[Frapster]

When I see statements like ‘whatever God that may be’ it tells me they’d already torn down the chapel in their hearts.

[Arthalion]

When I see statements like ‘whatever God that may be’ it tells me they’d already torn down the chapel in their hearts.

Scouting is non faith-specific and has been since its founding in 1910. When I was an assistant cubmaster a few years ago, our pack included two Jewish boys, one Buddhist boy, and Christian boys from literally a dozen different faiths, from Catholic to Mormon to Southern Baptist.

Scouting requires faith, and a belief in a religious tradition that punishes those who live lives of evil. Scouting does not, and never has, made any judgments about the individual faiths of its members. Atheists and agnostics are excluded because they have no faith. Wiccans are excluded because the moral relativism of their faith doesn't recognize the existence of good and evil. Satanists are excluded because their religion IS evil. Beyond that, the official stance of the BSA is that they don't care whether your goal is to touch the face of God, or to aspire to a better life in your next incarnation, so long as your religion promotes values that are good and encourage spiritual and personal development.

Lots of scouting groups ARE exclusively Christian, of course, but that has more to do with their location in an exclusively Christian area than any policy of scouting. I have to point out that, just a couple of years ago, everyone was making a big deal about the freedom the Iraqi Boy Scouts now have, and the fact that they can now organize openly and participate in international scouting events. Want to take any bets on their faith?