Joe Gillespie

From reading the comments here, it would suggest that BSA's Declaration of Religious Principle, which among other things states that Scouting activities "shall be carried on under conditions which show respect to the convictions of others in matters of custom and religion" requires Scouting to allow adults holding any religious viewpoint to serve as a role model for youth. That does not follow. Just because an organization files for a federal income tax exemption as a religion does not make it bona fide. Although Scouts have a duty not to ridicule or belittle others due to their religious viewpoints, it does not mean that Scouting must accept any and all religious viewpoints. It means Scouts must show proper dignity and respect for others holding those viewpoints. BSA has a long tradition of interpreting the Scout Oath and Law as proscribing homosexual conduct as immoral and prohibiting adult leaders in Scouting from living a homosexual lifestyle. See BSA v. Dale: "homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the values embodied in the Scout Oath and Law, particularly with the values represented by the terms 'morally straight' and 'clean'" ... and "homosexuals do not provide a desirable role model for Scouts." 530 U.S. 640, 650-651. No world religion in orthodoxy, of which I am familiar, has affirmed homosexuality as moral conduct. Yes, in recent years, splinter groups of various churches have begun to welcome homosexuality. Scouting though does not need to agree with these religious viewpoints, but Scouts can respectfully disagree and show proper dignity for those who hold a different opinion. But that does not mean that Scouting must change its timeless values and traditions on the whim of the ebbs and flows of changing public opinion. The BSA National Executive Committee is not leading Scouting in the right direction. It is leading BSA down a path of secularism and relativism, which will leave the program without any values or integrity upon which to stand. The Scout Oath and Law will be meaningless or, at least in the manner now proposed, they will have whatever meaning each chartered organization wishes to attribute to them. There are fundamental truths revealed to us in the natural order that do not require interpretation by theologians to be recognized as truth. Scouting's policies recognized that truth, which has now been cast off. The Scouting program was founded in part in a belief in God, which means Scouting's fundamental base of support and membership is among the faithful. As society has become more secular, the answer is not to secularize Scouting. The answers is for Scouting to remain true to its tenets, even if it means fewer members. I fear that the recent change may mark the flight of Scouting's most faithful families, leaving a spiritually bankrupt program.

I honestly do not understand why BSA and so many posting here feel it is important for Scouting to permit homosexual adult leaders (or youth members for that matter). Assuming at best that LGBT persons represent 5 percent of the population, does this change in BSA policy represent a flood of new LGBT members to the program? Is the influx of new LGBT members really going to outweigh the flight of faithful families from various faith traditions who will no longer wish to be associated with BSA? Further, I think it's safe to assume that LGBT as a community is likely more secular than religious, as society at large has become more secular, and most world religions struggle with how to reconcile doctrine on homosexuality with being welcoming to LGBT churchgoers. Since Scouting supposedly has a foundation in a duty to God, I would expect the numbers of LGBT persons seeking membership to be diminutive at best. I remain very confused about what BSA expects to gain.