Fight continues over religious exhibits at the Tulsa Zoo

A petition drive is underway to prevent the Tulsa Zoo from putting in a creationism display. <br/><br/>The city of Tulsa parks and recreation board approved the Biblical display earlier this month. <b><a

Thursday, June 23rd 2005, 10:19 am

By: News On 6

A petition drive is underway to prevent the Tulsa Zoo from putting in a creationism display.

The city of Tulsa parks and recreation board approved the Biblical display earlier this month. Dan Hicks had lobbied the board after finding several other displays at the Tulsa Zoo that could have religious meaning. But a newly formed group called "Friends of religion and science" disagrees.

They say the zooâ€™s current exhibits provide cultural context and don't promote any religious philosophy. Retired education curator Carol Eames: "they have to realize it was never our intent to promote religion, it was to show the way that various cultures around the world look at their natural world. How they look at plants, animals and how they create beliefs about it."

In a statement, Hicks says he finds it interesting that groups that claim to be about inclusion, now want to exclude.â€ He's moving forward with plans for the display.

The group, Friends of religion and science, is circulating a petition and they hope to present it at the next meeting July 12th.