PT, I value your opinions quite a bit but I think you are being a bit unreasonable here. I didn't say anything about wanting to make sure kids get to grind genitals and most homosexuals don't just wander around trying to grind genitals with everyone they see of their chosen sex. How very uncharacteristic a remark that was and I find it to be, frankly, blatantly homophobic.
I have a problem with an organization that refuses membership to some because of personal traits. I would like to be as nondiscriminatory as I can while raising my son and having him join an organization that requires behavior like this is wrong:
Quote:
The Boy Scouts of America's position is that atheists and agnostics cannot participate as Scouts (youth members) or Scouters (adult leaders). According to the Bylaws of the BSA, Declaration of Religious Principle:
"The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God.* In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, ‘On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law.’ The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members."[2]
During the membership application process and as a requirement to obtain membership, youths and adults are required to subscribe to the precepts of the Declaration of Religious Principle and to agree to abide by the Scout Oath and Law, which include the words, "do my duty to God" and "reverent". *Youths are also required to repeat the Scout Oath and Law periodically after being accepted as Scouts. The BSA believes that atheists and agnostics are not appropriate role models of the Scout Oath and Law for boys, and thus will not accept such adults as leaders.
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Boy Scouts of America believes that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the obligations in the Scout Oath and Scout Law to be morally straight and clean in thought, word, and deed. The conduct of youth members must be in compliance with the Scout Oath and Law, and membership in Boy Scouts of America is contingent upon the willingness to accept Scouting’s values and beliefs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy_Scouts ... troversies*emphasis mine.
I got this from WIki, but I also when directly to the BSA site and got the exact same info from there.
Also. The things that you call my political codes have nothing whatsoever to do with politics. Its about what I consider right and wrong. While I consider it
wrong to believe in god, I do, however, make efforts to have friends that do believe in god, as belief in god is not on the application for my friendship; same goes with homosexuality.
Considering that we are a family of atheists, who happens to have friends of both heterosexual and homosexual persuasions makes it difficult for me to condone a organizational relationship that makes rules, as part of its membership qualifications, that if you are gay or if you don't believe in god you cannot be of their group.
Having fun and remaining part of the same bigoted status quo of this world are too different things. As you well know, scouting is a huge deal and takes up large amounts of time. Seeing as how my son is my own, I believe it is my right and responsibility to provide him with a sound moral upbringing. One that doesn't preach the belief in magical creatures granting wishes and one that doesn't just not allow someone in the "group" because they may or may not like the same sex. Luckily, as his parent I get to chose, just as you, if you have children, may chose to teach them to believe in magical creatures that grant wishes.
I apologize for being on my soap box about this and I not wish to lose your camaraderie. But I also am constantly being assailed because I dare not believe in God and I am sick and tired of it. The things I teach my son are on a level that he can understand. He knows what a homosexual is and doesn't care at all. Same goes for an atheist, theist or agnostic. He's not stupid and I don't condescend him when I speak to him.
Catherine, cutting off my finger the day before school was to start here kinda threw my plans off track and mostly I've been in recovery mode for a while now. I am getting more able to function daily now and I have given the promise that I would let him try until the end of august (by the way, they started on Aug 8th). So we have another week to go and then we will have a family meeting to make the best decision possible for us all. [/code][/quote]
