Re: Prayers - A Scout is Reverent
Ron W. Fox (RonWFox@AOL.COM)
Tue, 29 Aug 1995 10:36:01 -0400
On 95-08-29 09:49:49 EDT, drabkid@ACQ.OSD.MIL (David Drabkin) wrote:
>And then something happened in the 70's. The focus on similarities and
>the "One G-d" was gone. The walls we had tried to tear down were
>erected anew, perhaps even thicker and higher than before. The belief
>that there was only "One-G-d, Mine" seemed to flourish and the focus on
>similarities instead of differences disappeared.
>You see I was taught that reverence applied not only to the G-d I
>worshipped but also for the beliefs of others. That out of respect for
>those others I should remove my hat when I entered a church and bow my
>head when prayers were offered, no matter who offered them. Similarly,
>this same reverence would require others to be considerate of my
>religious beliefs when praying collectively.
How true. I remember looking forward in Camp to hearing a religious leader
of different faith, and seeing the differences and similarities. Now there
is so much intolerance and insistence on a focus on differences. This has no
place in Scouting. It is against the Scout Law and Oath. Teaching youth
religious intolerance is as reprehensible as teaching them racial
intolerance, and the consequences can be seen in the Middle East and Eastern
Europe every day (these locations selected only because they can be seen
currently in the news). The U.S.A.'s own history is replete with religious
killings, both in colonial times (the Puritans killed Quakers), and later
(the KKK killing Jews), and I personally don't believe that it would take
much more to bring it back today.
Believe what you will. Pray as you will, and God bless you and all of us.
Teach a child that only your beliefs are valid and that those of others are
not to be respected, and you give him or her not to respect the persons
holding those beliefs. That's the first step down a long, dark road.
Ron Fox
Cubmaster, Pack 69
Willow Springs, Ill.
Des Plaines Valley Council
Pachsegink Lodge
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
