Posted on 05/25/2013 9:00:39 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - A Birmingham megachurch pastor predicts a surge in alternatives to the Boy Scouts of America after a decision Thursday by the Boy Scouts to accept openly gay scouts.
The Rev. Harry Reeder III, senior pastor of the 4,100-member Briarwood Presbyterian Church, former moderator of the Presbyterian Church in America and outspoken critic of efforts to change Boy Scout policy on homosexuality, said evangelical churches are a bedrock of support for the Boy Scout tradition in Alabama.
Thats now in danger, he said.
When a church holds to a biblical social ethic of sex only between a man and a woman in monogamous marriage, it cannot support an organization that opposes that, said. That would introduce sexual anarchy into the teaching of the church. There will be a significant response from evangelical churches.
Reeder said evangelical churches have been moving toward other youth development programs and he expects those to accelerate. The Southern Baptist Conventions Royal Ambassadors program, the Christian Brigade program from England, Pioneer Clubs and the AWANA evangelical parachurch program embraced by several denominations are likely to be viewed as possible alternatives, Reeder said.
Something that is this much of a deviation from ethical commitments may give birth to something new, a continuing organization that maintains the historic scouting program, Reeder said.
Briarwood Presbyterian Church currently hosts Troop 254, with Cub Scouts and Boy Scout troops. Any decision to change support for hosting Boy Scouts will be made by the church, Reeder said. Our elders will make that decision, he said. We have been very impressed with the effect of our leaders and we have produced a number of Eagle Scouts who have had outstanding achievements.
But Thursdays national vote puts evangelical Christian churches in a difficult position, and it also puts the Boy Scouts in an awkward position, he said.
The Boy Scouts plan to start welcoming openly gay scouts on Jan. 1, but still have a prohibition against openly gay scout leaders.
Their position is illogical, Reeder said. There is no reason to maintain a moral position that the leaders cant be homosexual. When you are approving the practice among members, how can you not approve it for leaders?
He expects the Boy Scouts to move toward eventual acceptance of openly gay leaders.
There are some clear things that are going to happen continued pressure from the Lesbian, Bisexual, gay, transgender community and from donors for acceptance of openly gay leaders, and an exodus from a significant number of participants and evangelical church-based organizations, Reeder said.
The Boy Scout oath of duty to God becomes problematic, he said.
They now have to address their Scout oath, Reeder said. Clearly, they have abandoned all the primary religions that maintain the historic sexual ethic of one man, one woman in the context of marriage. I see no reason to maintain its previous principled commitment to a theistic oath. If youve abandoned the sixth commandment, that sexuality belongs in the context of marriage between a man and a woman, youve abandoned your duty to God.
He expects churches and parents to look for alternatives to the Boy Scouts. Parents are going to have to vote with their money and feet whether they will sustain scouting, Reeder said.
Any parent who allows their son to remain in the Gay Scouts at this point is deranged.
The new org could be an analog to the American Heritage Girls.
The BSA has lost every bit of support I have ever given them.
Conservative Scouts of America?
As always, they had clandestine supporters infiltrate the upper leadership.
>> I wonder what caused them to decide to go fag.
Lawyers and trending sublimation.
BSA should have refused recognition of these matters, and instead adhered to traditional codes of conduct.
I agree 100%.
As a former scout, I held the organization in very high regard, being the stubborn last holdout for principle.
It was so rare, that was worth quite a lot.
Now that is gone. I will support some alternative, in the future. Waiting to see what emerges in the next month or so.
Scouts you blew it, big time.
Reminds me of “Stand Up Girl.”
By the Public Law that gave the BSA a Congressional Charter, they have the exclusive use of the word “scout” as regards a formal youth organization. Thus, the various church-developed youth groups have avoided that with their names: Royal Rangers, Royal Ambassadors, etc. The American Heritage Girls have learned some things that would be good to know for any future organization for boys. Also, keeping a church connection will enable the protection of the First Amendment when holding to moral and faith principles as core elements of the program.
Yes, well I learned in a Safe Environment class that there is NO connection between homosexuality and the priest molestation scandals, so there should be no problem with gay scouts or gay scout leaders in the parish, right?
I love Dr. Reeder. He did a men’s conference at my church a few years ago. I particularly appreciated his sermons built around the lives of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
The only thing I have heard is that it was voted in by 60%+ by “local scout leaders that voted.” And nothing else, like the details aren’t really a big deal or are a secret or something. You would think you would have heard something, at least from some of the people who voted against it by now.
Freegards
Can’t wait until the next time the BSA comes calling on some food drive or soliciting donations, because I’m going to tell them to take their cowardly, degenerate organization, and go to straight to hell!!!
One of the only organizations I truly had respect and admiration for. Now, I only have the deepest of disgust and contempt towards.
Can I ask some stupid questions?
How many of these boys are gay in the first place?
Since these boys are still growing and maturing, how do they know at that age that they will be gay as adults?
Why are we addressing issues of sexuality in the first place? As I understand it, scouting helps boys and young men develop many skills, but those skills have nothing to do with anyone’s sexual behavior or sexual feelings. Am I wrong? What am I missing there?
Are we allowed to have any organizations which do NOT deal with issues of sexuality?
Can’t we have boys and young men benefit from a fine organization as scouting without introducing the homosexual sexual behavior issues into it?
Even if a boy feels some same sex attractions, can’t we run the organization for boys and young men without having to deal with those issues? Since the activities of scouting have nothing to do with sexuality issues, sex identity, etc. why are we forced now to deal with it?
What messages are we sending by focusing on sexual behavior of a small minority of people?
Seems to me that could easily be revoked after the 2014 elections.
You really believe that?
Gays are everywhere.
And they are not all out of the closet, mincing around in leather chaps and purple vests.
Many dress and act as quiet, reserved members of the mainstream, keeping their sexual orientation to themselves.
Just like liberals of all stripes they weasel their way into positions of influence and control everywhere and once there they work to further their agenda.
That is how leftists took over the education system, the unions, most government bureaucracies.
Homosexuals use the same tactics - they get themselves appointed to boards of directors, government commissions, local societies, etc.
They occupy top executive and managerial positions in industry, business and government.
Then they quietly set about furthering the homosexual agenda.
Look at the swift pro-homosexual changes we have seen in the last few years in the federal and state governments, in the military, schools, colleges, etc. It all came about from powerful and influential homosexuals and their supporters working from inside all of these organizations.
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