Why does bsalegal.org condone gross violations of the Scout Law?

[whitewater 10]

Deloe,

Forgive me if I've come across as rude or overly confrontational, but I sincerely cannot understand your position. I don't deny your right to hold that position, I just don't understand it.

I sincerely believe there is an agenda by liberal groups to "punish" the Boy Scouts for their beliefs. To me, that is where the intolerance lies.

I have no objection to anyone practicing a homosexual lifestyle. I do object to it being celebrated or promoted. Neither homosexuality or heterosexuality has any business being discussed or promoted in a Scout troop.  If that is intolerant, then I guess I am.

I am curious about your beliefs that we have no choice in what we believe. Will you elaborate more on that?  It seems to me that if we have no choice in what we believe, then it is not much of a step to assume that we have no choice in our actions either.  Aren't our actions a consequence of our beliefs?

You said I had no cases where the Boy Scouts were not considered a religious organization- here's one: In 2002, Powell v. Bunn stated: To be sure, there is a religious component to the Boy Scouts--that is, a scout must profess to believe in God and must take an oath to do his duty to God. In addition, a scout may choose to earn a religious emblem for his uniform by exploring his religious values. But a scout's religious beliefs--both their strength and their substance--are left to him and his family; any exploration of them is done individually and voluntarily. Beyond that, the record establishes that the bulk of Boy Scouts' activities is secular (i.e., recreational and social). The record provides no basis for concluding that religious teaching or indoctrination is a substantial purpose or activity of the Boy Scouts, which is a fact that "reduces the risk that government aid will in fact serve to support religious activities." Tilton, 403 US at 687.

[evmori 11]

Deloe posted

"No, beliefs are not a choice" Huh? I can CHOOSE to believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy, etc. Your post makes no sense. And what part of "free exercise thereof" don't you understand? And yes I will keep asking what part of the lease was unconstitutional? Based on you beliefs aren't a choice your answer should be interesting.

 

Merlyn,

Do you live in the school district in question?

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[Merlyn_LeRoy 72]

No Ed, I was an "outside agitator" (it's about an hour's drive from where I live); however, as a Minnesota taxpayer some of my money supported the school, and as someone who has read the online MN statutes on public school discrimination I knew that a Venture Crew was unlawful for a public school to charter. And as an atheist Minnesotan, I certainly don't like state-sponsored discrimination against atheists.

 

The principal and school superintendent knew that their Venture Crew couldn't exclude students who were atheists or gay, yet the Viking council apparently mislead them into thinking atheist and gay students COULD join their Venture Crew. When I called the Viking council and asked them directly if atheists could join this Venture Crew, I got the runaround ("how would WE know someone is an atheist?" instead of a "yes" or "no"), so I called BSA national. After getting referred to many different people at BSA national, the legal department finally gave me a real answer: "no".

 

That answer, of course, prevents public schools from chartering Venture Crews. Instead of risking a lawsuit, the school decided to change the program to one that didn't illegally discriminate against their own students. The Viking council wouldn't provide an honest answer, and the BSA legal department didn't care that public schools were discriminating against atheists and gays.