Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site akgua.UUCP Path: utzoo!lsuc!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gatech!akgua!rjb 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 Date-Received: Tue, 5-Nov-85 17:50:40 EST Organization: AT&T Technologies/Bell Labs, Atlanta Lines: 67 Xref: lsuc net.politics:1830 net.religion:541 net.religion.christian:328 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}