Arrested Scout Leader Opposed Atheist, Gay Scouts

[scooter 10]

CNN reports today that Douglas S. Smith Jr. (picture link below), a former top official of the Boy Scouts of America has been arrested for downloading child pornography from the internet [http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/29/scouts.charges/index.html].

 

During Smith's tenure as National Director, the BSA fought well-known successful court battles to exclude atheist and gay scouts [ http://www.positiveatheism.org/crt/nancy1tom.htm ], [ http://www.bsalegal.org/brucecol-181.htm'>http://www.bsalegal.org/brucecol-181.htm ]. In a recent legal reversal, an Oregon state Court of appeals ruled that Portland Schools illegally discriminated against atheist students by "subject[ing] persons to differentiated treatment in a school activity on the ground of religion." [http://atheism.about.com/b/a/151168.htm] The scout in question cited a belief in evolution taught in his public school as one reason for his atheism.

 

In a letter addressing these legal cases, Smith wrote:

 

 

"Scouting is defending itself, even though ... it has been "dragged into" the "culture war." ... The site does seek to defend our values and to inform the public about the three-decade-long legal assault on scouting. That we need a legal-issues web site is testament to the fact that our constitutional rights are under attack.

 

Clearly, [we] long for a time when the Boy Scout organization could give its undivided attention to the "good stuff" of Scouting: "camping and life skills" ... [You] would do well to communicate his displeasure to those directing their discriminatory assault against his beloved Boy Scouts -- the ACLU."

(emphasis added, [ http://www.bsalegal.org/brucecol-181.htm ])

 

 

Smith's picture is at the link http://www.live.oa-bsa.org/events/n2004/live/monmorn/DSA/smith.jpg.

[Guest OldGreyEagle]

Not sure we need a second thread on this topic