Association for Baptists for Scouting: President's Message

Association of Baptists for Scouting ^ | 6/07/2013 | A.J. Smith

[MacNaughton]

Having watched the news coverage and read numerous emails from concerned Baptists and Scouters, I contacted the Membership Impact Department at the National Office of the Boy Scouts of America, proposing an interpretation of the changes in the membership guidelines. Below is the text of what I offered as my interpretation.

First, it is my understanding that the resolution clearly states that sexual activity among Scout-aged youth is contrary to Scouting virtues, and I take that to mean that so long as it is uniformly and equitably applied, a unit could have in its statement a list of behavioral expectations regarding sexual abstinence as a condition of membership.

Secondly, it is my understanding that the resolution only says that youth may not be denied membership solely on the basis of the youth's self-perceived sexual orientation. It does not say that a youth may not be denied membership if his behavior becomes a distraction to the program or the performance of the unit, or if his behavior casts a poor reflection on the reputation of the chartered organization.

Thirdly, the resolution, as I understand it, does not require that a church-chartered unit affirm the moral acceptability of same-sex attraction.

Fourth, the resolution does not preclude the right of the church to ask adult leaders to exemplify by word and example the positive nature of traditional, heterosexual marriage as their recognized standard what it means to be morally straight with the goal of influencing youth in the unit to appreciate and appropriate that as part of their personal values system.

The response I received from the Boy Scouts of America was that this interpretation was correct in every point so long as a charter organization did not try to use it to exclude a boy solely on the basis of his perceived sexual orientation. The BSA is working on a list of behavior expectations of its own, but I was also told that chartered organizations could craft their own codes of conduct and that they could be stricter than the one BSA creates, so long as it does not violate the new membership policy. In short, Baptist churches that charter Scout units have the power to enforce a code of conduct on the boys that precludes their ability to engage in any kind of sexual activity and to bring disciplinary measures to bear on youth who violate the code of conduct, even to the point of removing them if their behavior becomes detrimental to the unit or the reputation of the charter organization.

Given this interpretation of the situation, I believe that it is possible, even desirable, for Baptist churches to continue to utilize Scouting as an outreach ministry of the church. How it is done, however, must change. No longer can a church simply give meeting space to the Scouts. Churches must take a proactive approach to Scouting and involve members of the local congregation alongside Scout parents as leaders, set expectations for leaders consistent with the values of the church, and create an atmosphere of Scouting that is true to the vision of Lord Baden-Powell where everything done in Scouting is done with a focus on duty to God. In this way churches can turn what looks like a negative into a positive, having an influence in shaping the values of another generation, and even reach youth that might not otherwise be reached with the gospel.

A. J. Smith
President, Association of Baptists for Scouting

[MacNaughton]

I realize there are several other Baptist denominations out there which participate in the ABS which are more liberal in their policies regarding homosexuality, but the 800 lb. gorilla in the living room is still the SBC.

5/31/2013 - The Southern Baptist Convention, the country’s largest Protestant denomination, will soon urge its 45,000 congregations and 16 million members to cut ties with the Scouts, according to church leaders. The denomination will vote on nonbinding but influential resolutions during a convention June 11-12 in Houston. “There’s a 100% chance that there will be a resolution about disaffiliation at the convention,” said Richard Land, the longtime head of the Southern Baptists’ Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, “and a 100% chance that 99% of people will vote for it. … Southern Baptists are going to be leaving the Boy Scouts en masse.” Roger “Sing” Oldham, a spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention, emphasized that local congregations make their own decision on the Scouts.

If anyone is still listening on this matter, there is an embedded YouTube video of Exxon-Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson talking about the 5/23/2013 vote to permit open homosexual youth into the BSA effective 1/01/2014. Tillerson was the BSA National (volunteer) President from 2010-2012. He was heavily involved in making this membership resolution pass.

http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2013/06/06/tillerson/comment-page-1/
“The Main Thing”
run time = 00:09:53 minutes

[DannyTN]

Leaving is the right solution.

What this article is proposing sends a mixed message that is not acceptable.

[allendale]

What parent can comfortably send their eleven to thirteen year old son to a Boy Scout Camp where there are sixteen to eighteen year old homosexual scouts that hold “rank” over them. Wherever homosexuals congregate, there are abominable crimes against children. Politically incorrect to state but true nevertheless.

[Graybeard58]

Baptist ping.

[Graybeard58]

Southern Baptist churches are autonomous, the only hammer the S.B.C. has is to warn member churches that they (SBC) may disaffiliate from them.

There’s a 100% chance that there will be a resolution about disaffiliation at the convention,” said Richard Land, the longtime head of the Southern Baptists’ Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

There may be a few member churches that will choose to keep supporting the B.S.A. but not many, not because of a threat from the S.B.C. but because the right thing to do is wash their hands of the now homo B.S.A.

[servo1969]

Mr. Smith,

You are in denial. You are trying to save a relationship that is over. I know, it’s so hard to accept. You need to understand that the BSA is lost forever. It is a beloved sibling who has started using crystal meth and will never stop until he is dead. You can not make someone quit if they don’t want to. And the BSA leaders do not want to stop. You can either save yourself by cutting all ties or have your life destroyed one stolen item, one missing dollar, one broken promise after another.

Please start dumping money into your legal defense fund. The first scout you remove will have unlimited funds along with an extremely competent and experienced lawyer supplied by various Progressive organizations. And when you lose you will be forced to pay the scouts legal expenses. I pray that you are not personally bankrupted by this fight.

I’m sorry.

[eddie willers]

The Boy Scouts need to “Go Galt”.

Someone needs to show these gay agitators, “See....this is why we can’t have nice things”.

[RedHeeler]

Then, the Boy Scouts of America are dead. Hey, let’s talk about it, with the no-shows. Let’s have the women take the lead, in the raising of men. You offer no solution, allendale. Just a shrug, and a nevertheless shrug. What do you have that’s good?

[Rome2000]

A. J. Smith President, Association of Baptists for Scouting

Douchebag rationalizing this attack on kids by sex perverts.

[Viennacon]

100% agree. They need to get the message that Sodom will not be held up on the shoulders of decent people who know all about the agenda. The SBC must slam the door in the faces of these clowns.

[Viennacon]

I think the flock sticks relatively close to the SBC. Not too many boat-rockers.

[Safrguns]

OPENLY GAY AND ABSTINENT???????

Are you Freaking kidding me???

Was this a man of the cloth that just tried that line of Bull Crap???

[Lancey Howard]

Lame.
This guy is kicking over rocks to find “an emination of a penumbra”.
No sale.

[Safrguns]

Ok... so lets see if I have got this right...

For decades now, BSA has won court battle after court battle, fending off virtually every single discrimination case that was ever thrown at it... all the way to the supreme court.

What was BSA’s basis for defense in most if not all of those cases??? Was it not right of association??? Freedom to exclude because its a private organization???

So... BSA then votes to admit openly gay members.

What is the defense going to be now??? huh???

What happens when parents start actually discriminating against gay kids by action or even by word?

What happens when some parent tells a gay kid they are wrong to be gay???

I wonder how much cash is going to come out of the fat-cat CEO’s pocket that pushed this vote through when the courts finally turn on the BSA because of this?

[kaehurowing]

Profoundly naive. Any time a homosexual is not admitted or is expelled for “acting out,” there will immediately be a civil rights suit filed alleging “discrimination.” BSA gave up their ability to defend against such suits by compromising their beliefs. Further, troops are not going to able to afford the legal fees to defend against this. Bottom line is no one is going to get thrown out of the Scouts for improper conduct.

The stage is now set for a complete homosexual takeover of the Scouts, something they have wanted to do for many years. The only response is for folks to walk out and say they want nothing to do with BSA because they have endorsed the homosexual agenda.

[informavoracious]

So they can stay in, abstinent, until they “act out.” And what about the victim of their acting out? Ain’t gonna work. Ask the Catholic Church (and I’m Catholic).

[HarleyD]

In this way churches can turn what looks like a negative into a positive

If the ABS didn't see anything wrong in what the BSA did why is this turning a negative into a positive? Truth is they know exactly what it means and purposely are ignoring the issue for whatever reason. I'd not only leave the BSA but the ABS.

[Hacksaw]

Baptists, Catholics, and other churches who have not gone full Big Gay would do well to form their own common Christian scouting organization. Outside groups who demand a seat at the table can then be told to GTFO. Corporate donors under the thumb of the government and pressure groups would not be an issue.

Remember when homos "just wanted to be left alone"?

[Pollster1]

So they can stay in, abstinent, until they “act out.” And what about the victim of their acting out?

On that narrow issue, I hope the victim's response will be self-defense. Deadly force is legal to defend your own life or safety, or the life or safety of another. We need to move that line in the sand and respond in the most effective manner to all threats.

[olezip]

The response I received from the Boy Scouts of America was that this interpretation was correct in every point so long as a charter organization did not try to use it to exclude a boy solely on the basis of his perceived sexual orientation.

Unfortunately, Mr. Smith, that interpretation was true before the abominable change in language. With the acceptance of openly gay scouts, the BSA has accomplished nothing except to open the door to immoral behavior. The term "morally straight" now has an asterisk.

With the top leadership committing heresy by supporting a transient popular culture, the scouts are past their high water mark as a righteous organization. But, of course, the BSA leadership has appeased the current administration, by compromising its principles.