It hasn't become such a place, really. Or nothing has really changed and in parts of the country they always were that way.
I considered myself an athiest and then agnostic from age 10 on, and there were some repurcussions in Boy Scouts from that, but less than I got in school, baseball and public in general. For the most part my fellow scoutsw respected diversity and understood and praticed the freedoms we Americans enjoy. As someone said, it is a locally run thing. If the people around you are accepting, then the troop will also be for the most part. If the people around you are biggoted, then the troop will probably be as well. But in my experience the kind of people drawn to scouting tend to be nicer and more understanding than the average local populace. If, though, you make a big stink about how you don't want to follow their rules, then yes, they will have no choice but to act on it and enforce the rules. Especially if you bring down the wrath of the district or national group on their heads. Of course, I feel sorry for an atheistic gay scout in Alabama, but I would eel sorry for them in school and in society there as well. On 10/6/05, William Bowen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > yup > > Cub Scout = Yes > Webelos = Yes > Arrow of Light = Yes > Boy Scout = Yes > Eagle = Yes > OA = No > Philmont = Yes > Charles L. Sommers Canoe Base = Yes, Yes (Summer - canoing, Winter > Cross-country skiing) > National Jamboree = No > > And after all that, it tears my heart out that it has become such a > religious-centric bastion of homophobic nut-jobs. I cannot in good > conscience allow my son to join. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Protect your mail server with built in anti-virus protection. It's not only good for you, it's good for everybody. http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=39 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:176311 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
