Re: A Scout's Duty to God and
Rick Busdiecker (rfb@LEHMAN.COM)
Mon, 11 Jul 1994 12:10:21 -0400
From: c.findley@genie.geis.com
Date: Sun, 10 Jul 94 01:10:00 UTC
I also have wondered why a parent would WANT to place his/her
child in an organization that does not share the family's beliefs.
I feel it is my duty as a parent to do my best to make certain
that the major influences on my children's lives reflect our
family's belief structure. There are MANY quality youth programs
that do not have a faith in a Supreme Being as a part of their
standards.
Some of those organizations are even Scouting organizations. Some
parents, like myself, would like our children to be able to enjoy the
kinds of experiences that we had while growing up. And for what it's
worth, I would not place my child in the organization. I was a Scout
because I wanted to be and my parent's supported my decision. My
daughter is a Brownie because she wanted to be and my wife (somewhat
reluctantly) and I supported her decision. If my son wants to join
Tiger Cubs when he's old enough, we may have problems if BSA continues
its commitment to intolerance of gays and athiests. At that point, my
support would be reluctant and I strongly suspect that my wife's would
be withdrawn.
I'm an Army brat and I was a Scout in many different local BSA
organizations as the Army moved my family around over the years. I've
now seen the B-P quotes, etc., however WHILE I WAS SCOUT (1971-81), I
was never under the impression that atheist religions were
unacceptable to BSA. That fact did not cause BSA to have a less
positive impact on my growth and development than it would have
otherwise. On the contrary, BSA current emphasis on rejecting
atheists is counter-productive in part because it teaches intolerance.
An atheist *can* fulfill his duty to God, trivially in fact, just as a
U. S. Army officer can trivially fulfill his duty to the government of
New Zealand.
An atheist *can* be reverent.
B-P's comments are relevent when considering how BSA came to be what
it is today. However, those who claim that the Scout Oath and the
Scout Law prohibit atheism are simply incorrect.
Rick
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
