The ACLU's Thirty Years War

Well, I have been involved in the scouts my entire life. I am an Eagle scout, both my brothers are Eagle scouts. WIthout the help of the military, there would be no BSA program in Europe where I spent much of my youth as the military units generally acted as charter organizations.

I have been to many camporees, jamborees, and have worked and summer camps for many summers and I have never witnessed anyone getting a blow job or any other type of homo-sexual act.

I have had a synagogue as a charter for a troop, I have had a catholic church as a charter group, I have had various military units as charter groups. I have never been made to pray, I have never been forced to swear devotion to any diety and I have never had to drink the blood of any headless chickens.

I have learned self-reliance, I have outstanding outdoor skills, I have learned social interaction and leadership as a result of the Boy Scouts. You let your impression of the Boy Scouts cloud your judgement as though anything you would do would be considered the norm. I will let my vast experience in the Boy Scouts guide me to what I think the organization is about and I can tell you for sure that it is not about God. It's about kids.

If that is the case, why can't the Boy Scouts drop the religious references and accept all kids, regardless of belief in God or sexual preference.

God bless the ACLU.The true American way!

Have you all sent in a donation recently?

<<ebrown runs to get credit card>>

Yes.

Because they believe that being reverent to a diety is important to the growth and development of young minds. It's not for everyone. It for those that share the same beliefs and wish to strive towards a similar goal.

Religion plays such a small portion of the Boy Scouts, it's a shame to see it be made out to be the spectre that it has been.

McGentrix, master of Eagle Scout doublespeak.

I wish we had an ACLU.

call the ACLU

Oh crap. I think I have to make some phone calls to parents.

How about chickens with heads, McG, ever drink their blood?

As a private group they can have any admission practices they wish. They have a set of standards and ideals, which you won't find in just about any other boys group in the world.

If you want the BS to be something else then you will have to start your own boys group.

This statement easily qualifies for an award in the "uninformed rubbish" category.

What makes you think that you won't find these standards and ideals "in just about any other boys group in the world"? Do you know where the boy scouts idea comes from? Do you know where boy scout organizations exist, and do you know where similar organizations exist?

Baldimo, sometime, while your waiting for your orders, go online and look up Robert Baden-Powell. You'll do much better in these fora if you take the trouble to educate yourself before shooting your mouth off.

Baldimo, you are missing the point. I have got nothing against the Boy Scouts as a private group.

The point is that The Boy Scouts is either a private group with religious value, or a public group. It can't be both. They have chosen to be a private group.

I have never said that the Boy Scouts (or any other private group) should exist and have all of the rights that any other private group has.

If it were a public/secular group that served all Americans, it would be able to have special treatment from the government.

But it is a private group with religiously based values...

... not that there's anything wrong with that.

This discussion reminds me of a song...

ebrown, that could literally sum my time up in the scouts in a single song; except for the sister thing, as I don't have one!

Cycloptichorn

Which leads one to believe that he drank from a chicken with a head.

I suspect it was choked.

They have never claimed to be a religious group. Claiming a belief in God doesn't denote which religion God is part of. They have released statements saying if you think God is a tree or a rock then that is ok.

Would you agree that a religious group would be someone like the 700 Club? If this is so then how come the Boy Scouts who don't believe in a single denomination or religion could be considered a religious group?

Are the Boy Scouts as a group based on 'religious values' the only ones with the following principles? If so, would everybody benefit from being religious? If not, then maybe the Boy Scouts are getting an unfair rap from the ACLU and some others in left wing wacko fringe groups?

The Meaning of the Boy Scout Oath
Excerpted from page 45-46, Boy Scout Handbook, 11th ed,
(#33105), copyright 1998 by BSA, ISBN 0-8395-3105-2
and from page 420-421, Webelos Scout Book, 1998 edition,
(#33108), copyright 1998 by BSA, ISBN 0-8395-3108-7

Before you pledge yourself to any oath or promise, you must know what it means. The paragraphs that follow will help you understand the meaning of the Scout Oath.

On my honor . . .
By giving your word, you are promising to be guided by the ideals of the Scout Oath.

. . . I will do my best . . .
Try hard to live up to the points of the Scout Oath. Measure your achievements against your own high standards and don't be influenced by peer pressure or what other people do.

. . . To do my duty to God . . .
Your family and religious leaders teach you about God and the ways you can serve. You do your duty to God by following the wisdom of those teachings every day and by respecting and defending the rights of others to practice their own beliefs.

. . . and my country . . .
Help keep the United States a strong and fair nation by learning about our system of government and your responsibilities as a citizen and future voter.

America is made up of countless families and communities. When you work to improve your community and your home, you are serving your country. Natural resources are another important part of America's heritage worthy of your efforts to understand, protect, and use wisely. What you do can make a real difference.

. . . and to obey the Scout Law; . . .
The twelve points of the Scout Law are guidelines that can lead you toward wise choices. When you obey the Scout Law, other people will respect you for the way you live, and you will respect yourself.

. . . To help other people at all times; . . .
There are many people who need you. Your cheerful smile and helping hand will ease the burden of many who need assistance. By helping out whenever possible, you are doing your part to make this a better world.

. . . To keep myself physically strong, . . .
Take care of your body so that it will serve you well for an entire lifetime. That means eating nutritious foods, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly to build strength and endurance. it also means avoiding harmful drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and anything else that can harm your health.

. . . mentally awake, . . .
Develop your mind both in the classroom and outside of school. Be curious about everything around you, and work hard to make the most of your abilities. With an inquiring attitude and the willingness to ask questions, you can learn much about the exciting world around you and your role in it.

. . . and morally straight.
To be a person of strong character, your relationships with others should be honest and open. You should respect and defend the rights of all people. Be clean in your speech and actions, and remain faithful in your religious beliefs. The values you practice as a Scout will help you shape a life of virtue and self-reliance.

_____________________
Note that the Boy Scout Oath has traditionally been considered to have three promises. Those three promises are delineated by the semicolons in the Oath, which divide it into three clauses. The three promises of the Scout Oath are, therefore:

Duty to God and country,
Duty to other people, and
Duty to self

DUTY TO GOD AND COUNTRY: Your FAMILY and religious leaders teach you to know and serve God. By following these teachings, you do your duty to God.

Men and women of the past worked to make America great, and many gave their lives for their country. By being a good family member and a good citizen, by working for your country's good and obeying its laws, you do your duty to your country. Obeying the Scout Law means living by its 12 points.

DUTY TO OTHER PEOPLE: Many people need help. A cheery smile and a helping hand make life easier for others. By doing a Good Turn daily and helping when you're needed, you prove yourself a Scout and do your part to make this a better world.

DUTY TO SELF: Keeping yourself physically strong means taking care of your body. Eat the right foods and build your strength. Staying mentally awake means learn all you can, be curious, and ask questions. Being morally straight means to live your life with honesty, to be clean in your speech and actions, and to be a person of strong character.
http://usscouts.org/advance/boyscout/bsoath.html