ScoutParent

How does a merit badge opportunity day or university fit into the BSA plans if a troop working on 1 or 2 per year does not? If the district sponsored it; it would certainly seem these people would be familiar with the methods of scouting and advancement procedures. I wonder how they are helping the boys to develop if they are setting it all up for them. My son arranged a time with a local merit badge counselor to work on his citizenship badges; the counselor told him he preferred to work on them as a group so my son made a sign up sheet and announced it at the next meeting. The scouts that were interested signed up and they met with the counselor on their own time. Did he deprive younger scouts of the opportunity to contact the counselor themselves? They didn't feel that way and were ecstatic to earn the badges. The ones that did not keep track of their work and did not return it did not complete the badge and had a partial at the end of the time. When looking at the big looseleaf book youth leaders use to plan meetings, it is easy to see that meetings can be tied into merit badges. As Korea explained, a theme is planned with the meeting plans centered around the plan. If a troop merit badge counselor is on hand is there anything wrong with issuing a partial to the boys that pass the requirements? Does it force them to complete the rest of the badge to issue partial blue cards? Or does it give them something to work on in the future? Is summer camp counter productive to BSA goals and program methods? Why do they offer merit badge classes for more than one scout? How is this using the BSA methods? I think we all agree that meetings are not meant to be merit badge classes all the time or even a majority of the time but use some common sense...if the boys want to work on a couple badges a year that is something they should be able to plan into the meeting time without thinking they are flushing the program.

The unbiased viewpoint is to look at what the requirements for adult leadership are and to see if this individual is complying. He is not in compliance with the religious declarations requirement. As far as the Eagle Rank, it is been recinded from individuals in the past. It is a matter between the individual and the BSA. If the adults that sat on the board did not follow the rules, that needs to be dealt with too. What I find interesting is that this man acknowledges that the organization gave him something to do every night of the week, kept him from undesireable activities, helped develop his character, etc and yet he still wants to destroy that for which it stands.

Is the school board aware of this practice? Do you have a PTO/A; maybe they could address this situation. I would certainly find a forum to make sure the other parents are aware of this and start taking some steps to get it changed.

"Mainly it is very clear that Boy Scouting is not for every boy. There are other organizations out there that do reach out to all kids. I'm not even going to pretend I can change Boy Scouting at any level, regardless of if it is being done right or wrong." Sctmom, what organizations are you referring to and what changes would you like to see?

For those that believe in evolution and believe in Christ, what was the purpose of his coming? Why was he crucified and why did he rise? I know what I believe, I'm asking you what you believe.

TJ writes: "In your role as a Scout leader, can we really expect someone with your demonstrable zeal to refrain from "saving" the children in your care who are "lost" because they believe in evolution? How about if a 16 year old Scout in your troop reveals that he is gay? Would you feel compelled to "interfere with how that family is raising it's children"?" Lots of questions in there, TJ. okay as a scout leader I could refrain from discussing particular religious ideas. Just as I must when leading a group through a program our town government supports or as I must in the secular school system. If a 16 year old Scout revealed he was gay, I would refer him to his parents and their clergy. I would also take the appropriate steps mandated by BSA. I didn't realize that families are raising their children to be gay. That is sad to me. Now could I ask the same of you: If a 16 year old scout revealed he was gay, would you abide by the BSA policy? If a boy witnessed his Christian beliefs, would you be respectful to his right to do so? As I recall you state your particular views on the rights of gays to particpate in BSA quite strongly. Do you act on that in ways that are contrary to BSA policies?

NJ Writes: "So ScoutParent, let me ask you this: If evolution is "an engine of evil," is a person who believes that evolution takes place, an evil person?" No, not really. More a person that has lost his way. NJ then writes: "And on a slightly different note, please answer me this. If a person professes a belief in God, or what they call God, but also believes that the Bible is of entirely human origin, and that it is, in whole or in part, allegorical and/or fictitious, should that person be permitted to be a Scout leader?" As you have repeatedly stated, BSA is nonsectarian.

Read these quotes from scientists that promote evolution and begin investigating the "evidence" for evolution on your own: "No rational order of divine intelligence unites species. The natural ties are genealogical along contingent pathways of history." Stephen Jay Gould "I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created parasitic wasps with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of Caterpillars." (p. 479) Charles Darwin "I am a strong advocate for free thought on all subjects, yet it appears to me (whether rightly or wrongly) that direct arguments against christianity & theism produce hardly any effect on the public; & freedom of thought is best promoted by the gradual illumination of men's minds, which follow from the advance of science. It has, therefore, been always my object to avoid writing on religion, & I have confined myself to science. I may, however, have been unduly biassed by the pain which it would give some members of my family, if I aided in any way direct attacks on religion." (p. 645) Charles Darwin "No one who has lived in the world as long as you & I have, can entertain the pious delusion that it is engineered upon principles of benevolence... the cosmos remains always beautiful and profoundly interesting in every corner--and if I had as many lives as a cat I would leave no corner unexplored." (p. 588) -- Thomas H. Huxley "We are here because one odd group of fishes had a peculiar fin anatomy that could transform into legs for terrestrial creatures; because the earth never froze entirely during an ice age; because a small and tenuous species, arising in Africa a quarter of a million years ago, has managed, so far, to survive by hook and by crook. We may yearn for a 'higher' answer---but none exists." [stephen Jay Gould, quoted in 2000 Years of Disbelief, Famous People with the Courage to Doubt, by James A. Haught, Prometheus Books, 1996] "Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose." (Dawkins, Richard [Atheist, Zoologist, and Professor for the Public Understanding of Science, Oxford University], "The Blind Watchmaker," [1986], Penguin: London, 1991, reprint, p.1)

Tolerance: "The endurance of the presence or actions of objectionable persons, or of the expression of offensive opinions; toleration." Obviously you hold a different understanding of the meaning of the word tolerance than I do. Does it mean that I would harm another with different view points? No. Does it mean that I would interfere with how a family raises it's children? No. Does it mean that I have a right to my belief in God as creator and Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior? Yes. Does it mean I have a right to voice that? Yes. As a Christian, I can not say my God because to me there is only ONE GOD and I can not say that he sent his son to change things several thousand years later because I know that JESUS was with God in the beginning and I believe in the Holy Trinity. I can say, in good conscience that Evolution is an engine of evil because I see that God tells us anything taking the glory for his creations is evil. I see that God tells us that he made it, how he made it and when he made it.

Kind of curious why believers of evolution like to quote atheist web sites and atheist scientists. How about the 100 scientists who signed a document indicating the problems with theories of evolution.

Bob, I agree that he did use the forum (as Zorn) for ideas that I personally find awful but I do not feel contempt as much as pity. It can not be a happy person that would state things Zorn as stated. I would suggest everyone that can add him to their prayers.

or are you yaworski's wife just riling people up or yaworski's son with your own views, or the neighbor kid using his computer without his knowlege? or Someone who sent him a virus in order to hijack his IP?

Well I hope that Zorn is not actually Yaworski. Maybe someone hijacked his IP or it is a neighbor kid. A couple people post from our computer under their own names so I know it is possible.

i've tried turkey spam--bought it for family camping trip our son was thrilled to fry it up for his parents the sandwiches were actually good

The theory of evolution is not an explanation that can claim to have been subjected to empirical testing or critical observation. The evidence is seen through the eyes of those faithful to Darwin and the absense of God in the creation of the world and all within it. In the zeal to continue the idiocy of macroevolution, evidence for previous forms of man include a pig tooth, a dig that held parts of chimps and man, living aboriginals killed and displayed, etc. For one to compare it to other fields of science is absurd; evolution is much closer to a religion because the only basis one can accept it on is faith. There is not now nor has there been any empirical data available because it does not happen. Because the evolutionists tell you that man evolved from one celled organisms does not make it data, does not show critical evaluation. Ask yourself where are the intermediary fossils, the laboratory simulations, the experimentation that proves these statements of their faith in evolution. How many of us understand the concepts of quantum physics easily? Read a little about quantum physics and tell me that the dimensions we understand easily are the only ones that exist. Evolutionists claim that those that follow God and Jesus can believe in evolution without conflict. That statement alone should alert a Christian to stand up and take note. If the bells don't go off with that one look at the fruits of evolutionary theory: legalized abortion, infantcide, genocide, gene enhancement, cloning, etc. Check out the ideas of Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood,eugenicist, and evolutionist or Peter Singer, bioethicist and evolutionist. The list is long and results have been devastating to entire groups of people thought by some to have inferior genes. FirstPusk debates by claiming a lack of understanding of the ideas for people that disagree with the theories he espouses but when challenged to a biology test to set that idea to rest, he runs. Evolution is not science and to disbelieve evolution does not put any valid advances in jeopardy. It is simply using the big brains God gave you to see the false religion that is being perpetrated on the world at large.

Have a family campout and then hand out the Troop Resource Survey found in the program book. That will start the ball rolling with adults thinking of how they can help. Make sure the sm talks about the fun he has with the scouts when recruiting help and not the down side. Post an address for the church under a new thread so people on this site can donate scout items they don't need anymore. We have at least one shirt and merit badge books my son won't need anymore.

"Evolution works by selecting the better adapted individual in a population. The cell reproduces by dividing. Over time a population of these individual cells survive better when they remain connected in a colony. A small step, but one that indicates greater complexity. And this is exactly the kind of thing we find when we go back to the most ancient forms." Could you be a little more specific? It's a pretty big leap from that small step to us. Why does bacteria remain bacteria in all laboratory experiments conducted? Of course they were trying to simulate evolution with the fruit fly. The fruit fly is the perfect candidate because of quickly they reproduce. The fact is harmful mutations occur in many species and of course those cause dysgenisis not evolution. Beneficial mutations are the pipe dream of a lessening number of die hard evolutionists. Evolution has never passed any tests and has not been even close to being substantiated. Pig teeth, aboriginal heads (used as missing link), arthritic human remains( used as human predecessors) do not a theory make. A false religion, yes, but not a theory.

"Evolution explains the diversity of life after its appearance. The formulation you present is the classic creationist technique of redefining the term, in this case evolution, into something it is not." Okay, lets try this, please explain how a one cell creature became more complex. Let's see, why is that after applying radiation to fruit flies to stimulate the evolutionary process, the best scientists can come up with is a fruit fly with an extra set of useless wings that render the fly incapable of flying or supporting itself?

Ed, while I understand your concern about setting precedents, you have to understand that it wasn't really a dispute about the CO owning assets. The troop had a long established history of transferring scout accounts. This SM arbitrarily decided to change the rules without notifying any scouts. We had many many papers from the troop to prove it. Additionally, the sm didn't file any unit money earning applications, misrepresented facts under oath(we had papers to prove it) and showed his true character. Hopefully the precedent that was set was to behave in a manner consistent with scouting and to exemplify the ideals we try to teach the boys.

Eisely, do you prefer Barq's or IBC? After a hearing and reviewing the evidence presented by their lawyer and by myself, a magistrate ruled in favor of our son. He was awarded the money that he earned.

"Why do you need to know what church I go to? If you need to know it, I will tell you." I really don't; it just happens to be the thread we've been responding to and since you're a proponent of evolution rather than creation, the question applies to you. Don't forget the biology test segment of the challenge.

Zorn, this thread is about how your particular religion plays into your ideas on the origin of man. By it's very nature, it requires discussion of our individual religious beliefs. What are yours? How do they influence your ideas on the subject? KWC, I don't really understand the implications of your posts. First, I did not make any assumptions of your knowledge of the bible or of your beliefs. Second, to believe the bible is the word of God does not elevate it higher than Christ. Third, I appreciate your advice on studying the bible. I pray for wisdom and understanding each time I read the bible. I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, he is my Lord and Savior! Rooster, your post was as always well thought out and stated better than I could. Thanks. FirstPusk, you can't repeatedly question someone's understanding of a topic because they disagree with you and then feign emotions because they challenge you to tests of your own understanding on that topic. What denomination are you a lay minister in that advocates evolution?

What are you referring to in this part of your post? "My suggestion is to quit reading popular books and delve into the Word under the teaching of respected scholars of the Bible."

The cambrian explosion, lack of speciation in the last 150 years since the theory of evolution was proposed, DNA evidence that suggests common ancestory, etc all contradict the theory of evolution. It very clearly states that God created each plant with seeds inside unto it's own kind. It also clearly states that He created animals unto their own kind. Your answer to why the scientists think the earth is one age and is actually not is in the Bible too. Take an evening and start reading it. You'll be amazed how many of these questions it answers directly.

Science is a man made construct to attempt to explain things. Why would God's creation NEED to be explained by science? Read the Bible and then make science fit into that--not vice versa.