Re: ?? Religious Symbol on CSP!!

In a message dated 98-05-28 13:03:14 EDT, Kevin wrote:

<<
I was taught, I hope correctly since it is what I teach others, that
BSA national policy is that BSA is completely non-sectarian in its
approach to promoting religion and faith in one's Creator.

>>

This is not an argument for or against, but I don't see how a scene of the St
Louis waterfront with the Arch and the St Louis Cathedral (which has a cross
on it) is "promoting" any religion. Those structures are on the waterfront
and are represented as they exist in life. Should we change the name of the
city, "Saint" Louis, to be pc? That doesn't make sense.

I think this whole thing is a tempest in a tea pot. The Crest of the
Chaplains Corps in the US Army for years had a Cross and the Tablets of the
Law (Ten Commandments) and the Star of David on it. I never heard anyone -
not the most rabid fundamentalist - complain about having to wear these
Jewish symbols.

(I had a classmate who didn't like the word "Honor" on our class ring, and I
remember seeing him work on the word with a spoon trying to tap-tap-tap it
into oblivion. I considered him to be among the least of our members.)

If one is offended, a pair of small sewing scissors could be used to snip out
the offending symbol from the CSP. Alteration would be easy and would leave
only the background color if done carefully. Surely, no one would notice the
difference and if it assuaged the conscience of a person of a religious
minority, that would be fine with me, but really, is this a big deal?


I say all this as one whose profession (Chaplain) is to be the champion of
religious free exercise. Symbols on a patch are not "establishing religion or
restricting the free exercise thereof". So what's the rub?


YinS,

Charlie Morrison
Chaplain, US Army
Fort Benning (GA) District MC
Troop 27 SA (New Scouts)
NE-IV-90 Fox
morrisonch@aol.com

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