Boy Scouts of America postage stamp image courtesy Shutterstock.com
(RNS) Now that Boy Scout delegates have taken their long-awaited vote and permitted openly gay Scouts, will there be a mass exodus by religious groups?
It depends on who you ask.
The Assemblies of God is certain there will be.
“We believe that the BSA policy change will lead to a mass exodus from the Boy Scout program, as Assemblies of God and many other churches can no longer support groups that are part of an organization allowing members who are openly homosexual,” the Pentecostal denomination declared minutes after 61 percent of delegates to a Boy Scouts of America meeting voted Thursday (May 23) to change the policy.
But R. Chip Turner, national chairman of the BSA’s Religious Relationships Task Force, hopes not. He acknowledged there will likely be fewer units, especially among religious groups, which have comprised about 70 percent of BSA sponsoring organizations.
“We’re absolutely not telling them you have to endorse homosexuality,” he said. “You may not deny that membership based on that one characteristic.”
Other conservative leaders, including Liberty Counsel Chairman Mat Staver and Southern Baptist ethicist Richard Land, are using the “mass exodus” terminology about the change that goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2014.
Roger “Sing” Oldham, spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee. Photo courtesy Baptist Press
This image available for Web publication. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.
“I think there will be an immediate exodus,” said Roger “Sing” Oldham, spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee. “I don’t know how large that immediate exodus will be, but then I think there’ll be a continual attrition over time.”
John Stemberger, who led the charge against a policy change as the head of the group OnMyHonor.net, plans to gather supporters in Louisville, Ky., in June to consider starting an alternative “character development organization for boys.”
Both the Assemblies of God and the Southern Baptists have alternative programs that could attract members who are thinking of leaving the Scouts. The Assemblies put its statement on the website of its Royal Rangers, which includes boys in kindergarten through 12th grade. Oldham said some churches have been contacting the Royal Ambassadors program, which is run by the SBC’s Woman’s Missionary Union and includes boys in grades 1-6.
But other prominent religious groups are standing by the Scouts.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which sponsors more BSA troops than any other organization, “will continue to sponsor Scout units for its congregations in the United States,” said spokesman Eric Hawkins. He does not expect any to disband.
United Methodist Scouting officials, the BSA’s second-largest sponsor, are continuing to support the BSA after the vote, along with other youth organizations.
The National Catholic Committee on Scouting said it hopes to maintain a relationship with BSA but will be conferring with bishops and diocesan Scouting committees about how the policy change will affect their activities. The committee noted: “Open and avowed homosexuals promoting and engaging in homosexual conduct are not living lives consistent with Catholic teaching.”
Some individuals, on the other hand, already say they are going rather than grappling.
“As of now, I will no longer associate myself with the Boys Scouts and would work to promote the creation of Columbian Squires with every Knights of Columbus Council,” said Albert Bryson, a local leader of the Catholic fraternal group in Parkesburg, Pa., referring to a Scout-like group it sponsors.
“Our family are evangelical Christians,” said Mari LaCom, who attends a congregation of the Evangelical Free Church near Chatsworth, Calif., and expects her son will no longer pursue the rank of Eagle Scout.
“This is the reason our church will no longer be chartering our troop or have Scout Sundays. What do gay Boy Scouts grow up to be? Gay Boy Scout leaders.”
But religious supporters of the BSA vote say they are celebrating — and expecting more progressive congregations to sponsor Scout troops — while holding out hope that the Scouts eventually will approve gay leaders.
GLAAD logo courtesy GLAAD
This image available for Web publication. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.
“It’s a good message to say youth are youth and can be involved with Scouting, and the difficult part is does someone suddenly become immoral and unable to serve once they turn 18?” asked Ross Murray, director of news and faith initiatives for the pro-gay organization GLAAD.
The BSA did not see that as an immediate agenda item: “There are no plans for further review on this matter,” it said, noting it did not want to “be consumed by a single, divisive, and unresolved societal issue.”
The Rev. Mike Schuenemeyer, the United Church of Christ’s executive minister for gay and lesbian concerns, said he expects more UCC congregations to get involved in Scouting. But he hopes houses of worship with less progressive stances also will continue their Scouting support.
“I think that Scouting is big enough for everyone and I think it’s big enough for people who are conservative to remain in the program as well,” he said.
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17 Comments
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A. Boog
Nobody of any real faith should allow their boys to join.
It is beyond time to take a stand.
Bobg
So now it will be necessary to supervise bathrooms to make sure that same sex attracted youth are not propositioning the normally sexually attracted boys. And as for the hope of same sex attracted leaders, look what happened to the Catholic church when it did not restrict same sex attracted priests, according the John Jay School of Criminal law study 80% of priest sexual acting out was between priests and post pubescent males. And BSA wants to repeat that stupidity? We should respect people but be honest and say some behaviors are appropriate and some are not.
Bobg
The link to a discussion about the John Jay Study I was referring to..
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/john-jay-study-undermined-by-its-own-data/
Ted
My son will definitely not join the boy scouts now! They are going to the dogs! Too bad -
Bobg
So some will say this is not about permitting behavior change in the scouts but it is about permitting those who openly acknowledge they have same sex attraction to be enrolled in the scouts. And I can imagine many scouts who are trying to get a good night’s sleep in their scout tents, being suddenly awakened by the smell of a camel with it’s nose just getting inside with incredibly bad breath!! The truth being that the Catholic church, of which I am a member, respects all people, including those with same sex attraction but it is clear that some acts are morally wrong. So now how do the scouts admit youth who acknowledge same sex attraction but yet still teach that these acts are morally wrong if the attractions are acted on? And how do the scouts think the “homosexual activists” will react if the scouts try to set limits on behaviors? We Christians are told to be “wise as serpents” and sadly we must realize that we will never please those who want to hold onto their sins and we put ourselves at risk if we try to compromise with them. I think the scouts would have taken more heat if they had said we will allow those who struggle with same sex attractions but we we will be clear with them that we consider those behaviors to not be “morally straight” and those behaviors will not be permitted by scouts under any circumstances.
Isaac
It is unfortunate that the book you base so many of your beliefs in, is only a collection of lies and suppositions with no factual basis. But don’t take my word for it, look it up for yourself.
Martin
Isaac – what book are you referring to? If it’s the bible you are referring to – there are quite a bit more documents besides the bible that show Jesus was real. It is a historical fact. Take your own advice and look it up for yourself.
Oldscore
@Isaac – what book? The Bible? The Bible is a collection of books. So, already your lack of knowledge shows. If you wish to assert that the Bible is a “collection of lies and suppositions” then you need to prove that, which, as expected, you have not done.
But, you ask that I have faith in YOUR word. Ummm…….no.
Good luck living without Truth.
You’re like the coyote in the old Roadrunner cartoons that runs off a cliff but doesn’t realize it until he puts his hand down through the dust cloud and finds the ground lacking – except you haven’t done that part yet.
When you do, you might just find out how silly you look.
Bobg
And it doesn’t take the Bible to know same sex behaviors are wrong. A basic lesson in reproductive human biology should show the meaning and purpose of the human sexual organs and same sex just doesn’t work!
Anonymous
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Julia
Why don’t they just go the whole hog and have scouts mixed sex.
Lets face it, if you put homo’s in with the group, you might as well be putting girls in, and tarty ones at that.
I wonder how long it will take the progressive parents to work that one out. LOL
Gary Sellars
Perhaps the many Christians who have been told “we like perverts more than you and your God” will form a new organization and name it, “Real Boy Scouts of America.”
This is nothing but an orchestrated move by perverts. Boys of an age to enter the Boy Scouts (11) are NOT sexually perverted unless they’ve been molested by a homosexual child molester or come from an ungodly family.
This is just one of the multitude of evidences that perverts will never be content until they can have sex without repercussions with any child they want, anywhere they want.
bthomas
I am an Eagle Scout. I am thankful for the experience of Scouting. The BSA corporate body has decided to debauch Scouting. I will no longer support Scouting. I will not vote for my local church to continue its support of the local troop. They are welcome to go elsewhere. Sad. But actions have consequences. And the actions of corporate Scouting will now produce consequences that will have to be faced by those who lead Scouting at the local level. Had the representatives had sufficient backbone to stand up and refuse to be forced by homosexual activist to accommodate their agenda, Boy Scouts would have retained the support of the overwhelming majority of members, etc. The homosexuals are not interesting in supporting Boy Scouting. They are only interested in using the BSA as a tool to advance their agenda. That is all.
Matt
It’s so wonderful to see the bigoted christian institutions being torn apart finally. Hopefully in the next few years the Scouts will come to their senses and allow the gays to lead as well. The archaic books that the christians follow are so full of holes and hypocrisy that it is bound to be left in the footnotes of mythology. This is the dawning of a new age of reason and understanding that must be nurtured so that one day all men will truly be viewed as equals here in the states. Maybe one the atheist will also be allowed to join the Boy Scouts as well.
Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law.
-Thomas Jefferson