Boy Scouts set to end ban on gay members

[Solar]

Does Federal law providing for government participation and aid to Boy Scout activities count?

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/2554

Don't use military bases and personnel for your games 

Try again.
(d) The Secretary of Defense is hereby authorized under such regulations as he may prescribe, to provide, without expense to the United States Government, transportation from the United States or military commands overseas, and return, on vessels of the Military Sealift Command or aircraft of the Air Mobility Command for

(2) the equipment and property of such Boy Scouts, Scouters, and officials and the property loaned to the Boy Scouts of America, by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to this section to the extent that such transportation will not interfere with the requirements of military operations.

(c) The Secretary of Defense, before delivering such property, shall take from the Boy Scouts of America, good and sufficient bond for the safe return of such property in good order and condition, and the whole without expense to the United States.

[Skeptic]

Yeah, I realize it's a weak argument, but you can't get around the part where they are authorized to use military bases and personnel (at no extra cost) to host their games, which is tax payer sponsorship.

Anyway, they now allow gay members, and the organization has not crumbled, so in a way all of our points are moot by now.

[Michelle]

Don't care.

Very convenient. 

The Boy Scouts of China and Japan originated from the Boy Scouts of America.  Somehow Christianity no longer matters.  Got'cha.

[Michelle]

And no one is being banned, they just aren't being allowed to become squad leaders.
Are you against the Right of Free association?

Are you willing to have your children taught that pedophilia is just another lifestyle?
At what point do you draw the line?

So gays are not being "banned" from being a squad leader?

This is another area of massive ignorance, homosexuality.  There are still people that believe homosexuality means pedophilia.

A gay man is as much a pedophile for little boys as a heterosexual man is a pedophile to little girls.

Question-  Are you under the impression gay men are pedophiles?

[Michelle]

So you're a bigot?
Point is, it's a free country, a country that used to allow people to freely choose with whom they associated.
The Boy Scouts is a Religious institution, one that believes in the bible, the same book that calls homosexuality a sin.

Remember the First Amendment?  Read it, and tell me the Govt isn't crossing the line.

Sooooo... all sins are created equally and no sinner should be a scout leader.

Could YOU be a scout leader?

[Solar]

Very convenient. 

The Boy Scouts of China and Japan originated from the Boy Scouts of America.  Somehow Christianity no longer matters.  Got'cha.

No, seriously, I don't give a damn what other Nations do culturally, that's their business.

[Michelle]

No, seriously, I don't give a damn what other Nations do culturally, that's their business.

Fair enough.  I sincerely appreciate your honesty.

[Darth Fife]

Very convenient. 

The Boy Scouts of China and Japan originated from the Boy Scouts of America.  Somehow Christianity no longer matters.  Got'cha.

On my honor I will do my best for GOD and my Country...

Now, that doesn't have to be the Christian God, but, like the Freemasons, it requires an acceptance of the existence of a Supreme Being.


Got you!

Darth

[SVPete]

On my honor I will do my best for GOD and my Country...

Now, that doesn't have to be the Christian God, but, like the Freemasons, it requires an acceptance of the existence of a Supreme Being.


Got you!

Darth

A bit of background ... my son earned Eagle Scout rank in 2003, and I was active in the advancement process in his troop (but never in decisions about his advancement, of course). BSA has had Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu versions of their God and Country award since at least the mid 90s (and probably much earlier than that).

I don't know whether BSA was ever specifically Christian (I was not a Scout when I was of that age), but troops' sponsoring organizations have considerable flexibility within BSA's structure. A troop may, as my son's did, have special requirements for the leadership positions that are required for advancement to Eagle rank. A troop may be as religious as its sponsors choose, up to and including designing a curriculum to earn that troop's version of God and Country. BSA requires Scouts to acknowledge God, but leaves to the troop and individual Scout what that God is.

This is an older thread, and has moved away from its original topic, but I'll add that my son's troop's sponsor was an Evangelical church. When BSA made this change that church ceased their relationship with BSA and became a sponsor of a Trail Life troop. I'm sure they informed parents well ahead of the change, but I'm sure it was not an easy change. That troop had some excellent leaders, and on average several Scouts earned Eagle rank every year while my son was a Scout and in the years following. There would have been several Scouts at Life rank, and more still at Star rank intending to earn Eagle rank.