of the Netherlands' pre-eminent creationists, although it may have to do something with the fact that [[Reformed Political Party|a good deal of his audience]] considers the internet (and especially YouTube) to be a [[heathen]] thing.

===Interview by David Sörensen===
David Sörensen, a Belgian Young Earth Creationist who also designed the cover of ''Modern Science in the Bible'', has published an interview with Hobrink on [[YouTube]]. For those that will take the pains of having to hear all the [[Bullshit|bs]] spewed forth in this interview, as well as Sörensen's crappy questions and (one must confess) rather annoying voice, the video could previously be viewed on YouTube, but as of late March 2016, the video appears to have been taken down.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-cZiFI6WGc</ref>

Thankfully in light of the removal of said video, satirical Christian blog [https://goedgelovig.wordpress.com/ GoedGelovig] published a transcript of the video, with added [[snark]]. The first two paragraphs of this remarkably accurate transcript (and from the video, in fact):{{efn|Any spelling errors in this section are due to GoedGelovig's representations of Sörensen's voice or to his own mistakes. Please do not remove them.}}

{{quotebox|Hello, I am David Sörensen{{efn|One would almost think that Sörensen plagiarised [[Kent Hovind]]'s first [[Kent Hovind's doctoral dissertations|'dissertation']].}}, from the website ontdekgod.nl. In this video I want to recommend a book, of which I believe that it is a historical book. A book that can help to change how we think about the world. A book that can open thousands of people's eyes. A book that can help to take down one of the most fundamental delusions of our time. The book is called: 'Modern Science in the Bible'. The subtitle is: 'The Bible is three thousand five hundred years ahead of science'.

The Bible is full of facts, with recommendations made by [[God]], which were unknown in those days and were only discovered by science thousands of years later. This is very fascinating. It proves irrefutably &mdash; and when I say irrefutable, it means that the facts that Ben Hobrink puts down, those are so strong, are so reality ''[sic]'',{{efn|Yes, reality is apparently an adverb. If "''Caesar est super grammaticam''", as Louis XIV said, then ''[[Goddidit]] est super omniam''.}} that you cannot topple them in any way. You can deny them, just like people can deny that the [[Sun]] exists, but those facts still stand. And that is why this book has become so historical, why the book is of such a great value, because it helps enormously to topple this fundamental lie in our society that the [[Bible]] is an outdated book.<ref>{{cite web|title=[https://goedgelovig.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/interview-met-ben-hobrink/ Interview met Ben Hobrink]|website=GoedGelovig|date=24 October 2013|accessdate=17 October 2015}}</ref>}}

==Notes==
{{notelist|2|90%}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|90%}}

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[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Christian apologists]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Netherlands]]
[[Category:Plagiarists]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience promoters]]

Categories: Authors, Christian apologists, Christians, Living people, Netherlands, Plagiarists, Pseudoscience promoters