Re: BSA action toward UUA (long)

(asbestos suit on, & climbing onto my soapbox)

I, like Jack Young, have been following the BSA's action toward the =
Unitarian Universalist Association with dismay. On May 7, Lawrence Smith =
of the BSA's Religious Relationships Committee sent a letter to the UUA =
which ordered the UUA to stop awarding their Religion in Life medal to =
Scouts and also stated that Scouts were not to wear any emblem on their =
uniform.=20
The letter stated that the problem lay with the UUA's handbook for the =
Religion in Life program. This handbook does not "adhere to Scouting =
policies and is inappropriate for distribution to Scouting youth in =
connection with the administration of the Religion in Life award." The =
areas of conflict are statements in the text which in the words of Rev. =
John Buehrens, Pres. of UUA, "are designed to help UU youth deal with the =
tension that they may feel between UU religious principles and certain =
aspects of BSA current policy, particularity with regard to discrimination =
against gay Scouts/Scouters and with regard to those whose conscientious =
ethical and spiritual principles may not include a belief in God."

I don't feel that it is the right nor the responsibility of the BSA to =
tell a religious group what they may or may not teach it's youth. We as =
Unitarian Universalists teach our children that it is wrong to discriminate=
against people simply because they belong to a particular group. To =
ignore the question of discrimination against gay scouts and leaders and =
to also ignore that people have difficulty with traditional ideas about =
God is to turn away from our religious principles.

I don't know if this is a policy statement by the National Board of BSA or =
just a decision made in the bowels of it's bureaucracy, but in any case it =
is discrimination against Unitarian Universalists on the basis of their =
religion.

I have always tried to impart to my scouts that the 12th point of the law =
is Reverent and that they should believe and worship their God in their =
own manner. Our troop has Christians, Hindus, Jewish scouts in it. Do I go =
to those scouts who happen not to be Christian and tell them that because =
they don't belong to the right group, they aren't complete scouts in the =
eyes of BSA. Apparently so, since the BSA's letter states that the "BSA is =
an ecumenical organization which requires belief in God and acknowledgment =
of duty to God by its members."

It is my hope that things can be worked out in a manner that is acceptable =
to all, but I will not change my religious principles to suit the BSA.

(climbing down from soapbox, ready for the flamethrowers)

Cliff Keesee
SM T-615
Evans, GA
Kiokee District
Georgia - Carolina Council
Eagle '71
SR-230 (Bears really do go in the woods)

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