Tulsa Zoo Creation Display—Not!
In an Associated Press article posted June 9, 2005 on the USA Today Web site, it was reported that the Tulsa Zoo would soon display an exhibit “featuring the biblical account of creation” (“Biblical Account…”). This display was the result of several complaints to the city board about other religious symbols maintained by the zoo, one of which is an elephant statue of the Hindu god, Ganesh, without a representation of biblical ideas. Dan Hicks, an architect in Tulsa, spearheaded the seemingly successfully effort to include the Genesis account that God created the world in six days (“Biblical Account…”). Even the mayor of Tulsa, Bill LaFortune, solidly backed the Creation display.
Yet, just one month later, the decision to display the biblical account of Creation was reversed. In another Associated Press article by Shaun Schafer, released July 7, 2005, it was reported that the board had a change of heart and voted 3-1 to exclude the display. The lone board member to vote for keeping the display was Mayor LaFortune (Schafer, 2005).
Is it not telling that a zoo, supported by public funds can put on display religious icons and ideas that pertain to the polytheistic worldview of Hinduism, yet when a suggestion is made to put on display the biblical account of Creation, it is met by a mass of criticism and political pressure. Has our “Christian” nation veered so far from its origins that it will allow anything but truly Christian ideas to be openly disseminated through public media resources? The sad truth is that, in many sectors of our country, we must answer “yes” to this question. Many of those who shout tolerance the loudest, will tolerate practically anything, except the accurate, biblical view of origins. The apostle Paul wrote about individuals who “did not like to retain God in their knowledge” (Romans 1:28). That same attitude is clearly seen in the most recent decision of the city board to exclude the display about Creation. Dan Hicks hit the nail on the head when he commented, “There must be something very special about the Genesis account for opponents to fight so hard to suppress those words” (Schafer, 2005). Very special indeed! The Genesis account is nothing less than God’s own description of His creative actions.
REFERENCES
Schafer, Shaun (2005), “Board Nixes Creationism Show at Oklahoma Zoo,” Washington Post, July 7, [On-line], URL: http://www.washingto npost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/07/AR2005070702015.html.
“Biblical Account of Creation to Go on Display at Tulsa Zoo,” (2005), USA Today, June 6, [On-line], URL: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-06-09-tulsa-zoo-genesis_x.htm?csp=34.
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