NJCubScouter

As a brand new signer-on in this forum, I am just trying to catch up with the discussion and post a few replies. I just want to say that a quote from the Book of Leviticus purportedly conveying a command from God against homosexuality cannot possibly be relevant to whether the BSA should or should not accept avowedly gay leaders. (And this is regardless of what Jesus Christ, who in my religion is considered a teacher with no divine attributes, did or did not do.) The BSA does not require that any member or leader subscribe to or believe in the Book of Leviticus or any other book in the Bible, or even the Bible (pick a testament, edition and translation) itself. Or any other religious book.

The BSA says, if I am recalling and paraphrasing the Declaration of Religious Principles correctly, that no boy can grow into the right kind of citizen without acknowledging his duty to God; that a member should receive religious training; and that the BSA remains absolutely nonsectarian (I believe those 2 words are exact) as to the form such training should take. The BSA has also made it very clear that "God" does not necessarily mean the God of the Old Testament (the Jewish bible) or the New Testament, but whatever deity or deities you happen to believe in. If this were not the case, the BSA would not have approved Hindu or Buddhist religious awards for uniform wear. Hinduism is polytheistic, while Buddhism is non-deistic (but still spiritual.) So you cannot get support for a BSA policy out of any particular religious book.

I am brand new to this forum. I have been posting on America Online but the Scouting forum there is underpopulated these days.

I am an Assistant Cubmaster from New Jersey, was a Life Scout, and am now happily married for 20 years, with 3 children. I have known a number of gay people, and have been friends with some and have worked with others. I see no reason why being gay makes someone unsuitable to be a Scout leader. They simply have a different orientation, and I do not see that as being immoral. Therefore, they can be just as good a role model for the values contained in the Scout Oath and Law (to paraphrase the BSA) as anyone else. I understand the strong feelings on both sides of this issue, and for that reason I think the right solution would be for the BSA to allow each chartering organization to decide on the policy for their units. Please remember, that as strongly as some people may believe that homosexuality is immoral, others (including me) believe just as strongly that discrimination against gays is immoral. There should be room for both views in an organization that claimed, at least when I was a boy, to be "for all boys."

Now, I realize that the specific subject of this thread is the poll I just voted in. Having read all the previous posts, it seems pretty irrelevant that 74 percent say they would leave Scouting, because I am fairly sure that most of that 74 percent are not currently in Scouting anyway. You can't leave someplace you aren't. Obviously I voted that I would stay; the issue for me has been whether I would stay under the present circumstances. I am staying for the benefit of my son and his fellow Cubs, in hopes that the BSA will see the light. Scouting is still a good program and is a good way for an adult to provide community service (which I guess is an outmoded concept these days.) Whether I "cross over" to a troop when my son does so in about a year, remains to be seen.