A coalition of Eagle Scouts, Scoutmasters, and parents have launched a new organization vowing to keep sex and politics out of the Boy Scouts of America. Posted on 03/27/2013 4:31:55 PM PDT by Kaslin
A coalition of Eagle Scouts, Scoutmasters, and parents have launched a new organization vowing to keep sex and politics out of the Boy Scouts of America.
“The Boy Scouts are one of the great jewels of American culture,” said John Stemberger, an Eagle Scout and the founder of OnMyHonor.net.
Representatives from more than a dozen states gathered in Florida to announce the opposition to any attempt to allow open homosexuality in the BSA.
The BSA is expected to offer a proposal that would remove the national rule banning open homosexuality -- and replacing it with a local option. That resolution would be voted on by the national council in May.
The announcement came as a shock to scouts and their parents, who overwhelmingly oppose the plan -- but also to a number of religious organizations who sponsor troops. About 70 percent of all troops are sponsored by church groups.
Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, met with Boy Scouts Chief Executive Wayne Brock in early March -- warning him that a change in policy could result in a mass exodus of troops.
Stemberger told Fox News that the new coalition supports the current policy in Scouting. That policy, he said, allows anyone to participate -- regardless of sexual orientation. It does forbid open and aggressive promotion of homosexuality and political agendas.
“When it comes to young boys, parents have the final say on the issues of sex and politics,” Stemberger said.
He said the Boy Scouts are being bullied by gay rights activists who have a much broader agenda for the organization.
“It would be an enormous mistake if they allowed homosexuality in scouting,” he said. “They have no idea what these folks really want to do.”
Stemberger said there are already gays in scouting -- “they are discreet, they are appropriate, they are private and they don’t act out in front of kids.”
“What they want is full-blown gay activism in scouting,” he said, “and that’s what they can’t have under the current policy.”
He predicted any change in the policy would devastate the program.
“We think that sex and politics should stay out of Scouting,” he said. “We think that’s utterly inappropriate where boys as young as six and seven years old are being trained to be men.”
Stemberger said he hopes BSA leadership is listening to parents “rather than Madonna and Bill Gates.”
The possible change in policy has also impacted some Eagle Scouts -- like Malachi Baggett, 20, of Mississippi.
“All of a sudden they are backing away (from the policy),” he said of BSA leadership. “What does that tell me as a young man? Once it’s no longer popular, it’s okay to change your morals? Instead of basing your morals on faith, you should place them in a shifting culture? That’s extremely dangerous.”
Former U.S. Rep. Dick Schulze raised similar concerns.
“What kind of a message are we sending to our young people if the very leaders who are teaching Boy Scouts to be brave, cannot even find the courage to stand firm and avoid caving to peer pressure from Hollywood and political activists,” he asked.
Stemberger said the only answer to the controversy is to embrace the 2000 Supreme Court decision that ruled the BSA had a constitutional right to freedom of association.
“That’s the only way we can protect ourselves,” he said. “Otherwise, every single unit will be subjected to a legal attack. Millions of dollars will be spent on litigation. They will file lawsuits against churches, VFWs and a lot of them will abandon scouting.”
I did not call you a heretic. I called you a schismatic. The two are not the same thing.
“I do not want to throw out any valid Catholic Canon”
Indeed, but you are challenging the authority of the magisterium to enact Vatican II in the same manner that the Reformers disregarded Trent.
“Vatican II destroyed the Catholic Church to a LARGE extent.”
I disagree. You cite liturgical abuses that are contrary to what is actually found in Vatican II.
“You should see the lack of males in my Catholic parish.”
There’s little purpose for them to be there, IMHO. They aren’t welcomed. You won’t find anyone even bother to ask them how they are doing or get them connected into the parish. I am lucky, as I assist with religious education - so the parish does know me.
I miss the crop that I went to Church with originally and it would be nice to have company for mass, especially a nice lady since I am single, but alas. :(
Listen-—I have no beef with you. I do with the Church—but raising four boys you can imagine my horror. There is no greater evil than the molestation of boys and the destruction of there innocence. The molesters were not Catholic. I wrote to the Church years ago-—told them they need to admit their problem of infiltration by homosexuals. They finally did-—in Fr. Oko’s book——Finally, after how many decades. They covered up the fact that the homosexuals were instigating all this evil and the homomafia was covering it up.
Do I know the Truth? No. I can’t-—I can attempt to know the Truth as far as humanly possible. My heart guides me-—but Reason does even more, and the Marxism I see in the Church—especially in the US is extremely troubling. As Solzhenitsyn stated about the mathematician who wrote a book titled ‘Socialism”-—he stated ALL socialism/Marxism rots the soul.
Subsidiarity is a fundamental principle of Justice in the Church and Charity is never “given” by government. It is irrational to put the word “social” in front of Justice. It is an oxymoron. Justice never needs a modifier.
I agree- and you have a hard row to hoe with your 4. But I believe the Church, flawed as she is - is really what is going to do best by your boys.
You think they are going to get what they need anywhere else? I don’t see it.
After decades of being gung-ho recommending that young folks get some military time, I am now advising against it. Very sad times in our patria.
That would be something for Oliver North to do, open an academy! We have plenty of room around in the hills here in Austin.
I know I’m not the only one who had a lesbian track and basketball coach 30 years ago. Perverts go where their victims are captive and defenseless.
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