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From: rjb@akgua.UUCP (R.J. Brown [Bob])
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.religion,net.religion.christian
Subject: A Scout's Duty to God
Message-ID: <1791@akgua.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Nov-85 12:19:18 EST
Article-I.D.: akgua.1791
Posted: Mon Nov  4 12:19:18 1985
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We recently have been treated to an interesting situation
where a Boy Scout was a candidate for Life Scout (which I 
think is the rank just below Eagle Scout) and would not 
affirm a belief in God.  He was denied the promotion,
although he qualified in every other way.  He and his parents
protested, the media became involved, tremendous pressure was
brought to bear on the Scout Officialdom, and they backed
down or wisely changed their dicriminatory policy - depending
on where you're coming from.

Now let me quote some from my son's Boy Scout Handbook page 492:

	   		      Duty to God

	"The men and women who founded our nation held the strong
	conviction that all men "are endowed by their Creator with
	certain inalienable rights."  When they signed their names
	to the Declaration of Independence they did this "with a
	firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence."

	But these courageous people recognized also that for these
	"inalienable rights" and that "protection," they owed certain
	obligations and duties to the Heavenly Father of us all.

	You learn what these spiritual duties are in your homes
	and in your church or synagogue.  Your spiritual leader -
	minister, priest, or rabbi - teaches you how to know God,
	how to love Him, and how to serve Him.  By following these
	teachings in your daily life, by taking part in the practices
	of your faith, by using your leadership ability in your 
	religious activities you perform your duty to God.  As you
	do your duty to God remember to be grateful to Him.
	...
	...
	...
	Show your gratefulness to Him by your deeds as well.
	...
	...
	The way to thank God for the abilities He has given you is to
	develop these abilities to the fullest and make the best
	possible use of them.

	All human beings are important in the sight of God because God 
	made us.
	...
	..."

Now clearly the Christian and Jewish God ( at least in some homogenized
sense) is being forwarded as the one true "Heavenly Father".  As an
Evangelical Christian, I regard the statement of faith very bland, of
course, but there is a positive sort of religious humanistic message
here.  In short, I can support the positive teachings.  I can fill the
gaps "at home and in the church" to suit me.

But that
is just me....what about the Official Boy Scout position ? Should they
rip out page 492, rewrite it more pluralistically ( humanistically),
or narrow it more dogmatically ??

Should they stand their ground about what is written on page 492 and
damn the financial consequences ?  Surely the People for the Amercan Way
and the ACLU types won't lose the advantage here to blast the 
Boy Scouts out of any funding they get from the Federales or 
United Way or those type organizations on the basis of Separation 
of Church and State.

Bob Brown {...ihnp4!akgua!rjb}