Real men, I tell you!
Posted on 05/23/2013 5:06:55 PM PDT by SoFloFreeper
Assemblies of God leadership regrets that the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has voted to change its policy regarding inclusion of homosexual youth members. We believe – as do a majority of Boy Scout volunteer leaders and parents – that this is not the best policy for BSA, nor for the young men it serves.
As the landmark 2000 Supreme Court decision stated, BSA is a private organization with freedom of association to determine its own membership standards, upholding BSA's policy not to allow homosexual leaders or members. BSA stated at the time that a departure from that longstanding policy would undermine its purpose of guiding boys to keep themselves "morally straight," which is part of the Boy Scout Oath.
While we are disappointed by BSA's recent membership decision, we are pleased that the organization will retain its policy regarding adult leaders, and applaud the organization for standing firm on that issue. However, today's vote to allow homosexual youth members negates BSA's ability to legally defend its position regarding leadership and opens the door to more efforts by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) lobbies to make further policy changes.
A majority of scout groups 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.
Though the BSA shares a common mission with the Church, "to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes," the Church answers to a higher Authority in providing a value-added spiritual dimension. As such, based on Scripture, we provide a loving, welcoming environment to young people in their search for purpose, meaning and God's best for their lives. Until this decision today BSA agreed in teaching that "homosexual conduct is not morally straight" and in not wanting to "promote homosexual conduct as a legitimate form of behavior." BSA had been well-served by holding to that position.
We believe that the BSA policy change will lead to a mass exodus from the Boy Scout program, as Assemblies of God and many other churches can no longer support groups that are part of an organization allowing members who are openly homosexual. However, as a positive alternative, we offer a program – the Royal Rangers – that operates with values consistent to that of the BSA prior to today's change.
In the fractured family and culture today, we recognize that many youth are struggling with sexual identity and behavior. Our Assemblies of God churches seek to help these young people experience sexual purity in their lives, and remain virgins until married to a person of the opposite sex. Love, counseling and prayer is given for those who fail in this regard so that young people who engage in sexual relations outside marriage can reset their moral compass toward God's will through repentance, forgiveness and restoration.
Dr. George O. Wood General Superintendent Assemblies of God
Check out “on my honor.net” They may be putting together a group.
Royal Rangers have been around for several decades. You ought to know what you’re talking about before you attack.
Real men, I tell you!
When will church denominations begin issuing instructions to pull out of the Gay Scouts?
I understand. We’re all upset by this — just unbelievable outrage.
I believe the same, the beginning of the end of a great organization.
I am not so sure. The "suits" at BSA National did their arithmetic and projected a membership loss of ~10% if the resolution was adopted. I think they decided this was acceptable collateral damage. At the end of 2012, total membership was 2.6 million. While I greatly respect the positions of the (1) Southern Baptist Convention, (2) Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and (3) The Assembly of God, truthfully, they are small time players in terms of chartering units. I think the American culture has degenerated to a point of no return. At some point only the Almightly knows, He will do a "hard re-set" and separate the sheep from the goats. Until that day, and it may not happen in our lifetime, pray that we remain steadfast in faith, shake the BSA dust from our sandals, and move forward wherever the Gospel moves us.
An interesting perspective. Sadly, the National Jewish Committee on Scouting fought BSA National these past 13 years for inclusion of homosexuals.
Wayne Perry sounds like he’d fit right in with our current DC regime. Same beliefs and same bully tactics against free speech, it seems.
Bless the AOG for standing up against this atrocity.
1994 - Edward O. Laumann’s book, The Social Organization of Sex: Sexual Practices in the United States, was published. It has since become the most accepted study on the incidence of homosexuality in the U.S. population. The National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS) found that 2.8% of the male and 1.4% of the female population identified themselves as homosexual, lesbian, or bisexual.
10/08/2002 – A Gallup Poll reported that Americans estimated 21% of men were homosexuals and 22% of women were lesbians.
10/18/2012 – A Gallup Poll, the largest of its kind on record (more than 121,000 adults surveyed) revealed that only 3.4% of American adults publicly identified themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, with the highest percentage coming among the younger, less-educated non-whites. The percentage of self-reported LGBTQ Americans was much smaller than the general impression derived from their presence in popular culture and their perceived influence in liberal American politics.
Good question. I think it is a "don't ask don't tell". LOL
It's all water over the dam and under the bridge now. Can't speak for Perry's links to homosexuals, but here is a brief bio of the man ...
5/30-6/02/2012 – BSA held its annual National Council business meeting in Orlando, FL. Telecom pioneer and Seattle Mariners co-owner, Wayne Perry, was elected as the BSA's 34th (volunteer) president. Perry, a life-long member of the LDS Church, began his career in telecommunications and was chairman and CEO of Edge Wireless until it was sold to AT&T in 2008. (It should be noted that AT&T's corporate HQ is in Dallas, close-by to BSA's HQ in Irving. The next BSA National President will be elected in 2014 and is expected to be AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson. AT&T has scored 100% on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index for the past 6 years.)
Wayne Perry serves as the 34th president of the BSA. He began his work with Scouting as a Cubmaster with Pack 601 in Bellevue, WA, and has filled many positions since then, including Scoutmaster, Exploring Advisor, district committee vice president, district chairman, council vice president, council president (Chief Seattle Council), regional president (Western Region), jamboree regional commissioner (Western Region), member of the NEB, international commissioner, member of the World Scout Foundation Board, and member of the World Scout Committee. Wayne has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington, a Juris Doctor from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, and a Master of Laws in Taxation from New York University School of Law. Wayne is a member of the Washington State Bar Association. Wayne serves as chief executive officer of Shotgun Creek lnvestments, LLC, which invests in a variety of private equity projects. He began a telecommunications career at McCaw Cellular Communications lnc. in 1976, serving as primary legal officer, then general counsel, president, and finally vice chairman. Wayne is part of the ownership group that purchased the Seattle Mariners Major League Baseball team, essentially saving it from leaving Seattle. He serves on the board of directors of Baseball of Seattle lnc., the managing general partner of the Mariners. Wayne and his wife, Christine, are the parents of 4 Eagle Scout sons: Kevin, Gregory, Douglas, and Justin.
2/07/2013 – Volunteer scouter Neil Lupton posted this insider account of the 2/06/2013 NEB meeting.
http://www.scouts-l.org/sl_kb.cgi?action=view_message&message_id=93504
> … “These people are much more interested in money than Scouting's long-time values.” … – Calvin Gray, SM in TX
I'm sorry, Calvin, but I can't let this pass. I was in Dallas for the meetings the past Monday and Tuesday (I'm not on the National Board and was not in the Wednesday Board meeting.). I had personal discussions with many members of the National Board and the National Advisory Council. NEVER ONCE DID I HEAR MONEY MENTIONED AS A PRIMARY DRIVER.
I heard many, many discussions about the short and long term future of the organization and how the BSA can best be positioned for short and long term health and growth. I was personally present in the meeting where Wayne Perry, the National President who is a lifelong member of the LDS Church and a lifelong Scouter and the founder of a billion dollar company, was in tears about having to go to Salt Lake City and discuss with his Prophet why he believes that a change in the membership standards (gay policy) is essential to the health of the organization to protect, among other things, the right of the BSA to maintain the Duty to God standard. NEVER ONCE DID HE MENTION MONEY.
He and Tico Perez, the National Commissioner, and Wayne Brock, the Chief Scout Executive, did mention the personal values and beliefs of today’s youth and today's parents and the persons that we serve. There also was mention of the personal heartache caused by communication from parents and Scout leaders of older youth who realize they are gay. Wayne Brock too appeared close to tears when he discussed a phone call from a Scout leader who said that 1 of his older Scouts had been a member of the group of boys since they were 8. The boys all love each other in the best, Scoutlike, family-like sense. That boy is now 16 and has realized he is gay and so informed the Scoutmaster. The Scout leader asks "Am I supposed to tear this group of youth apart by expelling this 1 boy? His friends know about and don't care about his sexual orientation. What will it say to each of these older boys if we expel their highly respected friend. Should we not expect to lose all of them to Scouting and to the Scout Oath and Scout Law?"
I heard a 78 year veteran Scouter who has received every honor the BSA has, in a public meeting, discuss the heartache caused when his Eagle Scout youngest son came to him and said he was gay. The heartache was not over the son's sexual orientation. Rather, when he asked his son "when did you know?" The son said, "I realized my feelings about this were different when I was about 10." Then when he asked his son "Why did you take so long to tell me?" and the son said "I know how important the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts are to you and I didn't want to cause trouble for you." There were a lot of us close to tears there. NEVER ONCE WAS MONEY MENTIONED.
I'm not saying money is not a factor; just that it appeared there are many, many other factors just as compelling if not more so. The National Key 3 said that personally, they were probably the most conservative National Key 3 in 20 years and in their personal beliefs, none of them particularly wanted a change. However, they said they had concluded that the change was absolutely essential to the short and long term survival, health and growth of the BSA.
I fully admit that I am not neutral in this and my council and I have a dog in this fight. I had a lot of discussions with persons from conservative religions about their beliefs and how they find homosexuality morally repugnant and do not want homosexual leaders around their youth. I get it and I understand how it is absolutely essential to have policies and procedures to protect the beliefs of those religions. At the same time, when I was discussing the problems that the policy causes for the more welcoming religions, more inclusive persons and many of today's youth and parents, I did not get the feeling that the reception by many rank and file members (and even in some cases leaders) of the conservative religions was particularly empathetic or that the effort was being made to find a working procedure which would enable all persons to have Scouting in line with their religious and personal beliefs. Either they do not get it or they do not want to get it or they believe their personal beliefs trump any consideration for the beliefs of others.
I heard a lot about the Bible and Leviticus. I heard a lot about the "gay agenda" and concern about lawsuits to force sponsors to take gay leaders. I heard very little about "friendly" and "kind" and about respect for the customs and beliefs of others. And I certainly heard threats to leave if the policy is changed. To me the proposed change to local sponsor option on membership is the only possible policy to protect the rights of all sponsors and to honor our long standing Declaration of Religious Principles. The threats to leave and lack of empathy and understanding to me are exceedingly disappointing. I don't believe that anyone has suggested that individual sponsors and individual units who do not want gay or lesbian leaders should have them. I would only hope that, in the spirit of Scouting, the opposite prerogative would be given to sponsors and units which have different beliefs and theologies. There are concerns about multi-unit activities like camp and camporees. I believe those can be worked out by people of good faith, just as they were when woman were universally permitted to become BSA leaders at all levels in the late '70s (actually, 1988). I do hope we can continue to have 1 BSA. It would be an incredible shame if this issue, which as a practical matter should probably be a very rare occurrence in a program primarily for 7 to 14 year olds, would tear apart the BSA.
Best wishes,
Neil Lupton
Well, we’ll see, Mac.
I think their arithmetic was faulty...or, they don’t care.
I think the latter—they really don’t CARE about losing Christians and other morally based human beings. Their desire to please the flesh and the gods of this world is too great.
God knows what He is doing, though, you’re right. A hard re-set OR, better yet, competing organizations to make the Boy Sodomites of Amerika pale in comparison. Competition can be a good thing. :)
Neil Lupton, eh? Well Neil certainly is all about the feelings, isn’t he?
What about the idea of pro-sodomite camping enthusiasts CREATE THEIR OWN organizations?
I cannot imagine any parent (in their right mind) of an 8 or 10 year old boy consenting to send him on a field trip or overnight camping event with teenage sodomites.
This is the end of the BSA.
I look for the Southern Baptist Convention to be the 1st ...
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=40331
Page, Land send letters opposing Scout proposal
5/17/2013
"Southern Baptist leaders Frank Page and Richard Land have written letters expressing strong opposition to a proposal that would leave in place the prohibition on homosexual Scout leaders but would allow youth who identify as gay to join ... Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee, addressed the letter to all the voting delegates. Page's letter was part of an email sent by the Middle Tennessee Council of the Boy Scouts of America to all 1,400 delegates urging them to defeat the proposed resolution. ...
... Land, outgoing president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said the ERLC's position on the Boy Scouts' latest proposal "differs in no respect" from the entity's position on the previously proposed option to allow local leaders to set membership standards.
"In short, the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission remains opposed to any change in the Boy Scouts' membership policy," Land wrote to Chief Scout Executive Wayne Brock and Boy Scouts of America (BSA) President Wayne Perry.
The ERLC, Land wrote, considers the proposed policy to be a serious departure from the Boy Scouts' moral foundation and traditional values. The admittance of openly homosexual youth into Scouting does not comport with Boy Scouts' mission, Land wrote, and it is at odds with the Scout Oath.
"If the BSA takes one step in compromising a long-held core value, what would prevent it from soon taking a second step to abandonment of the value altogether?" Land wrote.
Also among Land's concerns:
-- Southern Baptists do not believe embracing same-sex orientation is biblically acceptable. "By introducing homosexual identification into Scouting, the Boy Scouts would effectively require church-sponsored Scouting units to endorse that which they consider incompatible with Scripture," the letter states.
-- Southern Baptists historically have played an integral part in the Boy Scouts and allowing openly homosexual youth into Scouting would cause many Southern Baptist churches to withdraw their sponsorship. "Already, numerous churches have told us of their intent to do so," Land wrote.
Good!
Now let’s hear it from the ELCA.
(...crickets chirping...)
I went to an AOG college and George Wood’s office was on our campus. He is a great man and this letter proves it.
Mac, Neil Lupton is a perfect example of the problem.
Out hundreds of thousands, three or four examples are going to turn the ship on a dime?
Mark my words, the gays will tear the BSA apart. They will NOT be content with just “gay” boys being allowed in.
They will start to sue to become leaders.
And THEN, the BSA will torn apart.
All this silly exercise did was to buy a very short amount of time. The end game is now in their sights and they have been emboldened by this “conciliatory” step by the BSA.
Here, in DE, we gave the gays civil unions in 2012. They said they were satisfied.
Until THIS year, they wanted full gay marriage, and Dem majorities in the House and Senate and a Dem Governor gave it to them. One year later! And all previous civil unions will automatically be converted to marriages, too!
The BSA leadership has failed their members, and their folly will soon be bared for all to see.
The Ranger program has an equivalent award - the Gold Medal of Achievement that is equally recognized by the armed forces and other agencies as the Eagle. The program uses merit badges, camping, leadership training, service projects etc to attain that award. My son earned his GMA and it is no cakewalk. Go to the national Royal Ranger website and learn more.
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