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.
The homosexuals now run the BSA and the lesbians, the GSA.
Ask as many stupid questions as you feel free to ask.
Your mileage may vary with the answers provided.
My husband was an Eagle Scout and then very active in Boy Scouts all his life. I know he would be appalled at this and it would be the end of his lifelong love of scouting!
I took a lot of heat in a company I worked for years ago. I was the only 'officer' of the company who would not contribute to the United Way, because the UW supports abortion and planned parenthood. The HR folks told me I coud direct all my donation to a specific cause, but I knew this was a shell game. I had a conversation with the president of the company, and basically told them I would not donate one penny to murdering babies. the company dropped it's campaign to have 100% participation.
I have been a huge supporter of Scouting, with my time, talent and treasure.
It is over now. I have two Eagles. Lots of memories. But the Gay Boys get not one penny, not one second of my time. I feel a bit like Michael Corleone telling Freddie "you are dead to me"
Someone asked a wise question yesterday on the radio.
What happens when all these homo boys grow up, stay in the Boy Scouts. Then after they become an adult, they become adult asst scoutmasters, because they are still within the same troop they started out in, then they become scoutmasters?
The answer is pretty obvious - Buggerers Seducing Adolescents.
Junior Woodchucks?
The BSA has always been seen by the left as an organization that instills positive values, which is why they feel the need to destroy the Boy Scouts. Hitler did in in Nazi Germany, outlawing Boy Scouts and "replacing" it with the Hitler Youth.
Mark
Add that as another sign of the Nazification of America.
I sure as hell hope so...
Ernest Seton, founder.
Later collaborated on founding of the BSA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodcraft_Indians
Sorry, forgot how to do a hotlink.
Don't let the commies control the language. Nothing 'gay' about them; they are the 'Sodomite Scouts'...
Sons of Liberty.
Executives and money. The BSA gets loads of money from major corporate donors, so once they hired a major corporate exec it was over.
No son of mine would join the Butt Scouts.
Of course not, but the same political correctness that forces the Church to teach that will be the cause of many molestations and lawsuits to come because the Church will continue to sponsor the Boy Scouts now and in the near future when homosexual leaders are accepted (I give them two years before that happens.)
You would think so, but when I was twelve I sure didn't want to share a tent with a homosexual. Which brings up an interesting side effect of this decision: Can a Scoutmaster now be sued for refusing to bunk homos up with straights? You betcha.
Homos will be accepted as leaders within two years.
there's a reason being a Scout or Scout leader was grounds for concentration camps or execution by the Nazis in WW2
and why there are no Scouts in China (at least, no Girl Scouts)
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