Posted on 11/21/2004 1:48:20 AM PST by Liz
If the Boy Scouts had as an integral part of their oath, "There is no God, and a true Scout works to persuade superstitious people to accept that morality does not depend on belief in the supernatural," would Collin Levey be blase about public money going to their support and public schools being used as their meeting places ("Damning the Scouts," Opinion, Nov. 18)? Not likely. Compelled atheism is the flip side of compelled religiosity.
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.....I just don't understand whose civil liberties the Boy Scouts are violating. The Boy Scouts do so much good for so many young boys. Would liberals rather see those kids out on the street? The Boy Scouts is a private group that, as the Supreme Court stated, can include or exclude whomever it wants. If the ACLU doesn't like its practices, then maybe the ACLU should start its own alternative to the Boy Scouts. Then it could include as many openly gay members as it likes and do as much God-bashing as it pleases.
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I, for one, have had enough of these arrogant elitists in the ACLU and their witch-hunt against the Boy Scouts and anyone else who doesn't comply with their edicts. To argue that simply having a pledge that you believe in a higher power constitutes a violation of the Constitution is simply absurd. The Constitution forbids government from imposing any religion on the people. It does not forbid mentioning God, religion or spirituality in public life or on public property. To take the ACLU's argument to its logical conclusion, we would have to remove "In God We Trust" from all currency — just for starters. The ACLU needs to realize that this country was founded on Judeo-Christian values and on the principle of majority rule.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
The Moral Relativist Shock Troops have been in full battle regalia, tearing down the moral bulwark of Western Civilization, crushing religious freedom. The libertine left's claim to moral superiority is spurious. They have always been about disestablishmentarianism-----tearing down our morally-based cultural strengths. Whether its the ACLU juggernaut to remove all vestiges of Christianity from the culture, ripping prayer out of schools, promoting the killing of the unborn as a constitutional right, the left's irreligious, hate-filled politics are calculated to destroy.
As Cicero wrote: " A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murder is less to fear. "
DAMNING THE SCOUTS
New York Post | 11/18/04 | COLLIN LEVEY
The new big threat to our civil liberties is a group of 10-year-olds with walking sticks.
At least, that's the message from the American Civil Liberties Union, which just chalked up its latest knockdown of the Boy Scouts: Via a lawsuit in Illinois, the once-proud civil-liberties group has strong-armed the Department of Defense into a worldwide ban on "sponsorship" by military bases of the charity's work.
The ACLU demanded the ban because Boy Scouts take a generic oath of faith in God. The decision still lets military personnel be involved with the Scouts on their own time, but it sends a loud message to Scout leadership that sounds something like "Pblllttt."
But then, blowing raspberries at the Boy Scouts is a top priority for the modern ACLU. In 2000, it fought all the way to the Supreme Court in a failed effort to force the organization to accept openly gay scoutmasters. "The ACLU is like a rabid dog when it comes to the Boy Scouts," says Boy Scouts national spokesman Robert Bork. If this keeps up, he adds, "pretty soon they'll come after the Marines for Semper Fidelis."
[snip]
The Founding Fathers wanted to keep Americans free from religious persecution, but the ACLU has turned that impulse into an excuse to carry out its own persecutions in the name of anti-religion, regardless of the cost to schools, kids and the Boy Scouts.
Far from inculcating one religion, the Boy Scouts offer merit badges for learning about a rainbow coalition of religions — from Mormons and Muslims to Hindus, Buddhists and Zoroastrians.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Remember, the Democrats jeered the Boy Scouts as they presented the Colors at the 2000 DNC convention.
It's an outrage that US laws, apparently passed during the Watergate era, allows the ACLU to collect attorney's fees for makework----Christian-hatng cases it itself launches.
That means "values voters" have been footing the bill the ACLU's launching a juggernaut in removing Ten Commandment images, Pledge of Allegiance, Christmas creche and Christmas carol cases, and because they claim they have a civil right not to see the Ten Commandments, a civil right not to hear the word “God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, not to see a creche of the Baby Jesus, not to hear Christmas carols.
They have a collected a huge amount of our tax dollars, a left-handed fundraiser for the ACLU.
FReepers can silence the ACLU with a bit of activism. We need to insist our Congressmen repeal this abusive law that allows the ACLU to get rich on harassing Christian America. Cut off the ACPU's funds and watch them disappear. Congress must repeal laws enabling the ACLU.
What specifically can we do?
STEP ONE: We should contact our legislators demanding repeal. A friendly lawmaker must fashion a bill to repeal that FR can push.
STEP TWO The ACLU should be designated a "hate group."
STEP THREE Taxpayers must demand the ACLU open its books and let us see who is funding them (they have refused to do this).
STEP FOUR The IRS should determine whether the ACLU is properly accounting for all its activities, whether it is inflating legal costs, and whether it is using tax dollars for the purposes stated. We need to know whether the ACLU is engaged in Enron-style accounting and spending practices.
Spirtual Warfare Bump
Dosen't the Ford Foundation fund the ACLU?
Ford Foundation Gives $7 Million to ACLU Endowment Campaign / June 28, 1999 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK--In a display of substantial confidence in and dedication to key areas of the American Civil Liberties Union's program, the Ford Foundation has contributed $7 million to its endowment fund, the Trust for the Bill of Rights, the largest gift the ACLU has received to date.
The $7 million from the Foundation, together with other significant commitments, has enabled the ACLU to surpass its initial goal of raising $25 million for its first-ever endowment six months ahead of schedule.
The Foundation said that the contribution is the second largest endowment gift it has given in the past decade and among the largest ever in its history of giving.
"The Ford Foundation has long supported the ACLU's essential role in protecting individual rights and fighting discrimination," said Susan Berresford, the Foundation's President. "This gift will help ensure that future generations will continue to benefit from the ACLU's important work."
As a litigant in virtually every important Supreme Court case involving civil liberties, the ACLU has been central to the development of democratic ideals in America. But the fight, according to Ira Glasser, Executive Director of the national ACLU, is far from over.
"The ACLU has had no better partner and friend than the Ford Foundation," Glasser said. "The Trust for the Bill of Rights was created to allow us to continue our defense of the Bill of Rights, eradicate invidious discrimination and protect individual civil liberties into the next century. It is fitting that the largest single gift to this effort, and in fact the largest gift ever to the ACLU, should come from Ford."
The gift will continue to support the ACLU's work on behalf of reproductive rights, voting rights and against discrimination based on race, gender, national origin or immigration status.
Glasser noted that the endowment gift would not preclude the ACLU from applying for other grants from the Foundation in the future.
In making its gift, the Ford Foundation has issued a challenge to the ACLU and its supporters to raise $2 for each $1 donated by the Foundation. With the fulfillment of this $14 million challenge and completion of a "second-phase" campaign, the Trust will total more than $40 million.
"This is an unprecedented challenge and opportunity for us," said Glasser. "When we first explored the possibility of building a $25 million endowment, we weren't even sure it could be done. Now the Ford Foundation has not only ensured that we will meet our goal, but is challenging us to raise our sights even higher."
At the time the ACLU publicly launched its endowment campaign in May 1997, it had already raised more than $10 million towards its December 1999 goal of $25 million.
The Ford Foundation, established in 1936, is a private, nonprofit institution that serves as a resource for innovative people and institutions worldwide. Its goals are to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement.
Headquartered in New York City, the ACLU has 53 staffed affiliates in major cities, more than 300 chapters nationwide, and a legislative office in Washington, D.C. The ACLU Foundation (ACLUF) is the national tax-deductible, 501(c)(3) arm of the ACLU. Its combined annual budget is approximately $45 million.
The bulk of the annual budget is raised by contributions from individual members -- 275,000 strong -- plus grants from foundations. Eighty percent of the budget directly supports litigation, legislation and public education programs. Fund raising costs average twelve percent of total expenses, and management and administration account for an additional 8 percent. This level of efficiency consistently ranks the ACLU and ACLUF among the nation's best-run charitable organizations, with high approval ratings from industry watchdog groups.
Ira Glasser has been Executive Director of the national ACLU since 1978; Nadine Strossen was elected president of the National Board in 1991. Founded in 1920 by Roger Baldwin, Crystal Eastman, Albert DeSilver, Jane Addams, Felix Frankfurter, Helen Keller and Arthur Garfield Hayes, the ACLU celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1995.
Good point.......like prostitutes, looks like the ACLU will do anything for money.
The Boy Scouts already caved on the "God" battle once. Until five or six years ago, many firehouses and police stations sponsored Explorer Posts for youth interested in becoming firefighters or policemen. The ACLU won lawsuits enjoining the public institutions from sponsoring Explorer Posts because of the Explorer requirement of belief in a Supreme Being.
BSA got around this by creating a new program, Venturing, which is primarily co-ed high adventure (ages 14-21) and keeping the religious requirement in it. Exploring was moved to BSA's subsidiary, Learning For Life, which has no requirement of belief in a Supreme Being. The firehouse and police station Explorer Posts stayed in place.
While this action is a headache, it won't stop BSA packs, troops, and crews or Sea Scout ships from their affiliation with military bases. The only changes will be that some entity not funded by the government will become the Chartered Organization, and (as long as the base lets other "civilian" groups of its base personnel use the base for meetings), the BSA units will still meet there.
This is more smoke than fire. Disgusting smoke, yes, but there's a way around it.
By the way, the BSA DOES NOT offer any "merit badges" for learning about religions. There is an unaffiliated organization called PRAY (something like "Programs for Religious Activities and Youth") that offers awards for 200 religions or so, based on the youth completing an age-appropriate course with help of his/her family and a religious leader. The BSA allows boys (and Venturing girls) who earn these awards to wear a special purple and silver embroidered square knot on their uniforms. PRAY also has awards for adults working with youth.
I asked all his fellow Scouts and leaders to wear their uniforms to his funeral.
They did.
Can anyone guess how far I'd go to save the Boy Scouts of America?
(So, so sorry to hear it. My sincerest condolences on a great loss to you, and to a world that sorely needs the values of Scouting.)
If you have any further insights on the way we can combat the ACLU's interference in the Scouts, please let us know.
I think we should get behind an initiative that would give Scouts official status, perhaps have Scouts from different areas do a flag-ceremony before each session of Congress, and at Presidential events, like inaugurals, tree-lighting ceremonies, and the like.
I'm thinking we should get behind other initiatives that would give Scouting perhaps federal Departmental-level status, that would shield Scouts from haters like gays and the ACLU, and give Scouts offical status as a paradigm American organization that advances US principles.
With your day-to-day involvement, please share your insights on other ways we could best effect our determination on this issue.
Keep it simple:
"Leave the Boy Scouts alone.
They are not learning to be wicked. They are learning how to be good citizens, to be moral, to work hard as part of a team, to be prepared for life's inevitable emergencies and to serve their fellow man. They also serve God, which I believe is still permitted in the United States, though not if the ACLU is allowed to have its way.
The Boy Scouts are being accused of the "sin" of knowing the difference between right and wrong and teaching it. Theirs is a mission even avoided by many of America's clergy who don't have the courage to stand in their pulpits and call evil by its name.
Woe unto those who call evil good and good, evil.
We should teach our young people to be "intolerant" of evil. To do otherwise is to allow unrestrained wickedness and licentiousness to devour our society. Do we want a youth organization to teach selfishness, lying, fornication, adultery, theft and violence? The word "tolerance" is being distorted and manipulated by the ACLU to envelope every manner of depravity devised by man.
This is not about the ACLU vs. the Boy Scouts. This is about good vs. evil. We can clearly see which side the ACLU has chosen.
The Boy Scouts of America has a proud and honored history of having helped to shape some our nation's finest leaders and heroes.
It ain't broke so it doesn't need fixing. Modern society, on the other hand, could desperately use some help.
If you don't agree with the mission of the Boy Scouts, don't participate."
Good idea. We need to get in back of it. Should be a separate action thread.
The ACLU is a terrorist organisation as bad as Hamas.
There's really nothing more to it than that.
Rumsfeld should have already taken the DOD representatives in this case out of their closets and put them where everyone can see them.
The ACLU is an even worse organization than Hamas b/c the ACLU displays itself as being for the public good, while they are demolishing Christian rights.
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