RE: Boy kicked out of scouts for refusing to swear allegiance to god
October 20, 2012 at 5:45 pm
(This post was last modified: October 20, 2012 at 5:49 pm by Darkstar.)
Boy Scouts of America membership controversies
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Ha ha ha, those anti-atheist idiots don't even know that Buddhists are atheist. Typical 'you can't be good without god' junk. I was very briefly part of the boy scouts in early elementary school, so I don't remember it very well. It had never occured to me that boy scouts were inherently religious. They respect the beliefs of others? Kind of like 'thou shalt not kill'*
*terms and conditions apply
I guess it could be worse, if they rejected non-christians, but still...
wikipedia Wrote:The Boy Scouts of America (BSA), one of the largest private youth organizations in the United States, has policies which prohibit atheists, agnostics and "open or avowed" homosexual people from membership in its Scouting program as directly violating its fundamental principles and tenets. BSA has denied or revoked membership status or leadership positions for violation of these foundational principles.
The BSA contends that these policies are essential in its mission to instill in young people the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
The organization's legal right to have these policies has been upheld repeatedly by both state and federal courts.
wikipedia Wrote:Spirituality has been an integral part of the international Scouting movement since its inception. As early as 1908, Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell wrote in the first Scout handbook that, "No man is much good unless he believes in God and obeys His laws."it later goes on to say
wikipedia Wrote:"The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, ‘On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law.’ 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 and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members."
The BSA believes that atheists and agnostics are not appropriate role models of the Scout Oath and Law for boys, and thus will not accept such persons as members or adult leaders. The Bylaws of the BSA contain a non-sectarian Declaration of Religious Principle which all Scouts are required to subscribe to as part of the membership application process. The Declaration of Religious Principle was adopted in the first decade of the organization to assuage the Catholic Church that the work of the YMCA in getting Scouting established in this country did not mean that it was a Protestant proselytizing organization.
The BSA does not require adherence to any particular religious beliefs or ethos beyond this. The Boy Scout Handbook goes on to explain that "A Scout is Reverent" simply means that "A Scout is reverent towards God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others." Buddhists, followers of Native American religions, Muslims, Jews, Christians of all denominations, and many others, including those who define their own spirituality, can be and are members of the BSA. The BSA recognizes religious awards for over 38 faith groups including Baha'i, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Hinduism, and 28 varieties of Christianity. Boy Scouts of America–approved religious emblems exist for most religions.
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*terms and conditions apply
I guess it could be worse, if they rejected non-christians, but still...
John Adams Wrote:The Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.