Just go join Spiral Scouts

[Hunt]

Actually, BSA has very few membership requirements when compared to other religious organizations.

[erickelly65]

I know that throughout the US a lot of people still never leave their State boundaries...

 

You KNOW that do you?

[Slouchhat]

I know that throughout the US a lot of people still never leave their State boundaries...

 

You KNOW that do you?

 

 

Well, I don't mean those who cross from New Jersey into New York twice per day. Do they still issue the Federal almanach or whatever your statistical yearbook is called? It's all in there.

 

 

[erickelly65]

Well heck, if its written down somewhere, it must be true.

[erickelly65]

(This message has been edited by erickelly65)

[Slouchhat]

You probably will be able to confirm it from some governmental website, too, unless you prefer to believe that your own government is forging statistics just because you don't want to believe...cool.

But nevertheless, let's get on with the BSA and their right to discriminate.

[Gold Winger]

"Well, I still find it somewhat hard to believe that a private organisation can discriminate as much as it wants. If that's what they supposedly can, they could also exclude Blacks, Hispanics, Indians, etc. That, I find highly strange and, forgive me, not very American."

 

Freedom of association is one of our freedoms.

 

There are groups that discrinate against whites. There are groups that discriminate against Catholics.

 

There are groups that discrinate against whites. There are groups that discriminate against Catholics.

 

I understand that in the UK books may be banned. That is very strange to me.

 

I find it strange that a German can't dress up like Hitler if he wants.

 

 

And yes, many Americans never leave their county, let alone their state.

[Slouchhat]

So you're basically telling me that the majority of BSA members either doesn't care what their organisation does or thinks that discrimination is a good thing.

 

I'm impressed.

 

Let me quote from the BSA website directly:

 

FRIENDLY

A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other Scouts. He seeks to understand others. He respects those with ideas and customs other than his own.

 

Could it be that many BSA members seem not to be much interested in the Scout law and being a brother to all and respecting other ideas and customs?

 

Did I overlook the paragraph about discrimination?

[kadiera]

Slouchhat:

 

The thing to keep in mind about "America" on the whole is that we're very good at taking the easy way out (whether because we're lazy, or over worked, or just because it doesn't make the neighbors think you're crazy).

 

Or, more to Lisabob's original point:

 

Let's say you have a son of Cub Scout age, and you don't agree with the BSA's current stances. Your options are to put him in Cub Scouts, where most of his friends are and where there are already leaders and resources in place, OR to join some other organization, which in all likelihood means starting a brand new troop, since most of the other options out there aren't as widely spread.

 

Not joining BSA takes a ton of extra work. Justifying that extra work means you *really* need to have strong objections to some of the things they do. If you only sort of disagree, but don't see that it might impact you personally, joining BSA is by far the most easy route for you and your child.

[erickelly65]

You probably will be able to confirm it from some governmental website, too, unless you prefer to believe that your own government is forging statistics just because you don't want to believe...cool.

But nevertheless, let's get on with the BSA and their right to discriminate.

 

What the heck are you talking about. So far, you've substantiated nothing you've said other then its in some "Federal almanach" or on "some governmental website". You dont get to make sweeping generalizations and leave it up to others disprove it.

 

Now, if you have read much of anything I have written on this forum about the issue of homosexuality, you'd know I think the BSA should reconsider its stance with regard to membership.

 

I do disagree your assertion that this represent oppressive discriminition and your whole melodramatic "they came for the Gays" speech is just ridiculous. That just doesnt fit here.

 

This is about freedom of association. The BSA has a right to set its membership policies. There are many views on how this should be handled.

There are those that think the program should keep its stance on gays, some that would like to see it changed but stayed in BSA and others that may have left.

 

It drives me nuts when people build their argument and view on the fallacious foundation of "what I think is right" so anyone that disagrees with me must do so because they are: "simple-minded", or so backwards as to never have left their "State boundaries", or don't care about discrimination, or......

 

Come up with some real reasons why the program should change....not name-calling. (I know there are some because I agree that policy should change.)

[Gold Winger]

"A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other Scouts. He seeks to understand others. He respects those with ideas and customs other than his own."

 

I'm sure that you Scout organization has a similar stance. Would you accept someone in your organization that supported the return of the Nazi party?

 

 

[CA_Scouter]

"The US was founded on religious freedom, while the BSA practices religious discrimination. "

 

What religions does the BSA discriminate against? Unless atheisism is a religism. ( don't bother responding Merlyn, its just a play on words ).

 

"The BSA is not at all in line with the beliefs and practices the USA was founded on. "

 

The BSA is not in line with SOME of the beliefs and practices the USA was founded upon. I submit the BSA is in line with MOST of the beliefs and practices the USA was founded upon. However, the BSA is not at all in line with the beliefs and practices the United States of Merlyn was founded on.

 

 

Volker, your points are all well taken and spot on in most circumstances, especially FRIENDLY. However, your quote "So you're basically telling me that the majority of BSA members either doesn't care what their organisation does or thinks that discrimination is a good thing. " tends to paint everyone with a pretty wide brush. As discussed in other active posts, we all don't all necessarily agree with BSA policy 100%, BUT we find a lot of good within the organization that is worthwhile.

 

 

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

(This message has been edited by a staff member.)

[kadiera]

CA_Scouter, I'd say that the BSA *does* discriminate against Wiccans and other Pagan faiths, given that the BSA won't approve a religious emblem for wearing on uniform the way that other religions have.

[Merlyn_LeRoy]

CA_Scouter writes, quoting me:

"The US was founded on religious freedom, while the BSA practices religious discrimination. "

 

What religions does the BSA discriminate against? Unless atheisism is a religism. ( don't bother responding Merlyn, its just a play on words ).

 

No, I will bother responding. Discrimination against atheists is "religious discrimination".

 

Discriminating against someone who is single is discrimination on the basis of marital status, even though they aren't married.

 

"The BSA is not at all in line with the beliefs and practices the USA was founded on. "

 

The BSA is not in line with SOME of the beliefs and practices the USA was founded upon. I submit the BSA is in line with MOST of the beliefs and practices the USA was founded upon.

 

Hey, so's the KKK.