In the Oklahoma City metro area, Nightline airs at 10:35 p.m. on Cox Channel 8. 

Dowd, author of the new book “Thank God for Evolution,” is to tour Oklahoma next month.

We included some of the dates and locations of his tour with a story about Darwin Day and Evolution Weekend that ran on the cover of the Feb. 7 Life section.

I’ve since learned that more Oklahoma tour stops have been added.

Here are the dates and locations: 

Sunday, March 01, 2009

10:00 am

Forum | “The Epic of Evolution: Our Common Creation Story”

All Souls Unitarian Church

2952 South Peoria Ave, Tulsa, OKLAHOMA 74114

(918) 743-2363

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Monday, March 02, 2009

7:00 pm

Presentation | “Thank GOD for EVOLUTION”

First Christian Church

3700 N Walker Ave

Oklahoma City, OKLAHOMA 73118

(405) 525-6551

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Wednesday, March 04, 2009

7:00 pm

Presentation | “The Gospel According to Science: Evolutionary Good News”

All Souls Unitarian Church

2952 South Peoria Ave

Tulsa, OKLAHOMA 74114

(918) 743-2363

—-

Thursday, March 05, 2009

7:00 pm

Presentation | “Thank GOD for EVOLUTION”

Church of the Open Arms

United Church of Christ

3131 N Pennsylvania Ave

Oklahoma City, OKLAHOMA 73103

(405) 525-9555

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Sunday, March 08, 2009

10:00 am

Lifespan Education Class

First Unitarian Church

600 NW 13th St

Oklahoma City, OKLAHOMA 73103

(405) 232-9224

—-

Sunday, March 08, 2009

11:00 am

Sermon | “Thank GOD for EVOLUTION”

First Unitarian Church

600 NW 13th St

Oklahoma City, OKLAHOMA 73103

(405) 232-9224

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Monday, March 09, 2009

7:00 pm

Presentation | “Thank GOD for EVOLUTION” by Michael Dowd

UU Community Church

205 West Main St

Norman, OKLAHOMA 73069

(405) 447-6138

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Tuesday, March 10, 2009

7:00 am

Presentation | “The Gospel According to Science: Evolutionary Good News”

UU Church

320 S Stallard St

Stillwater, OKLAHOMA 74074

(405) 372-0620 

—-

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

7:00 pm

Presentation | “The Gospel According to Science: Evolutionary Good News”

First Unitarian Church

600 NW 13th St

Oklahoma City, OKLAHOMA 73103

(405) 232-9224

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

The Religion News Service recently reported that the executive committee for the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology has chosen Salt Lake City instead of New Orleans for its 2011 convention ”in large part” because of the science standards. The RNS said the letter from society president Richard Satterlie is posted on the group’s Web site under the headline: “No Thanks, New Orleans.”

“That’s too bad,” Kyle Plotkin, a spokesman for Louisiana Gov. Bob Jindal told the RNS.

“New Orleans is a first-class city for a convention.” 

Apparently the group of scientists are unhappy with recently adopted science curriculum standards in Louisiana.

Jindal signed the law last year, agreeing with its supporters that science teachers need wider latitude to use supplemental materials for lessons on topics such as evolution, global warming and cloning.

The RNS reported that state teachers unions have said educators already are free to use materials other than textbooks, though a handful of students testified before lawmakers that teachers are sometimes unsure of how to handle questions that challenge established scientific theories, particularly evolution.

The governor was encouraged to veto the bill, with vocal opposition coming from many science groups in Louisiana and nationally.

They described the law  as a back-door attempt to allow Judeo-Christian creation theology or “intelligent design” — the concept that biological life forms are the result of an intelligent being — to be taught as part of science class.

“It is the firm opinion of SICB’s leadership that this law undermines the integrity of science and science education in Louisiana,” Satterlie wrote to Jindal.