Dawkins Banned from the OK State?

Well maybe not that state itself but at least from the states most well known university, the University of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma State Reprehensive Mike Thompson Todd Thomsen has put forth House Resolution 1015 which opposes the invitation to Richard Dawkins to speak on the University of Oklahoma campus and encourages the University of Oklahoma to engage in a certain discussion of certain scientific theories; and directing distribution.

This resolution is in response to Oxford University Professor and Darwin Chair Richard Dawkins benign invited to speak at the University of Oklahoma’s a year-long celebration of Darwin’s 200th Birthday and the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s theory of evolution. Dawkins is known as one of the leading experts on Darwin’s theories of evolution and one of the most respected Zoologists in the world.

The resolution sites Dawkins 2006 book The God Delusion as the main reason as to why they do not see it fit for him to speak at the university.

WHEREAS, the University of Oklahoma, as a part of the Darwin 2009 Project, has
invited as a public speaker on campus, Richard Dawkins of Oxford University, whose published opinions, as represented in his 2006 book “The God Delusion”, and public statements on the theory of evolution demonstrate an intolerance for cultural diversity and diversity of thinking and are views that are not shared and are not representative of the thinking of a majority of the citizens of Oklahoma; and

WHEREAS, the invitation for Richard Dawkins to speak on the campus of the University of Oklahoma on Friday, March 6, 2009, will only serve to present a biased philosophy on the theory of evolution to the exclusion of all other divergent considerations rather than teaching a scientific concept.

This is complete and utter bullshit, not only does it present freedom of speech and expression issues, it is also incredibly hypocritical saying that they feel that all view should be expressed at the university yet they are trying to censor the purely scientific view in which they do not agree with.