Posted on 07/20/2008 9:21:06 PM PDT by Marie2
Trading Post 13 last Tuesday, a sweltering morning during the 15th Boy Scouts Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill near Fredericksburg, Va. Despite the heat wave, over the next 10 days they would help 32,000 other Scouts burn through 76,000 hamburgers, 479,000 eggs, 10 tons of beef stew--and countless hours energetically addressing a controversy that will not fade. "In the Bible, it's a sin to be gay," said Moran, 15, as the sun glinted off his dyed blue hair. Keep them out of scouting? "Exactly," he declared. Fifteen-year-old Greg Gutta Jr. was sympathetic. "They say everybody should have the right to be in the Scouts, but everybody has the right to feel comfortable, too," he said. "A lot of people don't feel comfortable around homosexuals."
Yet within Troop 1320, as in many scouting gatherings around the country, there is no easy consensus. Noah Kinney, a shy 15-year-old, challenged his friends. He knows a few gays back home and thinks they're OK. "I think as long as they stay off of you, they're fine, that's all." Other troop members nodded, even Gutta, despite his own discomfort. "I don't think people should be kicked out for just being gay."
For the Boy Scouts of America it has been a year of such debates since last summer's Supreme Court victory handed them the legal right to exclude gay boys and leaders. In a 5-4 majority, the justices found that the group's religious foundation allowed it to set membership standards at its headquarters in Texas, even if they are at odds with the ordinances or policies on the books in 244 localities and 13 states to protect lesbians and gay men from discrimination.
Polls show that most Americans approve of the court's ruling.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
Myself, I would never knowingly have my sons "led" by a homosexual man. I am concerned about modeling, abuse, and a breakdown in moral standards.
The article alleges that there is no increase in possibility of molestation when camping overnight with a homosexual leader. I find that really hard to believe.
It also says other similar groups are gaining membership but I have hear for years the Girls Scouts have dwindled steadily since they dropped their "faith in God" requirement.
Overnight stays with homosexual supervisors to a bunch of youths.
Despite the numerous cases of molestation the gay lib lobby continues to push for this.
WHY? Apart from breaking down resistance. WHY?
I might disagree slightly with that, it is a sin to engage in homosexual behavior.
I think we both know why. Were I a male homo pedophile, I’d be signing up for Scoutmaster pronto (assuming I was allowed). For that matter, were I a male hetero pedophile, I’d be signing up to lead a Girl Scout troop (assuming I was allowed).
Do they have straight men leading the girl scouts to overnight camps? I presume not! My daughters would never go.
Fair enough. I have a lot of respect for fellow believers that restrain homosexual urges in deference to God - just as I do for those who restrain other sinful tendencies. Good point.
Note to self: Don’t share a tent with Noah.
Bingo. That is the exact argument that BSA should use every time.
Ask a couple of kids why anyone would feel this way you might get widely differing answers:
1. Liberal Kid: "Because their bigots"
2. Conservative Kid: Cause I don't want them trying to play with my wee-wee.
Conservative Scout wins....hands down!! No contest!
I was just reading this on Newsweek but I didn’t want to post it on here. What a bunch of hateful, biased left-wing bull crap.
I believe the kids were mostly talking about whether other boys who thought they were gay would be allowed, not scoutmasters.
I don't know if the article is intentionally trying to mislead or what, but as far as I know, the Boy Scouts does not ask or ban boys who claim to be homosexual from being a Boy Scout. The Boy Scouts ban on homosexuality has to do with it's leadership. That being said, aside from our yearly abuse/safety talk with the boys, the topic of homosexuality isn't discussed.
I am a leader (committee member) of my boys Scout troop, and that is how I understand it. One thing that gets constantly reviewed for us leaders is the two depth leadership rule. It is not just for the boys safety, but for ours as well. If a leader puts him or herself in a situation that even looks compromising, it can lead to trouble.
One other side note: if there are only two adult leaders and one of the leaders has to escort a Scout somewhere, we are required to bring along another Scout. This minimizes the problems of a “he said-he said” problem.
When do we say enough is enough? Once they start down this slippery slope with compromise on traditional values they will never be regained.
We had a local guy running for a local office. He was a well-known homosexual. We also knew he was a cubmaster. But he never mentioned being a cubmaster in his campaign, and nobody ever really pushed the issue of how an openly gay perseon, living with another man, and highly public (he had worked for the Democratic governor on a commission), could have answered the questions on his forms truthfully and been accepted as a cubmaster.
Of course, I don’t know if the cub scouts have the same rules as the boy scouts.
Cubs are part of BSA so they do have the same rules.
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