Boy Scouts' Woes Continue With Assault by Atheists

The New American ^ | 27 May 2013 | Dave Bohon

[VitacoreVision]

The Boy Scouts’ woes continue as two atheist organizations have attacked their policy of requiring participants and leaders to acknowledge faith in God.

Boy Scouts' Woes Continue With Assault by Atheists

The New American
27 May 2013

On the heels of the news that they caved in to pressure from the homosexual lobby and will allow participation by boys who identify as “gay,” the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) are facing a new assault, this time from the nation's organized atheists. On May 24 the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) fired a warning shot over the bow of the BSA concerning the group's requirement that both participants and leaders express faith in God. The godless group applauded the BSA's initial surrender to the demands of homosexual activists, but challenged the scouting organization on its decision to retain a policy that “bars atheist and freethinking members.”

The BSA's stated policy concerning faith comes in the form of a declaration that the “recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship.”

Claiming that one in three teens identifies as non-religious, the FFRF complained that “there’s a long trail of boys and leaders who have been kicked out [of the Boy Scouts] simply because they don’t believe in a God. They range from a six-year-old in suburban Chicago whose nonreligious father, Elliott Welsh, lost a suit against the BSA for violating the Civil Rights Act, to exemplary Eagle Scout Darrell Lambert, expelled from a Washington troop in a high-profile case.”

The FFRF claimed that the Boy Scout ranks “have always been full of nonbelievers,” and chided the BSA for lagging “20 years behind the Girl Scouts of America, which announced in 1993 that it would protect the freedom of conscience of all members.” The atheist complainers recalled that the Girl Scouts “adopted a resolution that any of its members may substitute another word or phrase for 'God' in its official pledge, a measure enacted to show ‘strength in diversity and that we are an inclusive organization.’ ”

Charging that “no one can grow into the best citizen who discriminates against the nonreligious,” the FFRF encouraged its members to hector the BSA with phone calls demanding that it cave in on its foundational conviction that connects faith in God with its mission of raising up boys into responsible men.

The FFRF was apparently riding the coattails of another atheist group, the Secular Coalition for America, which released its own statement affirming the Boy Scouts for their moral collapse, while criticizing them for retaining faith in God as a key value for participation in their ranks. Edwina Rogers, a spokesperson for the secular group, said she was pleased with the BSA's cave-in on the issue of homosexuality, but considered it insufficient. “Discrimination is wrong — whether it’s directed at children or adults, atheists or the religious,” Rogers said.

She noted that the while the BSA is a private organization, it receives federal funding through the use of supplies, space, and equipment. “No organization that discriminates on the basis of religion or religious beliefs should receive federal support,” Rogers said, adding in a tone suggestive of ramped up legal pressure: “We look forward to a time when the Boy Scouts will be a completely inclusive organization that does not discriminate at all based on religious belief or sexual orientation.”

Meanwhile, homosexual activist groups reacted to the Boy Scouts' announcement that they would open their doors to gay-identifying boys, while continuing their ban on homosexual Scout leaders. “They're not on our good list yet,” said the Human Rights Campaign's Paul Guequierre of the BSA's partial policy change on gays, adding that “the new policy doesn’t go far enough. Parents and adults of good moral character, regardless of sexual orientation, should be able to volunteer their time to mentor the next generation of Americans.”

Zach Wahls of the pro-homosexual Scouts for Equality, said that his group would continue to pressure the Boy Scouts to allow homosexual adults access to vulnerable boys, while also looking for opportunities to target the Boy Scouts for discrimination against supposedly gay youth. “We'll act as a watchdog,” Wahls warned. “If any gay youth feel they're experiencing harassment or discrimination, we want to be there for them.”

Rich Ferraro of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) said his group would continue to pressure corporate donors to stop giving to the Boy Scouts, and predicted that homosexual teens participating in the Boy Scouts would help to undermine the BSA's remaining moral barriers to homosexuality. “The BSA now will have to look gay teens in the eye,” he said, “boys who've been involved in Scouting for years, and tell them they're not going to be able to grow into adult leaders.”

Christian leaders and organizations continue to express their sorrow over the BSA's decision to allow participation by boys who identify as homosexual. In a statement, the Assemblies of God denomination noted that a majority of scout groups throughout the nation “are sponsored by churches or other religious entities, which have as their foundation a belief in biblical teachings that identify homosexual behavior as outside of God's plan for sexuality. While we agree that youths who experience confusion or same-sex attraction need to be welcomed, in our churches they are confronted with this biblical teaching and will be counseled and prayed with that God will help them to align their lives in conformity to that teaching. We agree with the BSA that we need to demonstrate compassion and welcome those who are struggling with sexuality issues, but not in a way that condones such behavior, which is what the new BSA policy does.”

As have many other Christian and conservative leaders, Randy Sharp of the American Family Association said that the decision made by a vote of 61 percent of the BSA's voting leaders does not bode well for the future of the storied organization. “I think what we're going to see in the next year or so is a mass exodus of adults and boys from the Boy Scouts of America program,” Sharp told OneNewsNow.com. “Some of the estimates that I've heard are up to 400,000 to 500,000 boys and adults will resign their positions with the Boy Scouts of America.”

Rob Schwarzwalder of the Family Research Council pointed out that such a mass exodus will not be based on a personal hatred or animosity toward people who identify as homosexuals. This isn't about fear or homophobia, and this isn't about bigotry,” he said. “This is about the moral values of our Judeo-Christian heritage, which teaches that the only appropriate sexually intimate activity that exists [is] between a man and a woman within marriage. That's always been the affirmation of Scouts. It is no longer.”

David Cortman of Alliance Defending Freedom emphasized that “those promoting the agenda to change what the Boy Scouts have always been won't rest until there is complete acceptance of any sexual preference for both leaders and members. With its decision the BSA has rejected its freedom to promote and practice the values that have served to shape our nation's boys into leaders for the last century.”


Related Articles:

Pro-Family Groups Warn of Mass Exodus If Boy Scouts Cave to Homosexuals

Strong Reaction Follows Boy Scouts' Decision to Allow Homosexual Members

[Lancey Howard]

LOL!
Who cares?
The Boy Scouts have already committed suicide. Screw them.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Yes, it seems more like a weathervane spirit. If it’s really God telling them to stand for some moral position then God with all His almightiness (my spell checker flagged that one) will dig in and be in their foxhole and fight along with them. I respectfully bear witness to Mormons that they are apparently worshiping a cowardly god of this world. (And that there is no way that the being slain of a “spirit brother” could save their souls. That is a God sized task.)

[HiTech RedNeck]

For the Lord’s sake, not the BSA’s sake, don’t saw them off so easily. But fight with spiritual weapons, not fleshly ones.

[CaspersGh0sts]

“Not atheists. Anti-theists.”

Very true. Let’s be perfectly clear about that.

[Pollster1]

Most of us probably to some extent discretely shun those from the far left, but I don't think that is enough. We have to make that shunning explicit, open, and clearly linked to their most evil acts. Those from this Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF)and their children need to be completely excluded from decent society by all moral people. Those who support them and the Gay Activists from GLAD/NAMBLA need to be completely shunned. Once they cross the line from thinking that Atheism is okay or gay is okay to attempting to force that belief on others, we need to make them feel a personal rejection in response to evil. Once they reject diversity in favor of enforced conformity (words that if tweaked correctly might reach even liberals), we need to make them feel as much emotional pain as possible.

[HiTech RedNeck]

That’s true; there are non-theists (some on FR) who reject (or at least say they reject) believing in God and yet are still willing to live and let live to Christians. God may still have a toehold in their souls, in fact. Word games can be used to mislead and we have to be careful.

[HiTech RedNeck]

The true spirit of Christ (and it can only be had by digging into Christ, so to speak, not by philosophizing) will be to try to separate the sinner from his sin and turn the sinner towards salvation. It inexorably follows from the nature of God.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I.e. while it’s fine to punch back, don’t let that dominate the spiritual conversation. Satan can punch too, and a philosophy of nothing but destructive punches will not (of itself) achieve the Lord’s goal.

[silverleaf]

you can read more about the definition of what is meant by “God” in the Boy Scout oath as discussed in the policies and programs of the World Organization of Scouts which is the umbrella for all national Scouting organizations

The definition of “god” is different in different cultures and Boy Scouts transcends the Judeao-Christian culture

So the spiritual Creator your boys are pledging to is different than what the boys in India Pakistan Israel Africa and 150 other countries and numerous cultures think they are pledging to

But hey. It's all good

Now we'll have to see what the atheists define as their higher spiritual power and how they may amend the oath

For GS they have taken the language and definitions of reverent spirituality described by WSO and when reciting the GS Promise may substitute a name other than “God” that reflects their higher spiritual belief. I'm sure many GS troops here and abroad are using “Allah” instead of God, BS probably also

[CaspersGh0sts]

Am I the only one who sees a major fault of an organization like the Scouts placing leadership in urban centers?

Were another organization to be formed, it would be best for leadership to remain in much smaller towns and more inkeeping with the values and activities of scouting than the plagues of urban life.

[Max_850]

“The Boy Scouts has shown its weakness by caving. Now they will be picked to death by every moon bat group; with the ultimate goal being the demise of the boy scouts. Mission accomplished.”

Exactly my thoughts. Atheists and Homosexuals share the goal of destruction of the common beliefs, traditions, and societal norms that Americans have shared since inception. Those that spout tolerance have the least of it.

Add in how we have been divided through race, ethnicity, sexual persuasion or perversion, political beliefs, etc, we are about as divided as we can be.

At one time we all saw ourselves as Americans, now we more identify with a particular subset and that was the beginning of the end of us as a nation.

[I want the USA back]

BSA is a private organization. No one has the right to tell them what to think.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Boy scout leadership/pansies.

[DungeonMaster]

Gays are content just pushing Christians out of the Boy Scouts. They are compressing the impact of Christians. More and more have taken their kids out of public school and put them in private or home schools. This gives the Satanic Left free run over the secular remains.

[LibLieSlayer]

I was a Scout... I am 58 so it was still Scouting back then. I loved it... it shaped me into a better man. I know what GOD meant to us and to Scouts at every Jamboree that I attended. It is anti PC to say this but I swear by all that I am that this is the truth. Every Scout that I grew up with were either Christian or Jewish and we both worshiped the same FATHER.

LLS

[WVNan]

The trouble all started when the BS decided to accept government funds in any form. All Christian churches should now continue the BS under another name “Christian Scouts” and refuse to accept any gov. funds. The Church can afford to do this and use the church facilities and private locations for their activities. Why let the vacuum continue when God-fearing parents withdraw their children from the BS? What a great opportunity for the churches, especially those who find themselves without a mission and dying for lack of members.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I thought I had heard the chief force was the United Way which isn’t gummit but which does lean liberal.

[thecodont]

The trouble all started when the BS decided to accept government funds in any form.

"He who pays the piper, calls the tune."

[Theodore R.]

Many prefer “non-theist”.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I’m not familiar with all the in’s and out’s of this as to whether it was the major factor. There have been skirmishes IIRC. Like this park or that facility voted the BSA out because it had a no open homosexuality policy. But the larger economic pressure? Wasn’t that folks like United Way, who may have been well meaning but were sorely misguided?