Posted on 03/19/2015 8:13:09 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The California Supreme Court has instituted a policy that prohibits state judges from participating in the Boy Scouts of America because it doesn't allow openly gay adults to become troop leaders.
Earlier this year the court voted unanimously to change the California Code of Judicial Ethics, removing an exemption allowing membership in youth organizations, such as the Boy Scouts, that it claims practice discrimination.
While the Boy Scouts voted in 2013 to lift its ban on openly gay youth members, it maintained its policy prohibiting openly gay adults from actively participating in troop activities or becoming troop leaders. The Christian Post contacted the Boy Scouts of America on Tuesday, but a spokesperson declined to comment on the California cout's decision.
Cathal Conneely, a spokesperson for the Judicial Council of California, provided CP with a statement about the court's actions.
"The proposed rule change was sent out for public comment last year, and the change was supported by the California Judges Association," reads the statement, in part. "The amended rule is now consistent with the American Bar Association's Model Code of Judicial Conduct. Judges will have until Jan. 21, 2016, to comply with the new rule."
Conneely added that "the court's action eliminated an exception for nonprofit youth organizations" in general, and not just the Boy Scouts.
"Of the 22 states with sexual orientation as a protected class, California was the only state with this type of exemption — it is now consistent with the other 21 states," Conneely told CP.
Richard D. Fybel, chair of the Supreme Court's Advisory Committee on the Code of Judicial Ethics, added in the statement released in January: "The only remaining exception to the general rule is membership in a religious organization."
"One other exception — belonging to a military organization — was eliminated as well, because the U.S. Armed Forces no longer restrict military service based on sexual orientation, continued "Fybel, who also serves as a justice on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
While first approved by the state supreme court in January, the changes to the code of conduct policy that effectively bans judges from participating in youth groups like the Boy Scouts has just recently garnered headlines.
In an article posted on Monday, National Public Radio covered the change and included protestations from some within the state judiciary over the change.
"I don't think that a person appearing in my court would think that I'm biased or unfair simply because I help my sons out in their Boy Scout troop," San Diego Judge Julia Kelety told NPR. "The issue is whether individual judges can choose in their private lives to be involved in an organization that has tremendous qualities and provides tremendous support for young people."
So, California says its judges are gay? I can't say that comes as a shock.
Bible-believeing Christians are being penned in more and more tightly.
Are judges also going to be prohibited from being members of the Catholic church for the same reason? Or (if the California Supreme Court wants to put their heads at risk) will they be prohibited from being Muslims?
The issue of gays in the Boy Scouts should have been used as a huge wedge issue by conservatives. The absurdity of the Boy Scouts being demonized over not allowing “gay” scoutmasters should have been shouted from the rooftops. This was a good “us vs them” issue and the so-called conservatives let it slip through their hands.
I think this is fabulous!! The problem is, it doesn’t go far enough, it needs to be greatly expanded in order to facilitate the non discrimination of homosexuals.
I propose we ban ALL Public Employees and Public Servants from having ANY Contact with ANY MOSQUE or Islamicist Organization of ANY KIND, solely because of their hatred for Homosexuals, and there are NO GAY IMAM’s
How could this conceivably be constitutional under the free speech and free exercise of religion clauses?
Since Westerners will not rule(or cannot)they will be ruled. Either fight or get used to it.
So, they are violating the state judges’ right of free association? That could get interesting.
As a traditional militant fundamentalist, I’m ready and willing to fight. the largest cohort of Bible-believing Christians are evanjellycals, for whom compromise has been the name of the game from the start. We are being compromised out of existence. Come, Lord Jesus.
This is a violation of Article VI, paragraph 3.
That whole “ Freedom of association” thing is so over rated.
Will they also ban judges from being practicing Catholics?
It is spiritual flaccidity which permeates our entire Western Civilization and by spiritual I do not mean only “The Old Time Religion.” As far as churches buying into sexual perversion at this time one can only offer St. Paul’s advice “Come out from among them.”
Uh...”Prior Restraint”?
“Freedom of Association”?
oh...but it’s more important to recruit and molest those NOT “born that way”.....
California Americas out house.
Trying to hang this on conservatives is a red herring...we tried.
The BSA willingly caved...conservatives of any stripe and for that matter, even members of the BSA had practically no say in the decision.
Yes, the BSA went through with the sham of a “vote” to change the policy, denoting that “membership” voted to change it, but it was anything but. All so that the National Board’s hands were “clean” in the matter...
~68% of the membership were against the policy change as shown in a couple of surveys, yet ~65% of the delegates voted to change it. It’s quite telling to anyone who has half a brain what the BSA did.
In our Council, they would not let local membership petition the selected delegates with positions/opinions on the matter. They had their marching orders and voted accordingly.
I saw this coming about 15 years ago when they included a “diversity” component in the Wood Badge for the 21st Century syllabus...the BSA has gone PC.
Expect that at some point in the near future, when the acceptance of homos is almost universal, that homo adults will be permitted within the BSA.
Exactly. We are exhorted to separate from the ungodly, the world, and the apostate many times and in many ways in the New Testament, but the evangelicals seem to disregard that in their anxiety to be more “relevant” to a sinful world. We can reach out with the Gospel-in fact we are commanded to do so in The Great Commission-but in living our lives, we are to be a holy people, consecrated unto God, and “be ye separate”.
Dude, it’s as simple as this: should you leave me, a 32-year old man. unsupervised with you teen daughter if you have one? By that same logic, should you leave a homosexual man around unsupervised with teen boys? This should just be easy common sense, but in today’s world, anything saying no to a homosexual is a heinous crime.
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