Churches move to cut ties to Scouts after gay policy change

Washington Post ^ | 06/04/2013 | Bob Smietana

[SeekAndFind]

For the Rev. Ernest Easley, the decision to cut ties with the Boy Scouts was simple.

The Bible says homosexuality is a sin. The Boy Scouts do not.

“We are not willing to compromise God’s word,” said Easley, pastor of the 2,300-member Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., which has sponsored Boy Scout Troop 204 since 1945.

Easley, chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention’s executive committee, said his church will shut down its troop at end of the year because of a recently adopted policy to allow openly gay scouts. He’s urging other Baptists to do the same.

Roswell Street is one of the first churches to cut ties with the Scouts over the new policy. Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, a 23,000-member megachurch, has also announced plans to shut down its troop. Other critics of the new policy, which doesn’t take effect until January 2014, are taking a wait-and-see approach.

The Southern Baptist Convention, whose 3,981 Scout troops make it the BSA’s sixth-largest religious sponsor, plans to address the issue at its annual meeting in Houston, June 11-12. About 70 percent of Scout troops are chartered by a faith-based group.

Deron Smith, a spokesman for the Boy Scouts, said the organization will help troops that have lost their church sponsors to find new homes. He said the new policy fits the beliefs of most religious groups that sponsor troops.

“This policy reaffirms that doing one’s ‘duty to God’ is absolutely explicit and one of the fundamental principles of Scouting and states that sexual conduct by any Scout, heterosexual or homosexual, is contrary to the virtues of Scouting,” he said in an e-mail.

The Scouts’ two largest religious sponsors, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the United Methodist Church, both said they intend to remain involved

[little jeremiah]

The victory is already complete. Within a short time, openly “gay” Scout Leaders will be allowed. Guaranteed. And no one in the BS or their parents, or volunteers, will be allowed to utter one word against the “gay” life. That is also guaranteed. While the “gay” crap will be open and loud.

[NonValueAdded]

Yeah, Jesus had nothing to do with the "bad" sort of people, did he? He ran away and didn't try to minister to them, didn't he?

This was a decision at the highest level by a minority of leaders. Are your local troops any less today then they were yesterday? Did the scouts in your troop suddenly turn gay? So it is time to cut and run? Throw it all away because the activists scored a small victory?

Scouting needs the church more than ever now. Did you ever consider this might be part of His plan to bring those troubled youth into a place where they could be shown the True Way?

[little jeremiah]

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Some people on the thread think that there is no need to get out of the BSA - keep the good with the bad, be a good influence, etc.

This is totally the wrong attitude, unless it veils an acceptance of homosexuality. The homos will rule the BSA, and everyone will shut up -- or even be forced to vocally support homosexual behavior, as everyone in the DOJ must, as silence is now taken to mean the homophobia evil of "disapproval".

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[righttackle44]

He said the new policy fits the beliefs of most religious groups that sponsor troops.

Interesting that Gibbon said that one of the signs of the fall of the Roman Empire was the decay, not the decline of religion.

For those homosexual apologists on FR who are troubled that Roswell Street Baptist Church is dumping it's Boy Scout program, then they should also know that, in the New Testament, there is a thing that can be practiced call withdrawing fellowship. That is what Roswell Street church is doing.

Also interesting that the pro-homosexual lobby charging into to battle with their short-swords drawn screaming, "Love the center, hate the Sin!" are up against a difficult wall found in Chapter One of Romans. Verse 18 and following describe a society under the judgment of God. One of the symptoms of God's judgment is homosexuality, found in Verses 26 and 27.

But here's the point I wanted to make. In verse 28, Paul says that God gives the unredeemed people in that judged society over to a depraved mind--that is, they are incapable of understanding Truth. They reject it. Also in a judged society, there are a number of characteristics of people in a condemned society including murder, strife, deceit, envy, and practicing things that they understand are worthy of spiritual death, but they go ahead and practice them anyway. (Hence the reason for homosexual guilt. They understand that it is one of the things that signify spiritual death, but they go ahead and practice it anyway.)

Then there is the matter of the haters-of-God, found in verse 30. The Greek word so translated is theotugeis. My son did research on the word. In virtually every other time the word is used in other Greek literature usage from the time of Homer, he found that the word actually means God-hated.

At the very least, those who want to defend homosexual behavior on the basis of Hate-the-sin-love-the-sinner seem to be on very shaky ground. Because in a society that is under the judgment of God, homosexuals are listed among groups of people who may be hated by God, depending upon which Greek language authority you wish to agree with.

Argue theology or ignorance all day. If you somehow wish to defend homosexuality and their sin, you may be defending people who are hated-by-God.
Now, for those offended by my point, your argument is not really with me. Your argument is with the authority of Holy Scripture. And no, I don't think this belongs if some religious part of the forum. It was raised here, the discussion belongs here.

[little jeremiah]

Jesus didn’t teach those who refused to listen to him, and from now on, the fags will rule the BSA. Either you have no clue about the goals and tactics of homosexuals and homosexual agenda pushers, and/or minimize the dangesr of same, or you think it’s fine to let boys be influenced by faggots.

[CodeToad]

“”The Bible says homosexuality is a sin. The Boy Scouts do not.”
Actually, the Bible says that homosexual behavior is a sin. “

“Homosexuality” = “homosexual behavior”.

[caww]

Can you not truly see the difference? Those people are coming in to ‘overcome’ their additions. The homosexuals didn’t fight this to have your help...rather to force you to accept them and their sexual behavior. You may very well be arrested for calling it what it is if you try and change their behavior.

Churches do not need to be careful....this has gone far beyond the “careful” mode. You yourself said we are to “seek out” the lost....God never said bring them into the fellowship of the believers (church).

[caww]

I do believe some posting here haven’t a clue about the homosexual agenda, the practice of homosexuality and what that entails...nor how God views people who practice this AND that they encourage others to do so.

Certainly they lack understanding of the “danger” or they wouldn’t be trying so hard to find “compromise” on that which God does not compromise. Another case of people putting everything else above the safety of children.

[The Unknown Republican]

If sinner is a brother or sister in Christ who refuses to turn from that sin, 1 Corinthians 5 states we are to turn that person out. We are not to continue associating with such a person. The goal is always restoration of the sinner, but we cannot remain in fellowship with a open and unrepentent sinner...it would be tacit approval of the behavior.

[texas_mrs]

The left has gone from expecting us to tolerate homosexuality to demanding that we celebrate it.

[madprof98]

Doesn’t this still apply?

Yes and no. The new rule is to run and get someone to help . . . take the photos.

[WiLdAtHeArT30]

I completely agree with you, caww. However, I think there is a problem with the double-standard that I see in a lot of posters on FR - namely that if someone is caught in ANY sin except for homosexuality, there seems to be a program in the church to help them through it towards healing or deliverance, or whatever it is that denomination teaches. Alcoholism, drug addiction, lying, gluttony, dishonoring your mom and dad, and heterosexual sex addiction... apparently a Christian can do any of these, multiple times (because they are “struggling with it”), and suffer through the cycle of sin-repent, sin-repent, and still be accepted by the church. But, by God, if you have a mental disorder that makes you lust after your same sex, you are banished and shunned from the church.

Those who are pushing for universal acceptance of “FLAMING” homosexuality, meaning forcing their mental disorder on the church in order for us to proclaim that God is suddenly OK with sin... I’m with you! They should not be accepted as part of the church (although I think they should be considered a very challenging mission-field).

If you read my post, I think it was an honest take on the situation. I don’t think it is wise to thoughtlessly shun anything that has to do with homosexuality. There are people who are suffering from what up until recently was considered a mental disorder, who need spiritual counsel. I think most of them KNOW that it is wrong, but they jump into the agenda of ‘gay-rights’ because it is so much easier than fighting their disorder.

[DBeers]

Why is it OK to have Celebrate Recovery in a church - where people are getting help from all sorts of sinful addictions, but it’s not OK to have Scouts in the church, now that they allow homosexual boys in the dens?

Is it because homosexuality is worse than alcoholism or pornography or divorce?

When is the last time you heard of an adultery pride parade?

When did it become acceptable to encourage or at best just stand by without uttering a word of disagreement when it comes to children engaging in sexual activity ESPECIALLY self destructive and intrinsically disordered sexual activity that comprises homosexual sex?

This push into the BSA is all about imposing acceptance of evil upon children.

[freebird5850]

bflr

[stanne]

That’s right. Of the behavior, as you say.

[DBeers]

I don’t think it is wise to thoughtlessly shun anything that has to do with homosexuality.

Thoughtlessly? My actions are premised upon much thought and God's word -my well formed conscience. Everything that promotes homosexual sex is promoting evil.

[fwdude]

From the Florida Family Policy Council regarding defiant uniformed scouts and leaders marching in a "geh pride" parade in Utah:

And so it begins... And the really sad part is the BSA's National Leaders do not have the courage to pull these rebel troop's charters as they promised to enforce BSA's policy. They will just cower once again to gay activists. Afraid to cross them, they will turn a blind eye and allow them to continue defying BSA policy. The BSA has no idea how bad the legal and social repercussions will be of the can of worms they have opened up in changing their policy on open homosexuality. This is just an early "Exhibit A" as to why this was all a horrific mistake to inject sex and politics into the Boy Scouts.

[caww]

<....”if you have a ‘mental disorder’ that makes you lust after your same sex, you are banished and shunned from the church”....>

Well that's the problem...homosexuality is NOT a mental disorder....if anything I can assure you practicing it does CREATE mental disorders for many and a whole hosts of difficulties.

It is not a double-standard....most homosexuals in the church now are not there to change their choice of behavior...they are there to persuade you to accept them as they are...and many are there to do just that.

Just as we have physicians to treat illnesses so to are their medical doctors etc. who treat homosexuals or those who have been so twisted by our educational systems they don't know what to do or think. This is where they should get there help.

It is wrong to assume the church is positioned to treat homosexuals....or for that matter alcoholics or gluttons. All should be getting the professional help they need first and foremost.

.

[Magnum44]

I am not condoning the BSA decision by any means. I disagree with it. However, the policy is to not condone ANY inappropriate sexual behavior/misbehavior, whether it be hetero or homo in nature.

So I think people saying that BSA is now condoning gay lifestyle is incorrect, or an overstatement. I still think the decision was wrong and will have bad consequences for BSA.