Posted on 11/19/2002 2:21:44 PM PST by madprof98
Darrell Lambert used to be a Boy Scout.
He taught kids leadership, earned 37 merit badges and racked up more than 1,000 hours of community service in one year.
Lambert, 19, is also an atheist. And his honesty about his beliefs has made him the poster boy for the intolerance and hypocrisy of a powerful American institution.
The Boy Scouts of America does great good in communities and in the lives of youngsters. It teaches boys to respect others, to conserve natural resources and to be leaders in thought and in deed.
Yet that admirable record has an odd, dark side.
Last month, Lambert, an Eagle Scout in Port Orchard, Wash., was training to be an adult leader. He engaged in a debate about faith, expressing his view that there is no higher power, and hence no God.
''I think the only power higher than myself is the power of all of us combined,'' Lambert said later. ''The interactions we do affect each others' lives."
The Boy Scouts, however, require a profession of belief.
Officials gave Lambert a week to change his mind, and when he refused, they gave him the boot. No matter that he was clean, thrifty and brave. He was not reverent in the manner the Scouts demand.
To defend that practice, Scout officials point to a shaky 5-4 Supreme Court decision two years ago that upheld the right of a private organization to ban certain members. It is the same ruling used to exclude homosexuals.
But the central issue is not the legal rights afforded a so-called private organization (one that happens to have a very public persona). The Boy Scouts of America puts teaching character and citizenship as its foremost goals, yet it is not upholding those principles with its actions.
Each of us, in our own way, must undertake the intellectual and spiritual journey that Lambert made in arriving at his atheism. There is no prescribed route and no predetermined destination. America was founded on that very premise.
Lambert has been forthright in explaining how he came to his views. He has been steadfast in his right to hold them. To have made that difficult journey in a manner that is both thoughtful and mature shows a remarkable strength of character. That should be held up as an example, not expunged like some malignancy.
''On my honor'' begins the Scout oath, in which boys pledge to do their best to uphold their duty to God and country.
Part of everyone's duty is deciding for ourselves what we believe and why, and standing behind those beliefs in the face of challenge. That is the very essence of character and citizenship.
Lambert appears to have taken those duties to heart, and put them into practice. He has upheld the oath he took 10 years ago when he became a Tenderfoot.
But the Scouts have not acted with similar honor. By punishing a young man who would not profess to beliefs he does not hold, the organization has directed youngsters within its ranks to value intolerance more than principles and honesty.
MARY SCHULKEN is editorial page editor for the Daily Reflector in Greenville, N.C. Her column appears occasionally.
Roe V Wade was a 'shaky' 5-4 Supreme Court decision too.
Does anyone even remember the vote margins in the most prolific, enduring Supreme Court decisions in U.S. history?
I said to her, "Don't you think its a bit presumptuous of you to say you know more about being a Catholic than the Pope?"
Even she had to acknowledge that point.
If this article has the true reason that the person was rejected, it was not for being a Boy Scout but for an Adult leader ship role. This guy was already getting too old to be a Boy Scout and should have moved up to a Explorer Post. He did not fit the criteria for Scout Leaders.
I see this crap all the time. Someone who sits in traffic for two hours on the way to work in a crowded city every day automatically assumes that he lives in a country where all 280 million people sit in traffic for two hours on the the way to work in a crowded city every day.
Shot herself in the foot with this sentence. Any Scout who takes this pledge while not believing in a God has no honor.
Gotta agree with you there. Wonder how he felt while he was taking the oath, knowing that he didn't believe in at least one of the Boy Scouts' precepts.
Funny how it's a "shaky 5-4 Supreme Court decision" when it goes against liberal orthodoxy - but never, seemingly, when it endorses it.
Funny also how Mr. Lambert knew the rules - and the oath - going in. They didn't spring this on him out of thin air.
The Boy Scouts apparently have a "very public persona." So does NOW. Does that I man I could (shudder) join them?
Apparently it does not matter what beliefs you stand for so long as you stand up for them. One wonders if Ms. Schulkin has similar solicitude for white supremacists or similar ilk.
The Boy Scouts stand for a minimal platform of beliefs and ideals. All they ask of their members is that they share them at some basic level.
By giving your word, you are promising to be guided by the ideals of the Scout Oath.
Try hard to live up to the points of the Scout Oath. Measure your achievements against your own high standards and don't be influenced by peer pressure or what other people do.
Your family and religious leaders teach you about God and the ways you can serve. You do your duty to God by following the wisdom of those teachings every day and by respecting and defending the rights of others to practice their own beliefs.
Help keep the United States a strong and fair nation by learning about our system of government and your responsibilities as a citizen and future voter.
America is made up of countless families and communities. When you work to improve your community and your home, you are serving your country. Natural resources are another important part of America's heritage worthy of your efforts to understand, protect, and use wisely. What you do can make a real difference.
The twelve points of the Scout Law are guidelines that can lead you toward wise choices. When you obey the Scout Law, other people will respect you for the way you live, and you will respect yourself.
There are many people who need you. Your cheerful smile and helping hand will ease the burden of many who need assistance. By helping out whenever possible, you are doing your part to make this a better world.
Take care of your body so that it will serve you well for an entire lifetime. That means eating nutritious foods, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly to build strength and endurance. it also means avoiding harmful drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and anything else that can harm your health.
Develop your mind both in the classroom and outside of school. Be curious about everything around you, and work hard to make the most of your abilities. With an inquiring attitude and the willingness to ask questions, you can learn much about the exciting world around you and your role in it.
To be a person of strong character, your relationships with others should be honest and open. You should respect and defend the rights of all people. Be clean in your speech and actions, and remain faithful in your religious beliefs. The values you practice as a Scout win help you shape a life of virtue and self-reliance.
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