Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site mhuxt.UUCP Path: utzoo!lsuc!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!js2j From: js2j@mhuxt.UUCP (sonntag) Newsgroups: net.politics,net.religion,net.religion.christian Subject: Re: A Scout's Duty to God Message-ID: <1238@mhuxt.UUCP> Date: Tue, 5-Nov-85 09:40:15 EST Article-I.D.: mhuxt.1238 Posted: Tue Nov 5 09:40:15 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 7-Nov-85 21:35:26 EST References: <1791@akgua.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill Lines: 41 Xref: lsuc net.politics:1839 net.religion:542 net.religion.christian:329 > 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. Discriminatory policies are discriminatory policies, even when you aren't the discriminatee, Bob. > < quote from Boy Scout Handbook here > > 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} Long ago, when I was in the boy scouts, I had not yet bothered to seriously examine or question my religious beliefs. But the boy scouts is not about religion. Sure there is some lip service to it ("a scout is courteous, kind, ...., clean, and reverent."), but scouting is mostly about boys getting together and hiking, camping and canoeing, and learning a little about a lot of subjects. Such training is valuable for to any kid, believers and non-believers alike. I'm glad to hear that this discriminatory policy has been changed. And if they hadn't changed it, I'd have been cheering for the ACLU to stop the federal goverment from coercing me into supporting the BSA's discriminatory policies. (if in fact, the BSA do receive public funding.) I just love helping to pay for people to get together and exclude my kind. -- Jeff Sonntag ihnp4!mhuxt!js2j "What would Captain Kirk say?"