LDS church comments on boy scouts of america resolution on gay adult leader standards.

Lds.org ^ | Lds.org

[Ripliancum]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement Monday regarding the Boy Scouts of America resolution for adult leader standards:

“As a chartering organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always had the right to select Scout leaders who adhere to moral and religious principles that are consistent with our doctrines and beliefs. Any resolution adopted by the Boy Scouts of America regarding leadership in Scouting must continue to affirm that right.”

[Zakeet]

As a chartering organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always had the right to select Scout leaders who adhere to moral and religious principles that are consistent with our doctrines and beliefs. Any resolution adopted by the Boy Scouts of America regarding leadership in Scouting must continue to affirm that right.

Is the Mormon Church saying that they intend to (1) somehow veto that resolution (perhaps by withdrawing, if necessary), or (2) that they intend to continue to support the Boy Scouts but pick their own non-homosexual scout leaders?

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In any case, it is interesting to compare and contrast the LDS statement with the Resolutions adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention more than two years ago. Among other things, the Baptists stated the following:

WHEREAS, For more than a century, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has been a values-based boys organization designed to “prepare young people for a lifetime of character and leadership,” equipping them “to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law”; and

WHEREAS, The Scout Oath contains language that is consistent with belief in God and biblical precepts that serve as the basis for Christian faith: “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight”; and

WHEREAS, The leadership of the Boy Scouts throughout its history has restricted from membership and leadership those persons who would affect the group’s ability to advocate its viewpoints in regard to belief in God and His moral precepts; and

WHEREAS, In 1992, and again in 2000, the Southern Baptist Convention adopted resolutions affirming the Boy Scouts in their stand that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the obligations of the Scout Oath, encouraging the BSA “to maintain its historic commitments” (1992) and “to hold fast to its traditional ideals” (2000)

[Snip]

WHEREAS, The Baptist Faith and Message states that “Christians should oppose . . . all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography,” and Southern Baptists consistently have expressed their opposition to the normalization of homosexual behavior in American culture through more than a dozen resolutions over the past thirty years; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That we express our well-founded concern that the current executive leadership of the BSA, along with certain board members, may utilize this membership policy change as merely the first step toward future approval of homosexual leaders in the Scouts; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we call on the Boy Scouts to remove from executive and board leadership those individuals who, earlier this year, sought to change both the membership and leadership policy of the Scouts without seeking input from the full range of the Scouting family; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we affirm the right of all families and churches prayerfully to assess their continued relationship with the BSA, expressing our support for those churches and families that as a matter of conscience can no longer be part of the Scouting family; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage churches and families that remain in the Boy Scouts to seek to impact as many boys as possible with the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ, to work toward the reversal of this new membership policy, and to advocate against any future change in leadership and membership policy that normalizes sexual conduct opposed to the biblical standard; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage churches that choose to sever ties with the Boy Scouts not to abandon their ministry to boys but consider expanding their Royal Ambassadors ministry, a distinctively Southern Baptist missions organization to develop godly young men; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we declare our love in Christ for all young people regardless of their perceived sexual orientation, praying that God will bring all youth into a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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The LDS Church has a long history of changing key doctrine to align with public opinion ... its stances on polygamy, Blacks in the Priesthood, rewriting portions of its temple ceremony, and numerous "revisions" to the Book of Mormon being obvious examples.

Returning to the question I initially posed, given the Church's record of vacillation, I suspect that the latter option of tolerating homosexual scout leaders as long as they indoctrinate only non-Mormons will prevail.

[Salman]

This is very likely the end of the Boy Scouts.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

BSA pounds the final nail into their own coffin....

[steveyp]

Our Pack folded with the membership decision. The troop is closed and only supporting existing youth. We are in terminal decline.

Scouting is dead.

[Sequoyah101]

Bravo!!

What is the position of the church on queer marriage?

[SZonian]

SLC helped open the door back in 2013 when the last BSA president, Wayne Perry, a mormon, made a trip to SLC just before the convention was called to vote on the matter.

He even wrote an editorial supporting the policy change...

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/05/22/boy-scouts-president-let-in-gay-boys/2351907/

SLC had a chance then to make a stand and failed to do so.

The vast amounts of ghost memberships that SLC pays for holds a lot of sway...”free” money for the BSA in the form of dues paid, but no program or support required from National.

SLC pays for every youth of Scouting age on the church rosters regardless of participation/activity either in church or Scouting...that’s a lot of $$.

And a key word in National’s statement should give anyone remaining in the BSA pause...”allow”. For now.

[Raycpa]

Leaders are not allowed in boys tents unless they are their own kids. Also, leaders are not supposed to be alone with any scout.

[SZonian]

SLC helped the BSA go down this path...they are not saints in this matter, no matter what their PR release states.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3311458/posts?page=26#26

[SZonian]

Under “normal” circumstances, true, but these aren’t normal circumstances now.

Predators will bide their time, look for opportunities and if you have adults who are “like” minded in charge, who’s going to “quibble” about sharing a tent if little Johnny is homesick?

[Raycpa]

Except all training for both adults and children says this is wrong and must be reported.

[Washi]

Fist chance I’ve had to catch up on the news today.

Can’t say I’m surprised about the latest BSA stance. We all knew it was coming.

The Mormons will try to protect the children as long as they can.

I’m sure Colofornian will be along shortly to bash the Mormons for some reason or another.

[SZonian]

Assuming the parents discussed the pamphlet with their kids, yes.

But if the training was so effective, why has there still been problems? Granted, not as many as in the past, but the problems still exist.

And again, I said if there were “like” minded adults in charge...if there are 2 homo adults in charge of a backpacking trip with all the boys, straight or not...? 2 homo adults at summer camp? Homo adults from another troop preying on other kids who don’t know him?

[Osage Orange]

Ditto all that.......

The LDS, Inc...cannot afford scrutiny.

[heye2monn]

[[ “An avowed flaming homosexual can now take boys on an overnight trip ... Let that sink in.”]]

Let’s hope that nothing sinks in.

[Osage Orange]

The first Boy Scout Troop in America was in Pawhuska, OK....

There weren't any homosexuals there.....

[editor-surveyor]

BSA will be all queer, all the time within a year.

It took the Girl scouts two years.
.

[Osage Orange]

Leaders are not allowed in boys tents unless they are their own kids. Also, leaders are not supposed to be alone with any scout.

And historically how has that worked out?

[wbill]

I am horribly torn on this issue. As far as I am concerned, I am disgusted by what the scouts have become. However, I am loathe to pull WBill Jr out of Cub Scouts over it, because he would look at it as a punishment, and wouldn’t understand. I also don’t want to cave in to the homosexual lobby.

So..... I am a scout leader. I try to be the best possible role model for the kids in the pack that I can be. I keep an eye out for potential “troublemakers” among the new parents..... No probs yet, thankfully.

And, I’ve gone from a mostly “don’t care” attitude towards gays to total disgust of them and of what they’re forcing on the rest of society. A reckoning is coming, I think, as progs have overreached as usual.

I’d also add that our pack membership is down by 2/3 since the decision was made to admit gay scouts a couple of years ago. No coincidence there, I am sure.

[jsanders2001]

> Think about what the Boys Scouts have done today.

Yeah they did what they said they weren’t. The homonazis slid their foot in the door a few years ago and said they were only representing gay scouts who wanted to be included in scouting. They said their intention was not to allow gay males to be scout leaders. Remember that? I do. They were just biding their time waiting for an opportunity to insert themselves as scout leaders later to spread their affliction to young boys away from their parents in the woods. I hope the BSA enjoys bankruptcy...

[Ouderkirk]

That’s not quite true.

The troop (for which I am Scoutmaster) simply will not allow an open homosexual as a leader. We have discussed this in the committee long before now and we have all agreed that will not allow it under any circumstances. We will fold the troop, if one decides to make a federal case out of it. To a man, every father says that there will not be gay men in the leadership. None of us wants to go to jail for killing a faggot who sodomized our son. So we have agreed that we will not allow an out homo in as a leader.

A gay guy, in the woods with young boys...what could possibly go wrong ? /sarc