[UC] =?iso-8859-1?Q?RE:_=5BUC=5D_Boy_Scouts:=A0_Friend_or_Foe=3F=3F?=

[Jonathan Cass]

I think it comes around to this:  What do you do when you are involved with, and support, the good work that an organization like the Boy Scouts do, but disagree with an important party of the organization's philosophy?  Do you quit and try to effectuate change from the outside, or stay involved and try to effectuate change from the inside.?  Put more simply, do you stay or do you go?  For those on the outside, what is the best way to pressure an organization like the Boy Scouts to change their policy?  Do you work to cut off their funding?  Do you mount a grass roots effort to boycott the group?

 

I think may Catholics in this country are faced with the the same dilemma.  Although their faith is very important to them, they disagree with fundamental aspects of the Church's theology.  I know many people stay in the Church and pick and choose those aspects of the Catholic faith they choose to follow.  I don't believe the "Church" (i.e., the Vatican) deems this "pick and choose" approach acceptable, but don't really seem to do anything about it. 

 

Jonathan A. Cass
Silverman, Bernheim & Vogel
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Philadelphia, PA 19102
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-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, December 08, 2003 9:55 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [UC] Boy Scouts:  Friend or Foe??

I wanted to make some comments after having read some of the posts this morning. First of all, let me put forward two facts (1) I am a long time BSA volunteer and an Eagle Scout. (2) I disagree with the policy on "avowed" homosexuals participating with the scouts (both members and leaders). I believe the Scouts' stance on homosexual members and leaders is backward.

http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/article.asp?ArtID=6414

The Scouts used to discriminate based on race, but they did so at a time where it was socially acceptable to do so. They stopped doing so sometime around Brown v. Board of Education (decided fifty years ago). The main difference between race and sexual orientation is that the Supreme Court has said that the BSA can set standards of membership -- they can exclude gays, the godless and girls.

http://www.scouting.org/media/press/020206/index.html

I disagree with their stand on homosexuals, and agree with the stand on atheists. Duty to a higher power is a core belief (there are Hindu, Buddhist, and other religious scouts), while the homosexual stance is made for more political reasons. The Scouts don't let girls in to their core programs (there are female Venturers and Explorers) because in these country the Girl Scouts exist as a separate organization.

By supporting the organization I am trying to bring a leadership and training organization to young people. Giving them the tools to make ethical and moral decisions when they get older. As a member of this organization I have been advocating for a change in the policy. I have been working within the organization to advocate change.

What type of message does this send to the young people? That change, though influenced by outside events, eventually is made by people from within. If everyone who disagrees with the policy were to leave the organization it would leave only those who support it.

Many United Ways have defunded the scouts. However in many areas of the country the United Ways have lost support, and the Scouts gained financial support because of this. Not in Philadelphia.

Finally, around Thanksgiving the couts collect 1,000,000 cans of food for the needy. I support that.

In a message dated 12/7/03 5:34:59 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

Liz, I agree that it is a complicated issue but the fact remains that the
BSA has a policy of exclusion.  Would you be defending the organization if
they had a policy of exclusion based on race rather than sexual preference?
Aren't you, by supporting the organization, providing tacit, if not
implicit, support to this policy?  What type of message does this send to
our children?

I don't think the so called "Scout Bashing" is out of the mainstream or
undeserved  -- it is my understanding that even the United Way has stopped
contributing to the BSA because of this policy.  The BSA may have the legal
right to exclude gays, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be
pressured -- economically and otherwise -- to change their policy.