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9 Faith-Based (and Secular) Alternatives to the Boy Scouts of America Amid Furor Over Gay Ban
Joshua Kusterer, age 12 of Boy Scout Troop 226 in Plano, TX salutes as the crowd recites the pledge of allegiance during the Save Our Scouts Prayer Vigil and Rally. Wednesday, February 6, 2013. Credit: AP
NEW YORK (TheBlaze/AP) — With the Boy Scouts of America entangled in a furor over its ban on gays, lesser-known youth organizations across the ideological spectrum see an opportunity. They wonder if the turmoil might prompt some families to give them a closer look as options for their boys.
They range from Bible-based programs run by conservative religious organizations to coed, inclusive groups, including one founded on the basis of pagan beliefs.
None of the groups has the size or iconic status of the BSA, though some have been around for many decades.
Leaders of several of the groups, in public statements and interviews with The Associated Press, made clear they are following the Boy Scouts’ predicament with interest and pondering possible ramifications for their own prospects — though not seeking to profit from “someone else’s misfortune,” as one leader said.
The BSA, founded in 1910 and now serving about 2.66 million boys, is deliberating a possible shift in its long-standing policy of excluding gays as youth members or adult leaders.
In May, the BSA’s 1,400-member National Council is expected to consider a proposal to ease the ban by allowing sponsors of local Scout units to decide for themselves whether to admit gays. Gay-rights groups say the plan is inadequate, and that no units should be allowed to discriminate, while some conservative religious leaders and advocacy groups want the ban to stay in place nationwide.
As a result, there has been consternation on both the left and right of the Scouting community, and warnings of possible defections depending on what decision is made in May. The Girl Scouts, too, have faced similar issues over conservatives’ claims that the group leans left-of-center. The result has been alternative groups in the same vein.
For families that do seek an alternative to the Boy Scouts, here are some of the options.
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FAITH-BASED PROGRAMS
The Southern Baptist Convention’s Royal Ambassadors:
Founded in 1908, this is a program run by Southern Baptist churches for boys in first through sixth grade.
The SBC’s Women’s Missionary Union, which oversees the program, estimates that it has about 6,300 adult leaders and 31,000 youth members. Its curriculum shares many features with the Boy Scouts – including camping trips and model race-car competitions – but it also stresses a goal of providing boys with “godly characteristics” and a “biblical worldview.”
Of the major religious denominations which sponsor large numbers of Boy Scout units, the Southern Baptists have been among the most outspoken in urging the BSA to keep the ban on gays.
The SBC’s official news agency, Baptist Press, recently reported that the Royal Ambassador program might spread to more Southern Baptist churches if the BSA’s ban is lifted.
In this Feb. 4, 2013 file photo James Oliver, left, hugs his brother and fellow Eagle Scout, Will Oliver, who is gay, as Will and other supporters carry four boxes filled with a petition in front of the Boy Scouts of America headquarters, in Dallas, Texas. For the next 14 weeks, the Boy Scouts of America will be the focus of prayers, petitions and pressure tactics aimed at swaying a planned vote by 1,400 Scout leaders on whether to ease the policy banning gays from membership. Credit: AP
The article quoted Don Hinkle, editor of the Missouri Baptist Convention’s newspaper, as reminiscing fondly about his boyhood experience with the Royal Ambassadors.
“Perhaps in these sad, self-destructing days for the Boy Scouts of America, God will use RAs in a new and powerful way to bring honor and glory to Him,” Hinkle told Baptist Press.
In addition to the Royal Ambassadors, the SBC also oversees the Challengers, a program for boys aged 12-17.
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The Assemblies of God’s Royal Rangers:
Founded in 1962 by one of the largest Pentecostal denominations, the Royal Rangers have about 81,000 youth members in about 4,000 units, according to church headquarters.
“We provide Christ-like character formation and servant leadership development for boys and young men in a highly relational and fun environment,” says the Rangers’ mission statement.
Every four years, the organization brings together several thousand boys and adult leaders for a “Camporama” at the Rangers’ campground in Eagle Rock, Mo. Last summer’s event featured a high-ropes course, two zip lines, a water slide, and a lumberjack show.
Like the Southern Baptists, the Assemblies of God considers homosexuality immoral and has urged the Boy Scouts not to lift the ban on gays. A statement to that effect, from the denomination’s leader, has been posted on the Rangers’ website.
“We are saddened and disappointed to hear that Boy Scouts of America, an organization long devoted to biblical values, is now considering loosening the principles in which it was founded,” says the Rev. George O. Wood. “We pray the BSA will give careful consideration to this matter and hold firm to the beliefs that have made it a strong and influential organization for more than 100 years.”
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The Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Pathfinders:
Dating back more than 60 years, the coed Pathfinders program serves about 35,000 boys and girls ages 10-15 in the U.S. and Canada, according to James Black, the church’s director of youth ministries for North America.
Black said the program resembles the Boy Scouts in many respects, with an emphasis on camping, plus an array of honors and patches that the youth members can work for.
Unlike the Scouts, however, the Pathfinders operate as a church-based ministry, with a priority placed on community service. However, Black said boys and girls are welcome to join even if not from Seventh-day Adventist families.
Amid the Boy Scouts’ turmoil, there’s been an upsurge of inquiries from parents about possible participation in the Pathfinders, Black said.
“We don’t want to gain off of someone else’s misfortune – but we want to be there as an available option for healthy, meaningful programs,” he said. “We wish the best for the Boy Scouts. …Our hearts and prayers go out to them.”
—
Founded in 1952, with a headquarters in Grand Rapids, Mich., this is a non-denominational but staunchly religious scouting-style program.
Office manager Kathy Door, said the corps currently serves about 9,900 boys in 550 clubs in the U.S. and Canada, with strong bases of support in Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and the Pacific Coast.
“When someone who hasn’t heard of us asks questions, we tell them we’re sort of along the lines of Scouting but we are much more conservative,” Door said. “There are Bible lessons at every meeting.”
Clockwise from left, Boy Scouts Eric Kusterer, Jacob Sorah, James Sorah, Micah Brownlee and Cub Scout John Sorah hold signs at the Save Our Scouts Prayer Vigil and Rally in front of the Boy Scouts of America National Headquarters in Irving, Texas, Wednesday, February 6, 2013. The Boy Scouts of America said Wednesday it needed more time before deciding whether to move away from its divisive policy of excluding gays as scouts or adult leaders. Credit: AP
Most of the participants come from churches with Calvinist roots, such as the Reformed Church in America and the Christian Reformed Church.
Door said the Cadet Corps was not trying to capitalize on the Boy Scouts’ current predicament, but had received inquiries in recent days from leaders of several local Boy Scout units interested in learning more about the corps.
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The Knights of Columbus’ Columbian Squires:
This organization for Roman Catholic boys and young men ages 10-18 was founded in 1925 and claims a youth membership of more than 25,000, including some in units in Mexico and the Philippines.
The Squires, says the program’s Web site, “is an athletic team, a youth group, a social club, a cultural and civic improvement association, a management training course, a civil rights organization and a spiritual development program all rolled into one.”
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SECULAR PROGRAMS
Founded in 1910 as Camp Fire Girls of America, this organization changed its name and became coed in 1975. Boys now comprise almost half of its 300,000 youth participants, according to spokeswoman Catherine Lufkin.
While the Boy Scouts have drawn some criticism for excluding gays and atheists, Camp Fire stresses its inclusiveness and says it welcomes youth and families regardless of race, creed, gender, social status, disability or sexual orientation.
Lufkin said young people view Camp Fire’s diversity as an asset and enjoy making friends who are different from themselves.
Scott Hines, scoutmaster for Troop 16 and his son Garrett, pray during a prayer vigil in the First Baptist Church Moores Lane in Texarkana, Texas on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013. Members of the troop, parents, and others prayed that the Boy Scouts of America would continue to keep their policy of excluding gay scouts and scoutmasters. The national executive board of the BSA began closed meetings on Monday to discus the policy. Credit: AP
Like the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts of the USA, and other major youth organizations, Camp Fire has seen its membership ranks decline in recent decades, though Lufkin said the numbers have stabilized in recent years.
Nonetheless, Camp Fire adopted a new logo last year and has striven to develop “rebranding” strategies to attract new participants.
“The hard truth is that the vast majority of parents and youth – from all walks of life – know nothing about us anymore,” CEO Cathy Tisdale wrote in a newsletter last summer.
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This alternative scouting organization has its roots in a Boy Scout troop based in New York City’s East Harlem neighborhood and sponsored by the Unitarian Church of All Souls.
The troop broke away from the BSA in 2003 out of disagreement with the exclusionary membership policies, and some of the volunteer leaders decided to continue independently as a coed, inclusive movement.
The group’s growth outside New York was slow at first, but founder and executive director Robin Bossert says the number of chapters has surged from 16 to 42 in the past year, with an average of about a dozen youths per unit. He attributes the growth in part to the controversies surrounding the Boy Scouts.
Bossert said Navigators USA emphasizes outdoor activities – “to combat nature-deficit disorder” – as well as community service projects.
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The Baden-Powell Service Association:
The BPSA was founded in 2008 by David Atchley of Washington, Mo., who as a leader of his son’s Cub Scout pack had a rift with regional BSA leaders over his efforts to adopt a nondiscrimination code.
Atchley, a software engineer, said the BPSA has grown steadily in the past two years, from just a handful of units to 19 now, ranging from Kingston, N.Y., and Exeter, N.H., to Albuquerque, N.M., and Sunnyvale, Calif.
Like the Navigators, the group is coed, with an inclusive membership policy, and Atchley says the contrast with the Boy Scouts has been a factor in its growth.
A detial view of a Boy Scout uniform on February 4, 2013 in Irving, Texas. The BSA national council announced they were considering to leave the decision of inclusion of gays to the local unit level. U.S. President Barack Obama urged the organization to end a ban on gays. Credit: Getty Images
The organization takes its name from Robert Baden-Powell, whose initiatives in Britain in starting in 1907 launched the international Scouting movement.
Atchley said the BPSA, inspired by its namesake, focuses on outdoor skills and community service.
“It’s back to basics, instead of broadening the program to appeal to everybody under the sun,” he said, referring to the Boy Scouts’ efforts to modernize and diversify their activities.
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This coed organization originated in 2001 at the Aquarian Tabernacle Church in Index, Wash., which serves a Wiccan community
Though developed on the basis of pagan beliefs and practices, it is open to youth and families of any faith – or no religious affiliation. Its units are known as circles; it also welcomes individual families who are designated as “hearths.”
Spokeswoman Rachel Scott said the U.S. component comprises about 150 adult volunteers and 350 youth scouts, ages 3-18, in 45 circles and hearths.
The mix of genders is a key principle, according to the group’s Web site.
“Our program encourages girls and boys to learn, play, and work together under the direction of leaders of both genders as a way of showing by example that both men and women are capable and cooperative leaders,” it says.
SpiralScouts has gone public with its disapproval of the Boy Scouts’ membership policies, offering to extend its highest rank to Eagle Scouts who have returned their badges to the BSA in protest over those policies.
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Comments (191)
FLAPrepper1
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:47pmI was a scout and my son is a tenderfoot. If the BSA goes GAY. He’s outta there! We’ll do the merit badges on our own. I can download the requirements online.
I’ll start my own group…..Survival Scouts.
Merit badges: First Aid, Firearms, Wilderness Survival, Fishing, Trapping, etc,
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saranda
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 7:16pmPulling him from an organisation founded by a gay man is hilarious and ridiculous. And if you are trying to avoid your son coming in contact with homosexuals, then you better avoid church groups as their track records are not great.
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turkey13
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 8:17pmMy 3 sons were Cubs & the Boy Scouts. My 4 grand sons won’t start in Cubs next year if this goes through. Those 1.4 that voted to be Politically Correct and if they think that touchey good feeling is great just wait until they drop a bar of soap in the showers. Since I was one of the leaders with kids at camp I always got shower duty. At any one time there are 30 boys showering at one time. This is a perfect place for Phedophiles and Q_ueers to get their rocks off.
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rangerskippy
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 8:21pmbut why?
Why are those mean Christian conservatives being so hateful, and not wanting to be loving and kind, and let gays into the scouts?
What could possibly go wrong? Obama supports it, Lady Ga Ga supports it, MTV supports it, Elton John supports it.
Those scouts are not being open minded, and are to busy focusing on non important things, like the fact that gays are only 2.5% of the population, but have 64% of the nation’s syphilis, made up 57% of new HIV cases last year, committed 1/3 of all child molestations, have the highest suicide rates in the nation, have higher than average drug and alcohol rates, and have shorter life spans.
You scouts need to get with the times. Rome accepted sexual deviance, thus you should also.
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 9:11pmRanger:
The problem isn’t gay men, it’s straight men. Straight men are responsible for 2/3 of the child molestations, 92% of all rapes, 78% of all domestic abuse cases, 83% of all assaults, and have 86% of all new cases of prostate cancer, 67% of all new cases of VD, and are responsible for 88% of all kidnappings. We must not let straight men around our children! Sure, some straight men may be fine, but we do not want to risk putting our children with such degenerates. Besides, this would set the precedent that raping and abusing and kidnapping is acceptable. If you care about children, join my crusade to get straight men out of Scouts!
When you make the same arguments for a different group, it all sounds kind of silly doesn’t it?
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encinom
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 9:32pmRanger Dan, proving yet again that he is little more than a racist and a bigot and unfit to weat his nation’s uniform. He ack the moral standings, his views are more suited for the white robes, the uniform of cowards and traitors.
Christian on the Blaze are the most hate filled lot I have every seen, from them I learned that the bible is a hate book.
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rangerskippy
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 9:40pm@fuzzypotter
Your comment “When you make the same arguments for a different group, it all sounds kind of silly doesn’t it?”
No, actually, it does not.
Heterosexuals are not a “different group”. “Different groups”, are groups outside of the norm, or that which is not natural, legal, moral….. Child molestation is not normal, natural, or legal, neither is rape, neither is being a sodomite.
Those who molest kids, are an unnatural group, so are rapists, so are homosexuals. They all fall into the category of being sexually deviant.
Sorry, try again.
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The_Jerk
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 9:44pmThey will cease to be the BSA if they go gay.
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rangerskippy
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 9:48pmEncinom
Your comment – “Christian on the Blaze are the most hate filled lot I have ever seen, from them I learned that the bible is a hate book.”
So, when is the last time you saw a Baptist do a suicide bombing on a bus full of women and children?
How about the last time you saw a Methodist do an honor killing?
How about the last time you saw, or read about a Presbyterian do a beheading?
You hate Christianity, because it is the one religion that you know is true. It is the one religion that has real prophecy that has come to fruition. That fulfilled prophecy of Israel becoming a nation again burns your God haters to the core.
You can hate all you want, but it will not make hell one degree cooler.
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encinom
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 10:07pmChristianity is a cult, filled with the self righteous, preaching hate and claiming victimhood. Christianity is no more factual than the wizard of Oz. The probem is that bigots like yourself use the religion to hide your own hatred for others. You hide behind a bible and teachings of Bronze age goat herders.
Their is no love in your comments, you reject the teachings from the mount and instead embrass the hate contained in the book.
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 10:11pmRanger:
Actually, being homosexual is very legal, normal and natural. How is being gay any different than being straight?
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 10:26pmRanger:
Any argument you can make about homosexuals, I can also make about straight men, just read my above comment. Straight guys are just as unnatural, immoral and illegal as gay guys are.
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One Man Mormon Blues Band
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 11:02pmSaranda – Heterosexual perverts go after young women. Male homosexual perverts go after young men. Trust me, I know. Are all homosexual men pedophiles. Of course not, just like all heterosexual men are not trolling young girls. But some are.
My sons and I made our own plans. We are raising our sons and grandsons. We don’t need the scouts.
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BOGOTSTOGO
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 11:53pmHarryP,
“Actually, being homosexual is very legal, normal and natural.”
Legal? I guess in the USA as we don’t execute sinners, (don’t travel to Iran)
Normal? I beg to differ nothing normal about a round peg in a dirty hole
Natural? I don’t know where that comes from. Lets just say natures way allows reproduction
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 12:07ambogotstogo:
Of course we don’t punish immoral behavior! That’s why the Boy Scouts are still legally allowed to discriminate and keep gays out. As for the round peg and dirty hole thing, are you telling me that a woman’s hole is not dirty? All sex is rather gross when you start thinking about the logistics and other uses, that’s why hygiene is so important with sex. And for the record, everything fits just fine. And you said natural allows reproduction, so I assume infertile couples are just as unnatural, and old people, and people using condoms, and people on birth control, and oral sex, and guys who pull out early, and couples who deliberately have sex only at certain times of the month to avoid pregnancy. Yes, gay people are just as unnatural as all of them. And for the record, you don’t need to have sex to have children. I know several gay couples with children. Wonderful parents, wonderful children, wonderful family, sex unneeded.
stage9
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 12:45amPutting a sodomite in charge of little boys is like putting a rattlesnake in charge of the hamster cage! A person would have to abandon all reason and common sense to suggest such a disgusting and deplorable thing. But then, this is the “New America”, one in which reason bows at the altar of “political correctness”, aka the sanctuary of hell.
Who gives a care what the sodomites say? They’ve turned places like Massachusetts into their own personal homosexual terrorist state where they’re using the school system to impose their deviancy on school children. And parents are bullied into silence.
Don’t listen to their bleeding heart forked tongues America. Do your homework. You’ll find they’re after your kids.
Can We Please Just Start Admitting That We Do Actually Want To Indoctrinate Kids?
http://www.queerty.com/can-we-please-just-start-admitting-that-we-do-actually-want-to-indoctrinate-kids-20110512/
Homosexuals brainwashing our children in elementary schools
http://www.massresistance.org/media/video/brainwashing.html
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 12:59amstage9:
Exactly! Just like you should never let your son play at a friends house of only the mother and not the father is home. Talk about the fox guarding the henhouse! Clearly all straight women just want to molest little boys. You want to trust the care of your boys to men who claim to be straight like Jerry Sandusky and Michael Jackson.
This argument is just plain stupid. Gay men are not all pedophiles. You should not trust your children alone with ANY adult you do not know well and trust. Straight men can molest and abuse young boys too. You are letting your irrational fear and hatred of gay people cloud your judgement on the issue.
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jblaze
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 1:05amHomosexuality ( dumb-down-word for sodomy) is a perversion of mankind, is a perversion of husband and wife, is a perversion of male and female, is a perversion of family and a perversion of all that God has created and of His purpose for mankind. Homosexuality is a Satan plane relationship.
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 1:17amjblaze:
Actually, sodomy is not the same as homosexuality. In modern usage, it refers to any oral or anal sex whether homosexual or heterosexual. Plus, when the Bible was written, the concept of homosexuality did not exist, so the comparison cannot be made. As for God’s design, that is simply your interpretation. I believe that God created several forms of loving relationships. There was a time that people saw interracial relationships as an abomination to God. So, unless you have talked with him personally, you are merely using your interpretation over someone else’s.
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mcsledge
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 2:18amsaranda – Do you think that because you say something it makes it true? Liars will receive their reward.
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mcsledge
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 2:21amrangerskippy – there is nothing moral or even descent in accepting a natural perversion. You can accept perversions if you choose. Those who choose to worship God and follow nature will pursue or own course.
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 2:35ammcsledge:
Which one is the real perversion? An attraction to the same gender which you are born wit and cannot change, or discriminating and shunning a group based on something they were born with and cannot change?
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Pouncing Porcupine
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 4:03am@Prepper
We’re with you.
We can’t even have one safe haven for our boys?
One refuge from the freaking perverts?
I’m confident that the policy will stand,
but if not………G’BYE!!!
Report this comment
stone2016
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 8:19amJust adding another voice. I am an Eagle Scout. I am also a member of my local Scout Committee. I was planning on enrolling my son when he is old enough. I will now most likely resign my position and find an alternative program for my son.
I believe some people are born with same-sex attraction. I do not believe, however, the practice of homosexuality is ok. You can yell at me and get in my face and dance on a parade float in a thong, but I will never accept homosexual practices as ok. Just like I don’t accept adultery as ok. Just because I’m attracted to other women, doesn’t mean I have the justification to act on it. Sex outside of marriage is not acceptable and God has defined marriage as between a man and a woman (no matter what Mr. Obama says).
That doesn’t mean I don’t love my friends and family any less because they live a homosexual lifestyle or shun them. I don’t shun my wife’s gay cousing, my drug addict cousin, my felon brother, or restrict my interaction with one of my best friends because she’s gay.
I do however have a problem with an organization that teaches it’s boys to be morally straight, then teaches them that homosexuality is a perfectly acceptable lifestyle. That is not consistant with my values or morals. I don’t think my son is going to be preyed upon or taught to be gay because his scoutmaster is gay. I do have a problem with teaching him that it is acceptable.
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Melika
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 8:50am@Saranda: Listen very closely: * Wikipedia is not source material * and *Innuendo is not factual. *
I know this is tough for some of you to accept, but there are some relationships that certain people can nurture and develop that are extremely close and extremely non-sexual. I know, I know, it’s very difficult in this modern era of overly sexual stimulation where close relationships between parents and offspring are, thanks to that idiot Freud, believed to be rooted in sexual desire, but there are people not mentally disturbed like yourself who can and do develop perfectly normal, close, and healthy relationships not involving genitalia. When that happens, these people are not repressed homosexuals or incestuous pedophiles. It doesn’t matter how much you wish it were true simply to fulfill the twisted, delusional beliefs you maintain to make yourself feel better than everyone else.
Trying to make a heterosexual into a homosexual to serve your political agenda does a great a disservice to the person, history, and ourselves.
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The_Doors_Of_Perception
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 8:53amYou guys should also avoid…grocery stores, schools, churches, sporting events, theatres, museums, restaurants, mall’s, parks, beaches, concerts….they are everywhere. No place is safe…please go live in a bunker, never show your face…for your childrens sake…
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rangerskippy
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 9:09amevery super power nation in the history of the world that has accepted homosexuality as normal, has soon after collapsed
Gays are only 2.5% of the total population, and they make up 64% of all syphilis cases, made up 57% of new HIV cases last year, did 1/3 of all child molestations in America, have some of the highest suicide rates, have above average alcohol and drug abuse rates. They are a sick and diseased people who are prone to crime, abuse, and immoral behavior.
There is no gay gene. Homosexuality is not a choice, it is a series of bad choices that leads to destruction for the individual, and the nation that accepts or promotes them
Just like rape, child molestation, swinging, bestiality…. homosexuality is a sexual perversion. It is not the norm, and it never can be.
World history shows homosexuality to be destructive to nations. Medicine shows homosexuality to be destructive to families and individuals. Bible shows homosexuality to be wicked and hated by God (Lev 18:22, Romans chapter 1).
The family is the most basic unit of governance and education. When the family falls, the nation falls. Homosexuality is an act against the family, against ones self, and against God.
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HowardSternIsABigot
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 9:10amharrypotter, by definition straightt men are not pedophiles. Just like gays claim they are not. Your stats are right of Gay Pride Magazine. Priests that are pedophiles are clearly not straight or real priests. They are frauds that infiltrate by deception then act. Exactly why scouts shouldnt allow gay or pedophile leaders. If you were a pedophile wouldnt you try to get in an organization full of targets? Why does sexuality come up at all with young men? maybe someone is trying to infiltrate for bad reasons?
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mikem1969
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 9:44amRanger, I am with you. The gays and lesbians once again are trying to force their lifestyle choice on everyone else. Why can’t they just start the GSA (gay scouts of America) or the LSA (lesbian scouts of America)? I know why, because they want to force acceptance of their deviant behavior, destroy the family, destroy morality, and virtues for the nation. As you say, when the family fails the nation fails, take a look at black America for a good example. 70% of black children are born into fatherless homes. The black community commits over 40% of the violent crime in our country, but only makes up around 20% of the overall population. As for the pedophiles, most child sex crimes in this country are same sex crimes. Hmm, gays and lesbians there or bisexuals. Again, deviants and perverts the lot. Don’t try throwing facts at gays and lesbians, they suffer the same mental illness the liberals and progressives do, they hate facts.
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encinom
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 10:43amRanger Dan, continue to spew your hate. Why don’t you just publish your name so that we can have your disgraceful ass drumed out of the military. You are disgrace to the uniform and the flag. Your racist views about mixing races and your bible based bigotry is only proves that the only uniform you are fit to wear is that of the klan.
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dietrdeb
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 11:08am@ HARRYPOTTER….you do realize that every statistic that you quoted shows that gay men are responsible for far more crimes then their percentage is in the population? That means that a gay man is far more likely to be a child molester than a straight one. That was his point lab partner.
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encinom
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 11:36amWhy can’t we shipped the Christians out of this nation, they have no love for country or their fellow citizens. The reject the constitution and the republic and seek to destroy it, replacing freedom and liberty with a taliban like christian theocracy.
From their lips the bible is a book of hate and ignorance.
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zapparules
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 12:23pmFor all of you folks showing such hatred against gays…
Have you ever talked to a young man or woman who believes he/she is gay?
Have you ever ‘investigated’ what young men and women who believe they are gay go through – their questioning of their own lives – as well as the torment laid upon them from others (like you folks)?
Do you have any idea what it is like to grow up a young man or women believing that you are gay – and having to deal with all the hatred (and lack of compassion and support) that folks like you throw their way?
Do you have any idea that so many of these gay young men and women feel they have NO CHOICE in this matter?
Do you realize the extreme rate of suicide among such young men and women?
Do you think they would CHOOSE such a fate – if they had such a choice?
And you call yourselves Christians!
Thank goodness there are fewer and fewer of your type out there.
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mikem1969
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 12:35pmZapp, yes I have. I used to work, in my younger years, with a lesbian couple at a local place of business. They would bring their gay and lesbian friends in and they would talk about going to bars and getting straights drunk and then once drunk, converting them to gay or lesbian. Hmm imagine that immorality from the immoral. They make their own choices and life and should have to deal with the consequences. I have no pity for them, and I shall never accept their way of life as anything other than abnormal or deviant.
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 12:46pmStone:
I think in your post here you come across as at least kind, and not full of hate (though before you did use the term sodomite frequently, which is not even accurate). You seem to believe, like many on here, that all gays are always dressed in thongs on parade floats and trying to have sex with everyone they meet. Most just want to be left alone, and have the same rights as straight people, and plenty are involved in long-term monogamous relationships, even if they can’t legally be married. If people are born gay, then why can they not be with the person they love? Must they live a life alone, a half-life, not allowing their love to complete someone else? Do you really think that God would create them gay, and not want them to ever have the intimacy and love that all couples share?
I find it crazy to think that loving another person in a monogamous relationship, is the same as cheating on the person who loves and trusts you. But if that is truly how you feel, then I hope you are currently screening the troops your son is in to make sure there are no divorced parents as well. And to make sure that any single parent has been celibate. Otherwise you are just being hypocritical. You say you want to isolate your son from gays, and not let them show him that that is acceptable, but you don’t seem to mind adulterers doing the same thing, no matter what you wrote above.
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 12:58pmRanger:
Actually, not one single civilization has collapsed due to sexuality, and every single civilization that has accepted heterosexuality has also fallen. I majored in ancient history, and these claims are not just outright wrong, they are ludicrous. Please also read my earlier comment regarding the statistics of straight men. Every single argument you made against gay men, I can also make against straight men, They are also abominations, degenerates, and should not be allowed near children.
For the record, almost everything in your last post was an outright falsehood, while some if it was merely stretching the truth to mislead other viewers. Please try to insert some logic and common sense into your arguments on homosexuality, so far you have just been spouting what others have said and lied about before you.
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 1:12pmHoward:
You are right, not all straight people or gay people are pedophiles. Gay people are just like straight people, they want to have a meaningful, loving relationship with the person who completes them. And yes, there are a few bad apples on both sides. My point about Sandusky and similar “straight” men is that just because you keep out gay men does not mean you are keeping out pedophiles who prey on boys. You are just keeping out youth who want to learn and grow, and volunteers who want to help make Scouting better. I am sure there are pedophiles who want to infiltrate the Scouts, but why would they claim to be gay? Wouldn’t it make more sense to pretend to be a straight man, like Sandusky, or the “priests?” The arguments to keep out gays are just nonsensical.
PS, I agree with you, sexuality shouldn’t even come up in the Scouts! Why then are the leaders making it an issue? It should not matter at all, so why are they focusing on it so much?
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 1:21pmDietrdab:
Actually, you are assuming that only men are involved here. This includes women too, I think you forgot that. But anyway, what if I told you that gays made up 11% of the population, and the the number is only smaller on the CDC website because those are the people who come in with a problem and admit to having sex with someone of the same gender. Plenty keep it quiet, plenty are not out yet, and plenty have had not had any need to bring it up with their doctors, or have their doctors record that information. My point was that all the statistics he gave were not only misleading, they were also pointless. I can use the same statistics against straight men that he can use against gay men.
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TheGrtDcptn
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 1:47pmsaranda wrote…
‘And if you are trying to avoid your son coming in contact with homosexuals, then you better avoid church groups as their track records are not great.’
So, churches have allowed homosexuals access, and as a result have ‘not so great track records’…
And YOU blame churches, perhaps if they DIDN’T allow _________ …?!?!
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 2:34pmThegrtdcbn:
I think he was referring to catholic priests molesting young boys. And last time I checked, gay men were not allowed to become priests.
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jblaze
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 2:43pmHarryPotter
I know why you chose the handle you use! Please get yourself rooted in reality. You are so out of touch with God and His Word it is scary! Truly scary! You have lost your way and I am afraid that you are going to have to go through some very painful stuff in your life before you are able to come out the other side, if at all. Get down on your knees and with a broken and contrite spirit beg God to help you see His truth and to show you where His true Church is today and to teach you the way of LIFE.
Read the 10 Commandments especially the 5th which confirms that Father and Mother (not Mother and Mother or Father and Father) is what God considers to be a marriage and a family. Read Genesis 2 and see that the very first marriage was in the Garden of Eden between a Man and a Woman, Husband and Wife. Nowhere in God’s Word does is say otherwise. You are using your own human reasoning and it will always fail you. If you take a Math course you use a math book/manual to teach you about math. Same with God; to learn about God you MUST go to His manual, the Bible.
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 3:55pmJblaze:
I feel comfortable that I am living my life morally. Since I was born this way, and have no control over my sexual orientation, I cannot believe that God would want me to live my life alone and without the love and companionship of a partner. I would advise you to look deeply into your own life and consider if God would want you to discriminate against your brothers and sisters. I know God’s word, and I understand his message. I don’t think you do. You should focus more on your own life and your own sins rather than trying to find flaw in others lives. Take your own advice. Use logic. What is wrong with two people who love each other? I can have children with my partner, and one day I plan to be married. You don’t need to accept that, but consider whether God would prefer love or hatred….
I know where I stand and I am comfortable here. Are you?
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TheGrtDcptn
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 4:12pm‘I think he was referring to catholic priests’
It doesn’t matter what you think…I responded to what was posted, and I don’t believe for a moment that while homosexuality was ‘in the closet’…so to speak, that a man, with said tendencies, never entered into priesthood.
Do you enjoy being a hypocrite…?! You certainly don’t hesitate laying the sin(s) of (a) MAN on the church…do you…?! I’ll take that as a pass to assume this is true of all homosexuals…
http://www.wnd.com/2002/09/15294/
‘Actually, sodomy is not the same as homosexuality.’
Then explain THIS…’The vote to remove sodomy from military law comes less than a year after President Barack Obama’s repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy for homosexual soldiers.’
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2011/12/02/senate-repeals-bans-on-sodomy-and-bestiality-in-the-u-s-military/
‘If God created us this way, why can’t you accept it?’
Psalm 51:5 ‘Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.’
We are ALL born into a sinful world…And we ALL have choices…
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 5:53pmThegrtdcptn:
No offense, but that was one of the most incoherent, nonsensical posts I’ve seen on here. But let me try to respond. First, I think we are agreeing that men, claiming to be straight, entered into the priesthood seeking access to young boys. My point was that it is just stupid for the scouts to ban gays when a pedophile can just claim to be a straight man. Second, I never passed the sins of man onto the church. When did I ever comment about the church? I mentioned priests, but those are men. Not sure what you think I was saying….. Third, sodomy and homosexuality are 2 separate things. Just look them up in a dictionary. And I’m not sure how the military came into this, but the sodomy rule was from the early 1800s and wasn’t even followed anymore. Even by the straight soldiers. This was just removing an outdated and irrelevant rule. Finally, I’m not sure how that Bible verse has any relevance, but yes this is a sinful world, and all we can do is live our lives the best we can and try to make others lives better as well. Lie your neighbor as yourself. I think I do that pretty well, do you?
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rangerskippy
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 9:54pmHarryplotter
You would do well to pay a visit to the Center for Disease Control website, and take a look at the stats.
Homosexuals do make up 2.5% of the population, and they do have 64% of the nations syphilis
They do have 57% of new HIV cases in the US last year
they are a sick, diseased, and wicked people. Just because you happen to be in this wicked lifestyle, does not change the facts.
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 10:53pmRanger:
That is what is on their site. Though how they estimate the number of gay people is beyond me. You can’t tell someone is gay unless they tell you, and many gay people do not like telling people because of bigots like those rounds on this site. But anyway, have you seen my staristics of straight men posted above? I maintain that straight men are the disease-ridden degenerates, and just because you may be in that group does not change the facts.
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Elderphoffman
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 1:00pmHarryPotter, as a matter of fact homosexuality is not natural and I can prove it. There are two choices, be religious and you find it morally wrong, or believe in evolution where it is unnatural. Religion is self explanatory so I will go into evolution. As a biologist/zoologist, I am very aware that the primary goal of EVERY species of evolution is the continuation of that species. Homosexuality does not help continue the species as two males or females cannot have offspring. While it does exist in nature, it is as a deviant of evolution that ultimately results in an evolutionary dead end. Based on that, you can also conclude that homosexuality is not genetic, as it would have died out since they cannot pass on their genes unless they mate with an opposited gender. That means it is psychological, a choice, and can be changed.
Also, the BSA already had a court ruling in 2000 that states they do not have to admit gays into their organization as they are a private one. End of story. If you want it to go through review in the court again then so should the ruling on abortion from the 1980′s. Win a little give a little
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TommyGuns
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:44pmI think that, as a private organization, the BSA should be able to set any membership standards they choose. By the same token, I would not allow my son to be part of an organization that discriminates against anyone because of their race, creed, national origin or sexual orientation. To those who think that being gay is a life choice, you need to open your mind to the possibility that some people are born with a same sex attraction, and it is thought to be related to an imbalance in the amounts of hormones transmitted from mother to child. For example, the potential to have a gay son increases with his position in the birth order. The farther down the birth order he is, particularly if he has one or more older brothers, increases significantly.
A person may have been born with a predisposition to being gay. That does not mean that they always act on that predisposition. There really is a nature/nurture interaction. An interesting question for those who believe that a gay scout or gay scoutmaster will result in their child becoming gay or, God forbid, being molested. Are you incapable of providing good role modeling to your child so that he would pattern his behavior after you? As for scoutmasters molesting children, any single instance is too many, but it does not follow that a gay scoutmaster will molest a child. Most child predators are usually ‘straight’. If your child shouldn’t be a scout because of possible gay members, then I guess they shouldn’t be Catholics ei
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team1blazer
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 7:03pmThere is NO scientific evidence to support the “gay gene” theory. But for the sake of argument, I’ll play along with your hypothesis. According to you, because an individual is born with the “gay gene”, it’s perfectly OK for that person to act upon it. With that rationalle, I guess it’s OK for a person born with the “alcaholic gene” (which IS supported by scientific research) to act on their predisposition (In other words, be a drunk). Is it also OK for that drunk to be a scoutmaster? Are you going to trust your son to a drunk? Not me; neither to a drunk or a homosexual.
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Jowolf
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 8:01pmWhoa there……me thinks you’re reading too much apologetic psychology. I won’t even try to rationalize such remarks. People of faith have a right and duty to support the Bible…imperfect as we humans are…but God is VERY specific on relationships with people of the same sex. God wants us to love everyone as we love ourselves but He does give us a blueprint for right living. I respect those who would pull their sons from Boy Scouts if this violates their beliefs….there is nothing wrong or prejudice in that.
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TommyGuns
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 8:33pmTeam1Blazer: Read my post again. I never said anything in it about there being a so-called gay gene. I did say that there is scientific evidence that birth order and the amount of hormones transmitted to the fetus by the mother seems to demonstrate a predisposition for same sex attraction. Nor did I say that a person who has a predisposition to same sex attraction will necessarily act on it. The evidence seems to indicate that there is a nature/nurture interaction, just as there is to alcoholism. One does not always lead to the other. What I did say is that I would not allow my son to join any organization that discriminates anyone because of something like race, creed, national origin or sexual orientation. Let me ask you something. The first Purple Heart medal awarded in the Iraq War was to a Marine who was a closeted gay man – Eric Alva was his name, so you can Google it. If he was ‘straight’, would the blood he shed for his country be worth more. Conversely, is the fact that he’s gay make his sacrifice somehow tainted and worth less? Gay is not an identity, any more than black is, or Hispanic, or blonde. I suspect that there are gay men and women living their lives the same way that straight men and women live theirs, with the same problems like earning a living, getting an education, raising children, serving your coffee or restaurant meals, fixing your car, etc. If you want fewer gay men, you have to convince straight couples to stop giving birth to them!
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encinom
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 9:35pmPeople of faith are little more than hate filled bigots, hiding behind a bible. Cause we must live our lives according to the myths and bias views of ancient goat herders. Should we start stoning rape victims and those that enjoy a lobster dinner.
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mcsledge
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 2:29amencinom – believe it or not but some people choose to live a higher law rather than swim in the cess pools of degeneracy like yourself. Yes, some people try to remain clean in thought, word and deed. Others choose to be immoral, dishonest, unnatural, perverse, etc. You follow your path and I will follow my path. I don’t ask you to conform to my path and I sure will not conform to your path.
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pmjme
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 3:53am@Econ: I am somewhat surprised by your constant condescention and obvious lack of tolerance. Good grief…every comment… I get that under your watch lest we want to suffer being called hateful names we are supposed to surrender our opinions at the door, but that tactic really just amounts to uncivilized bullying. In the short run bullying tactics may be effective at making inroads and forcing change, but in the long run it has proven to be only temporary. History is definitely repeating itself on this one.
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The_Doors_Of_Perception
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 8:57amGood posts TommyGuns…much appreciated
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jordy2010
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:39pmScouts be careful………… once the homos have taken-over your organization they will integrate it to some communist ”pionner” organazation and then throw you out!!!!!!
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I Aint PC
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:27pmPart of the Boy Scout is to be “Morally Strait.” Homosexuality is a moral issue. How could someone try to live up the the traditions and standards of the Boy Scouts, and promise to be moral, knowing you will not be? If the BSA allows gays in, then the next thing to go will be God. Reverence is an important part of being a scout. Many of the troops in this area, western NC, are sponsored by churches and use church facilities for their meetings. Some are saying that they will no longer allow the BSA to use their facilities if homosexuals are allowed to be in scouts.
If the gays want a scouting type organization, there is nothing stopping them from starting one. They could even disallow strait boys from joining. Why should the BSA change from 100 years of tradition and values, just because a politically favored class wants them to?
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 9:19pmWhich seems less “morally straight”to you? A man who happens to be attracted to other men, which he has no control over, or the systematic discrimination of a group of people based on how they were born?
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BOGOTSTOGO
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 12:04amHarry, Sin is a choice. We must call sin what it is “Sin” Once we come to grips with that we can start controlling our own sinful behavior. I pray you can control your **** tendencies.
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 12:13ambogotstogo:
I agree. I recognize that I sometimes do not love my neighbor as myself, and I am not always as patient and caring as I ought to be. I still strive to correct those flaws. I hope you can correct your irrational hatred and judgmental attitude. The problem is, I think you are too busy discriminating against your brother and sisters to recognize your own sins. Come to the light, or you may wind up somewhere unpleasant when you die……
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stone2016
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 8:45amHarry,
Believing that homosexual practices are a sin and should not be taught as a “morally straight” lifestyle is not discrimination or hateful. Just like it’s not discrimination to say we shouldn’t allow men who are living an adulterous lifestyle in boy scouts either. I know all men are sinners. Some men sin, recognize it and are striving everyday to be better. And other men sin and then jump on parade floats in thongs and tell you you’re hateful because you don’t accept their behavior. (the parade float thing is tongue in cheek).
I know no perfect man will be my son’s scoutmaster, but I don’t accept men that willfully sin and do not recognize it as such. I have my personal sins, but I know what they are and don’t accept them either just because I was born this way.
Are we to teach our boys that a man just does whatever feels good to him? Or do we teach our boys to be men who accept God’s law and strive to live it? If you can’t understand my point of view and instead reduce it to discrimination and hatred, why would I consider yours?
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encinom
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 10:48amThe good thing is that the bigoted generation is dying off and their children are rejected their posionous teachings.
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 1:34pmStone:
I do recognize and understand your argument, and judging from the calm way you presented yourself, I don’t think you hate gays in general either. Also, believing that homosexuality is sinful is not discrimination, but baring gays from an organization is discrimination. Just because you believe it to be sinful does not mean they do, or other families do, or that Christianity in general does either.
No, we should not teach our children to do whatever feels good, but how does that fit with homosexuality? I want to be with a loving partner for the rest of my life, as I imagine you do. Should we instead be teaching children to isolate and discriminate a group of people based on something they cannot change? Should we teach them that being different is unacceptable? Or should we teach them to love their neighbor and to accept other people even if they are different from us?
For the record, I am not perfect. I do not always love my neighbor, for instance. I recognize this and strive to fix it. Perhaps you should recognize that you are not only practicing discrimination and bigotry, but are teaching it to your children. If you cannot change being gay, why should they be kept out? I do not think that God would create gay people to live lives of loneliness and fulfillment. If God created us this way, why can’t you accept it?
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AmericaMustBeFree
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:17pmMost people do not want their non gay son’s in Scouts with gays. And here is why I feel that way.. of the gay men I have known in my life including an uncle.. everyone of them became gay because they were molested as children.. by some dirt bag. Everyone of them’s sexual identity was ruined by some evil man.After 60 some years my uncle figured out the why.. changed his lifestyle and became a Christian.. he no longer has the desire to be gay and is happy. Sadly, the other two commited suicide.. I do not believe being gay is caused by extra chromosones or whatever.. but how a child is raised and if they were molested does. Just because a boy is more feminine does not make him gay.. but some idjit will say so and by making that analysis in front of the child will damage that childs sexual identity, or a father or mother who constantly berates such a child destroys such a child identity! I knew a man.. and people who listened to him would swear he was gay. He had a very soft voice. was a gentle spirit.. he was also the father of 5 children. He was not gay! Say what you may.. but this is what I believe!
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stumpy68
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 7:06pmOr Woman one gay man i know will claim being gay
is decided by nature and never consider being molested by a female
relative might have something to do with it
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 9:27pm“The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it.”
― Neil deGrasse Tyson
I am gay, I was not molested as a child, I have 2 loving (straight) parents who have never been divorced, I attended church regularly as a child and I did not know any gay man or women while growing up at all. We do not get to decide our sexual orientation any more than we get to determine our skin color or height. And frankly, anyone who calls themselves an “ex-gay” is just lying to themselves to try and fit in better with society.
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frgough
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 2:46pm@Harrypotter
You are not gay. You are a human being who happens to experience same-sex attraction. You do yourself a disservice by identifying yourself solely in terms of your sexual appetites.
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 5:00pmFrgough:
For the record, a human being who happens to experience same-sex attraction is gay. That is what gay means. And I do not identify myself solely by my sexual orientation, that is simple one of my identities. Similarly, if you said you you were white, you would not be identifying yourself solely by your race.
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Ohio50patriot
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:11pmCheck out Demolay’s website http://www.demolay.org/
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Kaoscontrol
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 7:21pmYikes! Christian Science? I’d rather take my chances with a gay scoutmaster.
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Ohio50patriot
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 9:26pmThis has nothing to do with Christian Science.
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groundzero
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:09pmI NO longer support the Brownies,Girl Scouts because of their progressive ideology. Now Eagle Scout on resumes are not going to mean anything to me. I hope these organization REALIZE that the percentage is SMALL on these progressive ideas & they need to PUSH their small percentage on us!
One thing I did wonder in this story is James Oliver how long has he been in the scouts? Has he ever been a LEADER?
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encinom
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 10:10pmYou take resumes at your Klan rallies? I never seen so many hate filled idiots, since the last time I went to a church down south.
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bornbitter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 12:12pm@Encinom
…I don’t think I’ve seen anyone spew as much fact-less hate as you. You’re reply to everything that you don’t agree with boils down to ‘hate, hate, hate, hate…’
Let everyone else be aware, Encinom’s venomous cries of ‘hater’ and demands for tolerance only apply to everyone else; you’re only allowed to have an opinion if you agree with him. Just ignore the name-calling, baiting, trolling, biting, and dehumanizing rhetoric he spews. Anyone with eyes connected to their brain can see him for what he is.
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Ohio50patriot
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:04pmI don’t know if they are still around but there used to be an organization affiliated with the Masons called DeMolay. This was a great club for boys that taught many great lessons including leadership.
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LimaBean
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 7:28pmAlso with the Mason’s, Jobe’s Daughter and Eastern Star. I myself am not a member….have a relative who was a Free Mason. Lead me to do further research.
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okaaay
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:03pmI was in Pioneer Clubs which was wonderful and a lot like girl and boy scouts.
http://www.pioneerclubs.org
My kids have been in RA’s and GA’s (Royal Ambassadors and Girls in Action) and they loved it and there are college scholarships available for past members.
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Rileydj
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:58pmMy son is an Eagle Scout, I was a scout master (I only attained rank of Life)
We did Philmont as explores with a coed group.
Do not mess with success! The God and Country and God and family has always be the mainstay.
As I am about to retire, I have been considering getting back involved as a counselor (I am a pilot, Chem E, prior service as Vol Fire Chief, and licensed HAM operator) or lower leader. But if they change BSA, I think I will pass
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 9:30pm“Don’t mess with success”
I’m sure they said the same thing about slavery……
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Belovedsword
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 10:27pmHarry Potter… No it seems they didn’t… Except for a bunch of democrats
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 10:47pmBeloved:
So you’re saying that the slaveowners in the mid-1800′s would not have gone with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” argument? Seems to me that they would have. And the political parties 150 years ago have no bearing to today’s political parties, they have changed so much and so much has happened since then that you cannot make any connection between the two eras.
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justtrythinking
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 1:25amHARRYPOTTER, great comments. If we want children to be safe, statistically it would be far better if we did not allow ANY males to be around children. Males are responsible for nearly all the crimes in America. It’s also ironic that BSA doesn’t allow law abiding gays to be volunteers but they do allow people with criminal backgrounds to be volunteers. By the way, several years ago the Girl Scouts started allowing lesbians to serve and to be members and I don’t recall hearing about a wave of girls being “recruited” into the lesbian lifestyle.
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 2:20amjusttrythinking:
Thanks for your post! Together we can spread sanity and logic one step at a time. :)
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DexterMorgan
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:53pmInteresting seeing Royal Rangers. I was a Royal Ranger in my youth. Knew more Scripture than the older kids. Thanks for that Mom and Grandma.
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Taquoshi
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 11:05pmOur son was in Royal Rangers. He enjoyed it a lot. We actually did attend two cub scout meetings at one of the churches we attended and I was surprised at how nasty the Cub Scouts were towards one another. Boys horse around, but this was more than that. After the second meeeting, we’d had enough and never went back.
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nomemymine
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:52pmThank you, theBlaze for finding these alternatives for parents. You are a big help !!
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Vision Harry
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:39pmThe mere fact that the BSA didn’t stand up immediately and disavow any challenge to a cheapening of morality, leads me to believe that it is already a done deal. A very few individuals who want to deny freedom of assembly/freedom of choice/and freedom of religion, to those who adhere to the timeless values of Scouting, show themselves to be devoid of conscience, ethics, and honor. I have been affiliated with Scouting for 42 years,and hold my 34 Eagle Mentor Pins as some of my most prized possessions.
Those who do not understand the Scout Oath and Law, have never fully lived it.
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PoliticallyRightUs.Com
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:03pmFamous last words of somebody who cares… then the NAMBLA/Gays come along and take over using the court of law and discrimination as a tool.
This is how it started in our military, then here comes the gays… Life as a straight male under Gay leadership was hell!!! as I and others watched our gay bosses play favoritism with the young males that came into our outfit… This is not a good thing folks!
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encinom
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 10:13pmNo, until recently the BSA, buckled under like cowards to the bigots with bibles. Christians are proving that they have little understanding of messages that were taught on a mount. Instead they use ancient myths to hide their onw hate filled world view.
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thibx
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:30pmmy kids are now older but there is no way i would allow my kids to belong to what they are trying to do to the scouts. oboma pushing his gay agenda is because he is a queer (warped minded people). i know he did not start it with the scouts but it all goes back to him, just think what a difference if he knew Jesus Christ and tried to push him, world would be a better place.
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XaviorOnassis
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:22pmNone of the groups on this list can hold a candle. There really is NO OTHER organization that provides the mentoring, career exploration and leadership training the way Boy Scouts does. I wish Girl Scouts (GSA) were run more like Boy Scouts.
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DrunkGOP_Hack
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:47pmAre you for real?
Really?
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PoliticallyRightUs.Com
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:48pmSure as long as you dont mind a gay troop leader with weekend access to your child or children and you have no knowledge or say so.
Go ahead support the LGBT community without fear!
Good luck with that!
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gosutag
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:12pm@POLITICALLYRIGHTUS.COM: Oh great another homophobe. No one cares that you hate homosexuals because your priest told you to, or because you read a 100 times over edited book. Just leave your rules out of other peoples’ businesses.
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NavET-SS
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:51pm@gosutag — Could you maybe find a word other than “homophobe” to describe people that despise a lifestyle based on lack of morals and searching for any pleasure that can be found. I do take make significant efforts to avoid and keep my children away from homosexuals, but the danger is not imagined, it is real. Most homosexuals actually are actively promoting their narcissism, and promiscuosness, and that is exactly the wrong kind of person I want myself of my children being influenced by, whether as a leader or a peer.
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 12:21amnavet:
I hate the word homophobia. It’s not a phobia. You are not scared. You are an *******.
- Morgan Freeman
Is that term better for you?
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 12:31amSorry, copied the quote. But the word starts with “a” and ends with “hole”
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XaviorOnassis
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:20pmAbout the current controversy:
(1) At the troop level, Boy Scouts has been admitting gay people as leaders and scouts for years. Naturally, attitudes vary by region and some are more accepting and open than others…but by and large there has been acceptance within individual troops for a very long time.
(2) There is no sudden push by gay people to join. This is about acceptance of the aforementioned reality by the upper national leadership so that policy is congruent with practice at troop level. A change would not change scouting.
(3) BSA can evolve and has done so in many ways over the years. For example, while once it was a Christian Protestant organization and Catholics were not welcome, now it is inclusive not only of all Christian denominations, but other non-Christian religions as well. Now scouts are sometimes Jewish, Mormon, Muslim, Hindu, etc. BSA is faith-centered, not Christ-centered. Usually this sort of change has resulted from the ground up and has been driven by the boys themselves from within. This is what is currently happening. Once again the boys, who come from such diverse religious backgrounds are driving the moral trajectory.
(4) BSA has recognized that it cannot pretend to define a morality for a boy that does not align with the standards of his CHURCH. If the boy belongs to a church that does not consider gay to mean immoral, BSA cannot realistically define it as such for all and also tell the boy his church is the authority in his spiritual lif
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Vision Harry
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:49pmMiss onassis, I DON’T PLAN TO SEND MY TROOP TO A NATIONAL JAMBOREE STOCKED WITH “GAY” TROOPS SO MY BOYS CAN “EVOLVE”
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DrunkGOP_Hack
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:54pmBS!
dude, you couldn’t be more wrong.
The only folks that are in scouts that have or take issue are doing so just for that matter.
They don’t give a damn about the scouts, or religion or church.
They went in fully knowing that they wanted to start a problem.
No different then girls that try and join high school football.
REALLY!
Come on. Dad wanted a boy, got a girl, she tries to live up to her fathers failed sperm and BAM. *****, social issue, and separate shower room for the girl.
Some hasbeen seeking something.
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XaviorOnassis
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:58pmMr. Vision Harry
Good luck with that whole gaydar operation.
What makes you think I want “YOUR” troop to go anywhere in particular.
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fmbmitgt
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:59pmI’ll respectfully disagree with your feeling that having homosexual leaders is, ‘evolution’ and will substitute, “decay”.
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title_of_liberty
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 10:21pmMormons have been in Boy Scouts since the beginning. The claim that we weren’t is false. It looks like it will change though.
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XaviorOnassis
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 6:49am@Tree only since the early 1920s.
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seclement61
Posted on March 12, 2013 at 10:45pmThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints started using the BSA program in 1913.
http://www.scouting.org/about/factsheets/operating_orgs/latter-day_saints.aspx
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hi
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:15pmAchieving Eagle Scout is equivalent to achieving valedictorian as far as colleges are concerned. I wonder if folks are willing to give that up.
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Lightman98
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:08pmAnother great organization is Christian Service Brigade or Boy’s Brigade. see http://www.csbministries.org.
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Beachmastermax
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:00pmHere is an idea based along the American way. Take your own family camping and quit grouping up.
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Laymen
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:32pmIt is good and healthy for Boys to have social interaction in a program like the Scouts according to its current creed. One of the alternatives mentioned is the Royal Rangers, speaking from experience – Good program especially the mission statement of “reaching and keeping boys for Christ.” Was a commander for 13 years, my sons where a part of the program so it was activity we shared. If the Scouts sell out I know some people will send their kids to the program, it’s very similar and rest assured no promoting homosexuality; not with that mission statement!
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techjunkie
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:00pmBut the problem is I don’t want an alternative. I am an Eagle Scout and I think very highly of the scouts. My son is only 9 months old and I want him to have the same experiences I had. I want the Scouts to stand up for whats right!
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RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:16pmTECHJUNKIE, I’m with you on that. My adult son made Eagle years ago, and it still means a lot to him. Like me, he joined the scouts and there was a clear understanding that it was an organization that was still based on faith. If anybody wants alternatives, then go and start your alternative organization and expect your members to follow those rules, while respecting the rules of the current Boy Scouts. Live and let live, not bend an existing organization of faith to be something else.
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KingDork
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:46pmI am an Eagle Scout as well. I even help out with activities whenever I get called on it but if they lower themselves for the liberal agenda like this… I will disown my badge and won’t have anything to do with it. Honestly this is maybe 1% about gays and 99% about pushing a liberal agenda that is attacking any American culture and anything that shares any Christian-like values. It makes me sick.
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cptenn94
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:38pmI am an eagle scout as well. I will continue to support the boy scouts as long as they have the guts to stand up for the values that they have held over these many years. In reference to the person somewhere above who equates it to being the same as allowing some other religions to be involved in the Boy scouts, homosexuality is not a religion. It is a moral issue. The Boy Scouts have held themselves to a higher moral standard, than society. If it is not strong enough to withstand a society that is becoming increaseingly corrupt, then i As a loyal eagle scout, will not support the bsa. I will wear my badge proudly, at what the scouts were, but not at what they became(if they cave, which unfortuantely it seems they will.)
There are some of those activists, who just want to be able to be members. But there are many, who would not stop, until homosexuality is TAUGHT by the boy scouts. And if i am wrong, and there is so much support for gays in scouts, then let them make their own organization. Not force this one, to do what they want.
If giving up my eagle scout rank, would keep the Boy Scouts to stick to their morals, and not cave in, then I would do it in a heartbeat.
One last thing. Im sick of these people, compareing not being allowed in Boy Scouts, to be missing out on a benefit. Earning Eagle Scout is not something you do, so you get benefits in life.It is something you earn, through your deeds and character. IT IS NOT SOME FORM OF ENTITLEMENT.
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HarryPotter
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 12:39amcptenn94:
I agree. The Eagle Badge is something that you earn. But the Scouts are keeping boys who have earned their badge from receiving it. They are keeping boys who want to give the Scouts their loyalty and dedication away. This is the problem. We are not asking for a handout, we are asking to be treated equally.
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media-bias-steals-elections
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 4:57pmNice article!
I disagree, it will just be a matter of time before these organizations, will be attacked and villified just like the Boy Scouts?
Take time to be a dad educate your own children, don’t depend on strangers?
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NewCreationDave
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 4:55pmHow bout just hangin out and recreating with family? Our family does a lot of camping, kayaking, and all KINDSA stuff with other like-minded families and fellow church families. That way, we don’t hafta worry bout some organization foisting immorality on us.
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Cavallo
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 4:47pmSo no secular conservative groups? You either have to be a foot washing Baptist, or some sex crazed socialist pinko?
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fmbmitgt
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:03pmI was raised in a Baptist church (in Wisconsin) and I have no idea why you would characterize that denomination as, “foot washing”. Our Pastors never told us to do it. (Although since Jesus did it for his disciples, it is a good example to follow.) Perhaps your brush is a tad too broad….
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Cavallo
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 4:44pmNothing about the American Heritage Girls, an organization created in direct response to the lesbian and abortion centric connection of The Girl Scouts of America?
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wolverine
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 4:54pmI though this article was about the BSA
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curmudgeon60
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:22pm@Cavallo. Click on “alternative …in the same vein”toward end of article before the listings (red letters) it directs you to Heritage Girls..nice group as Girl Scouts have really gone bad since I was one in the 50′s and 60′s
:-)
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Verceofreason
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:46pmThe Girl Scouts now teach pole dancing and witchcraft I hear.
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Walkabout
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:18pmVerceofreason
The tenor of your post makes one wonder if you fervently wished it were true.
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Eastinfection
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 4:41pmOf course The Blaze omits the “Arab Boy Scouts”….
http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/197503/arab.jamboree.htm
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Swimming-with-the-Sharks
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 4:49pmWhere bomb making, and waging jihad are probably required merit badges.
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Fubared
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 4:50pmNow we get to hear WangDang crying about NAMBLA scouts not making the list. Sheesh.
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wolverine
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 4:53pmI myself like my head attached to my body therefore I don’t think I want to go camping with a *******
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wolverine
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 4:58pmInstead of chopping would we could teach beheading
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RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:17pmFUBARED, Or, ENCINOM calling it an evil organization that teaches only hate.
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DrunkGOP_Hack
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:55pmEast, shuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuud up you MORON!
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Witness1974
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:57pm“Look, Mom, I just got my hostage-taking badge.”
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Eastinfection
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:07pmlol WITNESS…. “Look Ma, no hands! …literally! I blew them off at Scouts”
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chips1
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:18pmEAST:
They have never awarded a Suicide Bomber Merit badge. It’s hard to identify the recipient.
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chips1
Posted on February 18, 2013 at 6:24pmAlso, the badge is larger than the receiver.
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