Posted on 11/05/2002 12:27:48 AM PST by kattracks
SEATTLE (AP) — An Eagle Scout who has earned 37 merit badges said Monday he has been kicked out of the Boy Scouts for refusing to declare a belief in a higher power. Darrell Lambert said he was told of the decision earlier in the day by the Chief Seattle Council, the Scouts' regional governing body.
"Am I bitter? No. Disappointed? Yeah," he said. "We're in the 21st century. Our country was founded on religious freedom, and the Boy Scouts of America are still discriminating."
Lambert said he plans to appeal the decision within the Scouting council within the required 60 days.
On membership applications, Boy Scouts and adult leaders must say they recognize a higher power, although not necessarily a religious one.
As a private organization, the Boy Scouts can bar anyone it chooses from membership. The organization's ban on gay leaders was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2000.
The issue arose about a month ago, after Lambert attended a Boy Scout leadership training seminar where he argued with a Scout leader about whether atheists should be expelled from the organization.
Last week, the council said it would give him about a week to declare his belief in a higher power. Lambert refused, saying that to lie would make him a bad Scout.
The Irving, Texas-based Boy Scouts of America did not return calls seeking comment Monday.
Lambert, 19, said he has been an atheist since ninth grade, when he concluded that science had disproved the accounts of creation given in the Bible.
He had declared his atheism to the Scout leaders overseeing his Eagle Scout application last year, but was still granted the award.
"They commended me on my honesty," he said.
His mother told CNN that no one in their family attends church, and that her husband is also an atheist.
"Darrell's not just fighting this for himself. He's fighting this for all the Scouts that have no real belief in God," Trish Lambert said.
Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
MedicalMess says: "I am an Eagle Scout with a bronze palm, was Vice President of the Order of the Arrow over 4,000 scouts, and had earned the God and Country award."
But unfortunately you haven't learned a damn thing:
MedicalMess says: "It flies in the face of the United States Constitution regarding religious freedom..."
The First Amendment does NOT say "Congress and the Boy Scouts shall make no law...", it says Congress shall make no law. It is a prohibition against the government, and the government only, against interfering in the religious affairs of private citizens (and that includes private organizations).
The only way for the Scouts to support this provision of the Constitution is for them to ensure that Congress does not interfere in the religious affairs of the people.
That you would have been associated with Scouting for this many years, even accepting the "God and Country" award, yet tell us that to this day you are still "not convinced of a higher being or order in the universe" tells me that you have no sense of honor or integrity and are one sorry ass excuse for a Scout. Why didn't you have the moral courage to admit your long term deception and dishonesty and refuse the God and Country award?
--Boot Hill
The BSA is a PRIVATE organization. It is not the United States Gov't. The Constitutional "protections" you refer to are not applicable. The United States Constitution has nothing in it regarding the Boy Scounts of America.
Unfortunately, this kind of wrong headed thinking that applies Constitutional protections to non-governmental entities has been the norm for many years. And that's sad because today it allows the gov't to limit the rights of entities like the BSA while citing the Constitution. That was not the intent of having a Constitution in the first place. Which was to protect the BSA from the government.
Taking a cue from your way of thinking then I should be able to join the Methodist Church then argue that the Methodists change their practices because I want to pray to Allah in their church 5 times a day.
Regards,
Boot Hill
The First Amendment:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Freedom of assembly also know as freedom of association guarantees the opposite. It guarantees the right of people to meet with like minded people without government interference. The former scout is vlearly covered ny this.
Would you publically pledge an oath (an oath pledged upon your honor) every single week that says I believe in Santa? And if you did, what would that say about your sense of "honor"? MedMess chose the dishonorable and deceitful path and he has to live with that. It would be wrong to pretend that his choice was anything less.
--Boot Hill
I guess that means that we should throw out all the Jewish troops. Why not? You threw out an atheist. If that, why not the agnostic? If that, then why not the Jew? If that, why not some other sect of religion?
Atheism is just as valid a religion as any Christian or Jewish religion. They all meet the dictionary definitions of religion.
What you people can't stand is someone who doesn't believe like you do.
Well I've got news for you. The great majority of all advancement in human technology is due to the people who did not go along with the group or think like everyone else.
You all are so quick to condemn this kid because he has the guts to say what he believes. I can tell you that the majority of the kids that profess their religion in the scouts are hypocrits. In fact a lot of these religious kids, you would allow to stay, are some of the worst behaved, poor excuse for human sub-animal brats I have ever seen or delt with.
And I know this to be a fact because I spent nine (9) years with them.
I would take an honest atheist boy scout of high achievement and put him to work in any company long before I would take the majority of religious kids that think they're special who can't even rise to the rank of First Class Scout.
While you spit on this kid, I bet one day he does something great for humanity. He found the highest order in the universe he could... and that was himself, ergo 37 merit badges...DAAAHHHHH!!!! He relied on himself!! He believes in himself!!! That's the best religion that anyone can have bar none. Human self-reliance is the number one belief of success.
I'll take this kid over any of your whining, poor me, pray to God to solve my problems, voodoo, witch hunters any day.
This kid has got character and guts which is something I do not believe I could say for the majority of you folks on this thread.
In fact, looking at your responses, I would say many of you are just plain sick. If you want to know why Republicans can't make further headway over the Demorats... go look in the mirror... the intolerant religious right. You are this parties biggest thorn in the side of bigots and hypocrits.
Yeh... they can throw this kid out. It's called stabbing yourself in the back. And it isn't going to help when it comes to fund raising because you just alienated another 5 or 6 percent of the population. This is not what you call smart thinking on the part of the Boy Scouts of America!!!
Hey jeepers, tortoise. I agree with you!
He thinks this is bad, wait 'til he gets to the pearly gates.
You may be right. It is my understanding that you cannot serve between the ages of 18 and 21 as this time is to be set aside for college.
Are you saying that this is a fabrication? For what purpose, in collusion with who, and to what end, other than the detriment I have described?
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