Tulsa Park Board approves new exhibit at the Tulsa Zoo

The debate over religion at the <b><a class="headlinelink" href="http://www.kotv.com/main/home/searchKOTV.asp?mainSearch=Tulsa Zoo">Tulsa Zoo</a></b>. The Tulsa Parks Board discussed a controversial plan

Tuesday, June 7th 2005, 8:59 am

By: News On 6

The debate over religion at the Tulsa Zoo. The Tulsa Parks Board discussed a controversial plan Tuesday morning to install an exhibit chronicling the biblical account of creation.

News on 6 reporter Emory Bryan was at the meeting and says a new exhibit will go up at the Tulsa Zoo. It won the approval of the Parks Board, but not before several hours of debate over the philosophy of evolution and creation.

Before a packed meeting of the Parks Board, dozens of people spoke for and against including any new religious material at the Tulsa Zoo. The people backing the new exhibit pointed to several religious icons already at the zoo - they claim the door is already opened to religious exhibits.

Tulsa mayor Bill LaFortune called it an issue of fairness to also display the Christian viewpoint of creation.

The man who started the effort, Dan Hicks[pictured], was happy with the decision - even though it means several other accounts of creation, from other religions, will go up as well.