Rooster7

I understand the frustration expressed by the author, hops_scout, and others. Those who would like to see hops_scouts original post moved somewhere else (because its not related to Scouting), dont get it. If they did get it, theyd understand that it is Scout related very much so. I am Chezc and German on my fathers side, and Hungarian on my mothers. It has never bothered me that this country was founded by the English. Nor do I get rattled when its pointed out that Columbus, an Italian, discovered America. I wasn't even slighted when I discovered that our country was named after an

I agree with FScouter. So long as your opinions (right or wrong) remain private, no one can accuse you of slander. Just replace her. You have no legal obligation to give justification. Just to be argumentative - not that its part of my nature ;-) ...the fact that she wears clothes, does not mean she is dressed appropriately. There are other things to consider, such as the size of the shirt or blouse vice the size of the women, the type of material, how it is cut, whether or not she make use of buttons, and so on. Laugh if you will, but I had control of those variables as a 16 year ol

You forgot one. One to say, Jesus is the only true light of the world. ;-)

Judging by the most recent posts on this and other subjects, I'd say there are way too many Ostriches in this bunch for any mountains to be spotted, much less built. Its easy to be cavalier, especially when ones head is buried in the sand.(This message has been edited by Rooster7)

Hunt, I vehemently disagree. Is this what we want to teach our boys? If the current powers-to-be have no problem with it, then shut up and get out of the way. Keep those pretentious ideas about morality to yourself. Simply pass the buck up the line. If the next guy up agrees, then youre merely the messenger and you dont have to defend your ideas. If he doesnt agree, then you can wash your hands of the whole ordeal and turn the other way. In Scouting, were supposed to be developing character in these boys. I'm not willing to teach: Disregard what youve been taught about

Aah, I see. The sophisticated Europeans and the rest of the world's elite have clearly demonstrated that America is nave and ignorant, for we stubbornly cling to Old World puritan ethics. We rudely force our outdated standards on others. I hang my head in shame. Surely, most parents would love nothing more than to "expose" their children to the finer things in life, which no doubt includes this delightful woman's breasts. So please forgive me and my ilk. I am, forever, a neophyte. As such, I advise that you tell the lady to act like one and to keep those puppies under wraps. But t

If the facts as I understand them are true: 1) She is a well endowed woman. 2) She wears clothes which makes it obvious that she has no bra. 3) She attends the pack meetings. Then unlike some, I agree that there is a problem. Pack meetings should be a place where the boys and their families can enjoy a wholesome atmosphere. Perhaps I am not as enlightened as some, but I definitely see her presence as previously described, to be a problem. No doubt, this is a sensitive issue and would need to be dealt with privately. I suggest that you find a friendly woman Scouter or parent wh

In my mind, hands down - Second Year Webelos Leader.

My comments were directed to ehcalum who inferred that the expression of my Christian beliefs concerning the New Covenant may cause Jews to be offended. The point was - while some folks may not like my beliefs, they need not take offense because those beliefs are not being forced on them or anyone else. NJ, You may or may not have reason to be upset with someone else, I don't know. But I don't understand how a single incident constitutes a systemic problem. When I express my opinions, religous or otherwise, I see no difference between my treatment and yours from others on this f

Upon consulting my bible, although I didnt say it before, the Old Covenant is obsolete. Of course, Jews are free to think otherwise so please spare me the sensitivity training. But according to my faith, this is what the book of Hebrews taught about Jesus and his New Covenant: 6But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises. 7For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8But God found fault with the

How is the Old Covenant not a means to salvation? I would highly suggest not telling our Jewish friends that the Old Testament and the Old Covenant has become null and void. Ehcalum, Are you a believer a Christian? If so, I must ask what exactly do you believe about Jesus? The Old Testament is not null and void. I never said differently. To the contrary, if it were not for the Old Testament, we would not have Gods precepts. And Jesus himself noted that all of the law will remain until heaven and earth pass. As to the Old Covenant, here again I never said that it was

OGE, The Old Testament is still relevant. Its the old covenant which is no longer tenable. Or rather, one might say - we have been offered the new covenant as a means of meeting the demands of the old.as a means to opting out so to speak. We can stand before God as sinless beings. Our inability to conform to the Law will not be our undoing because Jesus blood will make us righteous men before the Father. Consequently, Gods Righteousness will not result in our condemnation. Nevertheless, the moral law taught in the Old Testament is still valid. In fact, for those who reject the ne

OGE, FUnny, I thought it read "Thou shalt not kill" Not "Thou Shalt not Kill unless you have a really good reason like the person is a convicted murderer" Per my understanding, Thou shall not kill is a poor translation. A more appropriate reading is Thou shall not murder. I dont view an executioner, who is carrying out a sentence determined by the state, as a murderer. Furthermore, Gods Word gives the state authority to judge and punish individuals under its dominion. Read the Old Testament. What did God command Moses to do after he came down from mountain to discover

Acco40, Like today, I don't want to hit the hornet's nest with a stick but could an abortion doctor or executioner be thought of as morally straight today? Only one of the above is responsible for the intentional killing of an innocent life.

Even if you accept the idea of slowing a Scouts progress, which I dont, this Scoutmaster is making some huge assumptions. He doesnt think a Scout should complete his Eagle rank before the age of 16, therefore he slows their progress if any Scout is on pace to complete the rank before then. But heres something that this Scoutmaster has obviously not considered. Many boys do not work at a steady pace. Some kids will advance through three ranks in two years or less, and then just sit and smell the roses for the next two or three years. What if a boy started out on fire and was on pace to hav

I look forward to answering the questions. It will give me an opportunity/excuse to study my faith more. However, it seems me, this is a can of worms begging to be open.

NJ, What can I say? Youre an awesome example of open-mindedness and tolerance. Youd make Michael Moore blush...something that you have repeatedly demonstrated.

As already noted, Im fairly certain that the BSA does not recognize Satanism as a religion that is compatible with BSA values. Regardless, anyone can create a religion. Scientology didnt exist 50 or 60 years ago. NAMBLA could create their own religionIf they did, do you think the BSA would feel compelled to recognize and accept them as a legitimate religion? Non-sectarian means the BSA does not require its members to be of a particular faith. Nevertheless, you must have a faith in God, and that faith must be compatible with the BSAs values. How about this for catch-22If all faiths m

If the parents of a Scout was to tell me, "Weve taught our son that it is his religious duty to attend services every Sunday", then I'd expect that Scout to make a serious attempt to be there every Sunday. If a Jewish Scout is taught by his family to never eat pork, Id expect that Scout to comply with this teaching. These are reasonable expectations. We should be teaching and encouraging Scouts to take their religious obligations seriously. If a Scout has been given permission by his parents to pursue whatever religion he pleases, then fine. But we should inquire what faith he has embrace

Thus, BSA will recognize ANY religious belief, no matter how strange, how vague, how individual, or how far out of the mainstream. First - the above statement is simply not true. Not every religion is openly accepted by the BSA. Secondly - I submit, if we take our obligation as mentors seriously, we should not mindlessly accept whatever a Scout happens to spew out. Kudu in context, I find your quote much more agreeable. "If it is pushed too far, religion becomes almost a consumer productPeople choose what they like, and some are even able to make a profit from itBut reli

From time immemorial boys have lied with facility, have thought adults hypocritical and have resented any attempts to make them appear to be ostentatiously virtuous. Interesting. Is he referring to boys as they enter Scouting...the "raw material" so to speak, that we get to teach and counsel? Or, are these boys the product of our mentoring...perhaps a boy we might see at an Eagle BOR? If its the latter, you have a lower opinion of our Scouts than I do. Or maybe, your Scouts have a lower opinion of you than what I might expect to see elsewhere. Or perhaps, I just missed your point.

Three pages on what constitutes "water over your head"? I must be sick, but I'm going to join in this debacle. I tend to agree with the folks who have addressed the spirit of the requirement vice "the letter of the law". Since passing the test qualifies a Scout to be classified as a swimmer, the administrators have a responsibility to ensure that the test is conducted in a manner whereby the results are meaningful. If the boy is allowed to push off the bottom of a pool to get to the surface in short order, then something is wrong. The purpose of the test is being circumvented and allo

Okay. I'm spent. I disagree with a number of presumptions and conclusions made in the last post by CalicoPenn. But alas, I only see a scenario in which, in the end, I wind up pounding my head against a wall. So have it your way...It's a horribly offensive question. AND, because one's faith is soooooooo personal, if a Scout wants to cover his body with peanut butter and streak through the streets at high noon in order to serve his God, who am I to judge him? Gee I can't wait to see how you wonderful folks explain duty to country.(This message has been edited by Rooster7)

No doubt, I did. But these days, not much surprises me. Basic words like IS, SEX, and now GOD (even in the most generic sense) are all relative terms and subject to debate. No wonder this country grows increasingly divided, it appears we don't even have a common language.

Trevorum, Although I am not Buddhist, I doubt one would baldly say, as you suggest, "God does not exist." Rather, the Buddhists I know are much more apt to say, "I do not believe in your God". Do you see the difference? (It's important.) Your God exists for you, certainly, but not for him. That is not a scientific possibility of course, but we are talking about belief systems, not empirical reality. Youre proving one thing. If you continually modify your argument, eventually it will either appear as if you were right all along, or youll unwittingly agree with the person with whom y