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.
How many churches have kicked out Scout troops so far?
ultimately it is the parents’ call whether their kid joins that troop or a group of parents starts a different troop
I believe troops can insulate themselves from troop leader shenanigans, since they are all volunteer led and all volunteer joined. It's the parents who are careless naive or indifferent or so so liberal who are begging for trouble, like the stupid parents (mostly single women) who turned their boys over to Jerry Sandusky and let them go spend nights and weekends with him.
I dont know - some BSA troops are chartered by some
churches and the Catholic church would be hypocritical to charter a troop with open and avowed (key words) homosexual boys led by an open and avowed (key words) homosexual man or woman
Some Catholic churches are not welcoming to GS but unike BS we do not have our troops chartered by churches
Yes, there will be lawsuits, if the gay boy is singled out and nobody wants to be in the tent with him. Count on it.
The possibility of innocent boys being introduced into that depravity is too great. Since our parish does not allow outside groups to use our facilities for meeting, we will be safe, but I know there are other churches that permit it in my own small rural town.
Not sure if the chapters will be shut down or not, but if I know the folks around here, they will not let this stand.
The other problem is that this faux compromise means gays “getting the foot in the door”.
My husband became an Eagle Scout before getting paid to be a junior instructor and life guard at camp at 18 and 19 years old. What happens when these 16 year old gays hit 18 and want to volunteer with younger scouts or teach at camps? How do you say no, if they are not “leaders” but are old enough to legally have sex?
> The Boy Scouts put up a good fight and were winning every battle. I wonder what caused them to decide to go fag.
probably $$$. I can’t wait till I see a group of scouts and their leaders ask for donations outside Walmart and get to say “no thanks, I don’t support morally corrupt organizations”; to the scoutmaster only of course. And I’ll find it even harder to not look to see if they have any gay scouts in their midst.
I understand they were infiltrated at the top level by Sodomites.(A Pair if I recall.) Secondly, pro Sodomite corporations and governmental entities cut off funding.
I still think that the 2012 nomination of Mitt Romney showed that the anti-homosexual fight was over as far as the GOP was concerned, the remaining hold-out institutions were now on their own, and alone in national politics.
In this example, Romney had been on the BSA board and had turned against the Boy Scouts when he blocked them from the Winter Olympics in support of the homosexuals, Romney has supported and campaigned on homosexual scout leaders (and military) for 20 years.
I think you forgot your “sarcasm” tag. Right?
Behind the scenes strong-arming from sponsors funded by George Soros. Probably. Replacing Christian foundation with Godlessness is the goal.
>>I wonder what caused them to decide to go fag.
Fiscal “conservatism”.
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&q=Corporate+sponsors+boy+scouts+homosexuality
Pink corporatist wolves got themselves seated on the temple steps.
Amongst others:
26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."
Because those alternative Girl Scout organizations were so successful. Then again, perhaps one can learn from their failures.
Biggest problem as I see it is that there will not be one Boy Scout alternate - a half-dozen will spring up, often fighting each other for funding, recognition, and youths more so than the group they were supposed to be supplanting.
Its only a mega church if the 4100 members actually attend services. I kind of wonder if the “mega-church” here topps 1000 attendees each Sunday.
i started a hetero sexual scout troup for slightly overweight youth and i called it the Pudge Factor...
apparently that was offensive.
teeman
Junior Woodchucks?
that’s what they will be called after Jan 1
Are you getting them into shape?
What I am hoping will happen is that all of the troops that resign from the BSA will get together and form a conservative alternative.
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