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

[Theodore R.]

The Scout leadership is weak, but so are the American people.

[Theodore R.]

You may curse, but the American people support these changes because they believe in “openness”, or at least claim to.

[ScottinVA]

The BSA is the latest organization tolearn the painful lesson of the camel’s nose in the tent.

[ThePatriotsFlag]

Time to roll up the tent and go home. BSA is done, the progressives have successfully knocked off another fine and traditional institution. Throw it in the trash with the Episcopal “church”... Nothing left but memories...good ones. And one cannot help but replace that void with a little hatred, and as grows the void...

[Jim Noble]

There will obviously be a replacement organization. WWW.

[ScottinVA]

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

That being the case, it’s sad to think they made that decision on their own volition to allow homos into their ranks.

[glyptol]

What’s next?
Restaurants that have a sign that says”No shirt no shoes no service”
That’s clearly discrimination of the clothing challenged.

[Travis McGee]

So, the atheists are now going to kick the corpse of the BSA in the head to claim partial credit for the kill.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Why they would think they could make a logical connection, I don’t know. Or maybe I do know. Atheists have long held sex perversion to be no big deal, since if there’s no God to have created us and to tell us the right way to use our bodies, it’s wide open, and conveniently they often fear population will quickly outstrip the earth (based on a world view which gives humans little or no credit for ingenuity which can transcend such concerns).

[Bullfrogg]

Yep, a NAMBLA bastion. After the queers, pedophiles, and faggots take over the Boy Scouts, and have their way with the young boys, Parents will have lawsuit one after another. Some units had this gong on which scout leaders reported to the local councils, and they tried to sweep “it” under the rug, and ended up with the parents sueing BSA.

[DemforBush]

“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.”

I tend to agree. The BSA is on its way to dying the death of a thousand cuts. Each concession will erode the base of support and create divisions within the remaining membership. And I think that, for some, that was the plan all along.

[IbJensen]

Will the BSA finally admit those youths who wish to have sex with their pets?

[USAFJeeper]

When I was young enough to join teh scouts we were too poor to afford uniforms. My son tried the cub scouts and I am thankful he decided scouting was not for him. The seeds were sown then, 18 years ago now for the PCification of the Scouts. I am glad we are not tainted now by saying we were scouts.

[ejonesie22]

The Mormons have their thirty pieces of silver from the BSA execs now. I suspect next year when adult sodomites are allowed they will happily collect another...

[DPMD]

No doubt, the BSA honchos thought that caving to the gay mafia would be the end of it.

Give them the merit badge for appeasement.

[CodeToad]

“The Boy Scouts are setting a horrible precedent”

Yes, they are. Next, girls in the Boy Scouts and boys in the Girl Scouts. “Gender Identify” has become law in Kali: Children encouraged to use whatever bathroom they believe their gender to be.

I can see laws passed quickly that prohibit gender based private organizations like the BSA. If the BSA can let in boys that like boys then why can’t they let in girls that like boys?

[jimfree]

With apologies to Ted Geisel: A bully’s a bully no matter how pure.