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You know, I see a potential upside to this.
Picture it: the zoo has a whole display about animals in human culture and
religions. They've got the statue of Ganesha, explaining the role of that
God in Hinduism. And other stuff about how various tribes around the world
have seen animal deities. And then, just one among a whole collection: "In
Judaism and Christianity, animals were created by God on the 5th day [?] of
the world. One Judeo-Christian story tells of how the animals were saved
from a terrible flood by Noah, who collected two of each animal on an
ark..."
Get it? Imagine the creationists' response to seeing their stories about
creation + animals simply placed next to a bunch of similar stories from
other faiths, all told in an equal, non-judgmental way. I bet that'd really
piss them off.
Because (I'm hypothesizing here, but I don't think I'm really going out on a
limb) I suspect the creationists don't just want people to know ABOUT their
beliefs, they want their beliefs to be presented as THE TRUTH (tm) and
clearly superior to other beliefs.
Let them show their true colors by whining about how offensive it is to have
their beliefs grouped with differing beliefs without pointing out how wrong
those other beliefs are.
I don't know if it'll happen this way (hmm, in fact, it probably won't), but
it's a nice thought.
Jonah Cohen
Outreach & Public Programs Manager
Science Center of Connecticut
"On blind faith they place reliance, what we need more of is science."
-MC Hawking
-----Original Message-----
From: Donald S. Stidsen [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2005 2:53 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Tulsa Zoo and Creationism
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
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Couldn't the Zoo just install a statue of that GOP icon to cover all
the other bases?
DonStidsen
MIT Museum
At 12:19 PM -0400 6/8/05, martin weiss wrote:
>ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
>***************************************************************************
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>
>Sorry for the cross post for those who subscribe to Museum . Below
>is the article referred to in The Oklahoman.
>
>Martin
>
>Date: Wed, 08 Jun 2005 09:04:51 -0700
>From: Richard Fields <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Tulsa Zoo and Creationism
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pNDM8eSuAUU5fMW6+ioq6Q=
> ;
>Hello listers,
>Without going into the religious side of the
>discussion, I thought I'd bring this up to you folks.
>The Tulsa Zoo has been ordered by its board to install
>an exhibit on creationism. The zoo has an exhibit on
>evolution, but what really got folks riled was a hindu
>statue of an elephant (Ganesha), and a piece of art
>that says "the earth is our mother." The
>pro-creationism folks say the door was opened by the
>Zoo when they put the info and icons on other
>religions in the Zoo. There is info on the Tulsa World
>and Daily Oklahoman web pages, but you must go through
>the free registration process to read the articles.
>Cheers
>
>
>
>Wed June 8, 2005
>Hindu statue at Tulsa's zoo spurs plans for creation exhibits
>
>By Chad Previch
>The Oklahoman
>
> TULSA - The Tulsa Zoo will have to add exhibits showing several
>cultural views of creation, the Tulsa Park and Recreation Board
>voted Tuesday.
> David Conrad of Bixby and Anna Ewing of Jenks look at the statue of
>Ganesha at the Tulsa Zoo. Photo by Mel Root
>
>
> The vote came after a complaint that some religions were
>represented at the zoo while others were not. The main complaint
>centered on a 5-foot elephant statue called "Ganesha," the Hindu god
>of success.
>
> Ganesha, which sits near the elephant exhibit, has been there about
>10 years, but Dan Hicks, a Tulsa resident, said it was religious -
>not educational.
>
> "I think this decision by the Park and Recreation Board is a
>victory for the citizens of Tulsa, because the majority view of
>creation is now going to be represented at the Tulsa Zoo," Hicks
>said. "To present both sides of the story, that's education. We
>certainly hope the Tulsa Zoo is interested in education."
>
> Hicks proposed that the Bible verse of Genesis - the Christian
>story of creationism - should be told at the zoo through a story
>board, said Ross Weller, acting park and recreation director.
>
> Instead, an amended motion, which will include other cultural
>explanations, passed, 3-1, after 27 speakers and 2_ hours.
>
> Kim MacLeod, spokesman for Mayor Bill LaFortune, said Hicks, not
>taxpayers, will pay for the new exhibits. She said LaFortune, who
>voted for the motion, thinks it's fair to include other religious
>views.
>
> "The doors have already been opened for religious symbols because
>of these other exhibits that are based on different cultures or
>religions," she said.
>
> A disclaimer that there are many religious beliefs on how the world
>was created will accompany the new exhibits, MacLeod said. She said
>Hicks has tried unsuccessfully to make changes at the zoo in the
>past.
>
>Michael Camfield, development director for the American Civil
>Liberties Union of Oklahoma, questioned why any religious viewpoints
>are being expressed at a city-run zoo.
>
> "We don't believe that it's an important use of government funds," he
said.
>
> Dale McNamara, the board member who voted against constructing a
>creation timeline, said she remembers going to the zoo to look at
>the animals and their surroundings.
>
>"I feel that religion should stay in the church and not at a zoo
>where the zoo is meant to teach everyone about all the different
>cultures and the animals," she said.
>
> Marnie Ducato, spokeswoman for the zoo, said the elephant's purpose
>was not religious.
>
>"It's strictly put out there in reference of the culture of where
>the elephants are from," Ducato said.
>
>
>--
>Martin Weiss, Ph.D
>Vice President, Science
>New York Hall of Science
>47-01 111 th Street
>Corona, New York 11368
>718 699 0005 x 356
>
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