Posted on 05/30/2006 3:17:33 PM PDT by SmithL
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court rejected an appeal Tuesday from an atheist father over Boy Scout recruiting at his son's public school.
John Scalise had asked the court to bar public schools from opening their doors to Boy Scout recruiters and promoting membership, arguing that the group discriminates against nonreligious boys and parents by denying them membership if they don't swear to religious oaths.
Scalise's dispute with the Scouts dates back to 1998, when his son was a third-grader in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
He claims he and his son were barred from a Scout program at the elementary school because they would not pledge "to do my duty to God and my country." They are nonreligious Humanists.
Michigan courts ruled that the school-Scout partnership did not advance religion in violation of constitutional dictates.
Attorneys for the Scouts and Mount Pleasant school system told justices that the appeal was frivolous.
A Michigan appeals court said that Mount Pleasant schools allowed other organizations to use class facilities, including a hospital group, an Indian tribe, a Baptist church, and a hockey association.
Scalise argued that his son, Benjamin, was taunted by classmates and humiliated by a Boy Scout recruiter in front of other students. Benjamin Scalise is now 17.
The Supreme Court's last Boy Scout case was in 2000. Justices ruled 5-4 at the time that the Boy Scouts can bar gays from serving as troop leaders. The ruling was written by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who died last year.
Scalise's attorney, Timothy Taylor of Mount Pleasant, said taxpayer-funded schools are too cozy with the Boy Scouts.
"It's going on all over the country and has been for decades," he said.
You are right. Spiral Scouts. He's not satisfied that his son could join this group but is electing to try and remove the rights of those who use the Boy Scouts. What a jerk.
I'm just a bystander to this one, but sheesh, cut the poster some slack. He makes a good point. There is a deep connection between atheism and abortion: Abortion is only imaginable if you deny that there is a God, in Whose image and likeness we are made.
And when you write down my name, please spell it right and capitalize the second "S."
(As Hancock said, I'll write my name nice and big so the king can read it without his glasses.)
Good news!
"I always wonder why these "nonreligious Humanists" don't simply start their own youth groups and all six of them can be happy..?"
LOL how true. Well spoken.
Clearly a religion, based on faith that humans are the highest form of being.
The future leadership of this country will be comprised of Scouting graduates.
I certainly hope you are correct.
Do more than that. I am an Assistant Scoutmaster at my son's troop. He is getting his Star Rank this Thursday evening and 6 merit badges. He will probably have all of his merit badges for Eagle rank by the end of the year...and he will be 14 in September.
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SCOTUS SCOUTS does anyone else see the conspiracy here...
they have the same letters!!! this is blatant favoritism and cronyism and not what a free humanistic society deserves...
as cubmaster and webelos den leader... it is great news to hear...
teeman
Wow. Two wins in a single day.
Your son is awesome, and please tell him I said so. Congrats to him on making Star!
My oldest will be Eagle by this time next year and is going for six palms, but he is 15. He just laid out his plans for ten merit badges over the summer to bring his non-Eagle total to 30. He will be Life at the end of July.
He still has Personal Management to do for Eagle badges, plus a few requirements left on Communications.
Of the 100 boys who become Scouts, it must be confessed that 30 will drop out in their first year. Perhaps this may be regarded as a failure, but in later life all of these will remember that they had been Scouts and will speak well of the program.
Of the 100, only rarely will one ever appear before a juvenile court judge. Twelve of the 100 will be from families that belong to no church. Through Scouting, these 12 and many of their families will be brought into contact with a church and will continue to be active all their lives. Six of the 100 will become pastors.
Each of the 100 will learn something from Scouting. Almost all will develop hobbies that will add interest throughout the rest of their lives. Approximately one half will serve in the military and in varying degrees profit from their scout training. At least one will use it to save another person's life, and many will credit it with saving their own.
Two of the 100 will reach the rank of Eagle, and at least one will later say that he values his Eagle badge above his college degree. Many will find their future vocation through merit-badge work and Scouting contacts. Seventeen of the 100 boys will later become Scout leaders and will give leadership to thousands of additional boys.
Only one in four boys in America will become Scouts, but it is interesting to know that of the leaders of this nation in business, religion, and politics, three out of four were Scouts.
Gee, and I have to spend so much time holding up the fench so's the Illegals to swarm in, too. No wonder I'm tired.
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