Boy Scouts of America considers ending ban on openly gay members

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
1/29/2013
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Leaders would still be chosen 'consistent with their organization's mission, principles or religious beliefs'

Long a bone of contention to the nation's homosexual rights movement, the Boy Scouts of America is now considering dropping a longtime ban on gay members. The organization may now leave such membership and leadership decisions up to local sponsors.

Founded in 1910, the Boy Scouts has also excluded atheists throughout its existence.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic online) - "The BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation," spokesman Deron Smith said in a statement.

"This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, but that the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with their organization's mission, principles or religious beliefs."

Under this new policy, different religious and civic groups that sponsor Scout units would be able to decide for themselves on how to address this issue, which would either maintain an exclusion of gays, as is now required of all units -- or opening their memberships.

Smith says that the Scouts have been in contact with families to determine its best interests. "BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit which best meets the needs of their families," he said.

If approved, it could be announced as early as next week after a BSA national board meeting.

Gay-rights activists favor the proposed policy change. Many are hailing it as another milestone and relating it to what they view as advances arising out of judicial and legislative efforts to redefine marriage to include homosexual partnerships and the end of the ban on self identified practicing gays serving openly in the military.

Southern Baptists, along with many ther Christian leaders, are highly concerned about the possible change. The Southern Baptists suggested its approval might encourage Southern Baptist churches to support other boys' organizations in lieu of the Boy Scouts.

Founded in 1910, the Boy Scouts has also excluded atheists throughout its existence. Smith said a change in the policy toward atheists was not being considered, and that the BSA continued to view "Duty to God" as one of its basic principles.

More than 2.6 million scouts and one million adults were involved in the BSA in 2012, according to its Web site.

Protests over the policy gained momentum in 2000, when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the BSA's right to exclude gays. Some Scout units lost sponsorships by public schools and other entities that adhered to nondiscrimination policies.

Two high-powered members of the BSA Ernst & Young CEO James Turley and AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson indicated they would try to work from within to change the membership policy because it stood in contrast to their own companies' non-discrimination policies which include the practice of homosexuality as a protected lifestyle.

� 2013, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Boy Scouts of America, gay rights, membership, leadership, policy

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1 - 10 of 13 Comments

robert matzinger
3 months ago
I never thought I'd see the day where we would even think of sending our small boys to an organization (Boy Scouts) to where their leader (Scout Leader) would be openly homosexual.

And I wonder how many will do this?
abey
3 months ago
They are forced as the Bible says to "Turn the truth of God into a lie" If one is to say that gay & gay relation whatsoever is not a sin(fooling themselves) then let them answer as to why God destroyed utterly Sodom the Gomorrah like nothing else, after the flood, ashes unto this day for unto God there is nothing known as Civil or Religious view The Bible says God sees the end from the beginning , which He sees today to know that if He has destroyed it then, then He will destroy it now, which is to the Prophecy, against Babylon to its ways, for God does not change, clearly a time to take sides, leaving aside delusional compassion, as stated -Sin waits at the door step to be taken. Jesus did not come to change the Will of God but the wishes of man for all he did was to buy us time, to the Prophecy of St.Paul " First must come the falling away & then that which restrains sin be removed( to the Complacency) & the man of sin be revealed to meaning sin being exposed before God -like unto Sodom unto the days of Noe, stated by Jesus himself. If the history of Israel has not taught man then nothing will.
Tom
3 months ago
The most important part of the proposed change is that it puts the charter organizations (the churches and schools) open to the lawsuits for discrimination. What parish can take on that type of risk? The BSA has already won the right to stick to their original charter. It seems as though a few board members who represent large corporations are trying to score cheap political points. Leave the board. The BSA is supposed to teach our boys to be men who fight for what is right. Clearly new leadership is needed. Pray for the BSA!!!!!
Robert Burford
3 months ago
I was never a boy scout. However, there is an agenda here that people miss. It is not a sin to be a homosexual no more than it is to be a hetero sexual. Sin comes in relationships and in not doing the will of God. Anyone in a homosexual or hetero sexual relationship without Holy Matrimony between a man and woman(husband and wife) are not doing the will of God.The above Churches are compromising the will of God. Those churches that allow and condone such behavior are doing the work of the devil. That is how the devil works. He uses compromise.Same on those churches. This is the agenda most people miss.
Brian Habing
3 months ago
"A Scout is reverent, he is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties and respects the convictions of others in matters of custom and religion."

The current policy forces some troops hosted by churches to deny membership and leadership opportunities to people (including some pastors and bishops) who apparently satisfy being "morally straight" according to their denomination. Examples include the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), and the United Church of Christ whose churches are homes to over 7,000 troops, packs, and crews and all four of which have Scouting Religious Emblems.

The proposed policy would respect the beliefs of those denominations. It also would not force denominations disagreeing with that view to admit such members. In regards to arguments about forcing such troops to interact with those they don't approve of, they already do so unless they ban their troops from attending the World Scout Jamboree or any event open to the general public.

I do not see how favoring the old policy over the new one could in any way be described as reverent.
MICHAEL S
3 months ago
I was a Boy Scout and have for years donated to the BSA. If they change their stance on this issue I will have to stop my donations. I cannot support any organinzation that has policies against my belifes and principles. I am sorry to hear that they are considering giving in on this MOST impportant issue. They've always stood for uprightness and for developing boys to become good men. This changes everything about that praiseworthy aspect of the BSA.
Daniel
3 months ago
Why are the Boy Scouts caving on in this issue now? This is what I wished the article addressed.
Rush Glick
3 months ago
After the Boy Scouts, other cherished institutions will soon follow suit as we relentlessly march ever more blindly toward the abyss. Onward enlightened ones...
Concerned Mom
3 months ago
How can Deron Smith say that BSA will continue to view "Duty to God" as one of its basic principles when they are now considering allowing a group of persons (adult or child) who engage in a lifestyle that is an abomination in God's eyes to have access to our children? God commanded us to love our neighbor, and we must, but that doesn't mean we also have to accept their lifestyle if it is an affront to God's teaching. At this point I am ready to take my son out of the Boy Scouts. I have already sent my complaint to BSA headquarters.
John Mainhart
3 months ago
This is terrible. Not only did they cave but they caved after they remained strong for so many years. It is obviously not about their ,principles because they claim they cannot change their policy on atheists because they are a religious organization but they are willing to change their attitude towards one of our Saviors principles that they used to call sin. There is little doubt in my mind that soon the leaders will use nuances that support our Federal Gov'ts view of homosexuality rather than God's. The only good thing about this is they are becoming more local and community based.

This is about money and another example of money people controlling our values because we convince ourselves we must have money to function. I am sure the BSA could live with a lot less money and still help to develope young men with Christian values. I will not support the BSA in the future and I will reconsider my association with ATT These things make me pray for our impending economic crisis to come soonj so we become more interested in doing God's will than having enough money to do His will.

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