Trail Life.........

[Horizon]

 

Yes you could, and I think some BSA Units are like that. I don't see how that really serves the boy that would benefit the most, though.

 

Agreed - I was submitting based on the desire to have everyone refer to Scripture to reconcile issues. If you want to reduce the interpretation issues, keep to your own congregation.

 

I personally don't follow that, nor would I want to - but it is an option in the BSA. You don't have to go to Trail's Life to keep theologically pure - just restrict membership to members of your COR.

[King Ding Dong]

I don't think that Trail Life is purposely excluding non-Evangelical Christians. They do' date=' however, tend to present themselves in a way that gives Catholics, and presumably Orthodox as well, concerns about the religious nature of the program. They are probably not even aware that they're doing it.[/quote'] The whole trinity thing is way over my pay grade so I can't explain it but there have been several discussions on this board about how TL words their view of the trinity and that excludes Mormans from leadership positions.

[AlamanceScouter]

Heh' date=' heh, I had a Baptist minister once inform me that there are so many Baptist churches and flavors of Baptist because they can't agree on much - every little spat caused another split and a new flavor. I really liked that guy.[/quote'] As a lifelong Baptist I can assure you that sentiment is correct.

[nextgenscouter1]

TwoBlocked I'm Russian Christian Orthodox. I am actually very curios seeing how many Baptist I've come across, will say that I'm not a Christians since we "Worship" Mary, and that we pray to pictures/statues.

Frankly not meaning to be mean, but unless the BSA takes a huge membership loss, TL will never be competition to the BSA.

[packsaddle]

Nextgenscouter1, I've heard similar things as well from Methodists, Presbyterians, and other Protestant flavors. EVERYONE seems to think THEY have the one and only truth. I guess they ALL could be right, lol.

 

Technically, if TL only recruits one boy away from BSA, they are competition by definition. Not that I think TL will 'harm' BSA. I think that if TL survives, they will be a 'niche' program. But I wish them success. They have made a bold effort and they deserve credit for it.

[TwoBlocked]

Nextgenscouter1 & Packsaddle:

 

What TL or BSA or any other organizations says and what any individual member believes, and even how such a member acts can be very different things. But where the "rubber meets the road" is how the leaders interact with the boys.

 

I have the same pride about my own righteousness that everyone else has. Isiah called it what it really is: a stinking rag in the nostrils of God. I remind myself that it is only God's Grace that makes my, or anyone else's worship acceptable. Sometimes it humbles me, for a while...

 

The idea of BSA and TL being in competition asks the question of what are we competing for? Popularity? Membership numbers? The feeling of being "right"? Hey, if the focus is on serving the boys, we are not competing. We are on the same team.

 

I really value this discussion. These sort of points will be coming up as I talk to people directly, and I haven't really got it all sorted out yet. THANKS!

[packsaddle]

I took the attitude many years ago that I am not playing the 'competition' game. I devote all of my time and energy to the unit and the boys in it. BSA and the fat, bloated-salary superstructure of the organization can worry about revenue and declining numbers to support their top-heavy bulk. I don't. To me the competition occurs among administrators who, in reality, are percentage parasites - more concerned about maintaining the status quo of their parasitic careers than anything else.

Also...have a nice day!