Why do so many here hate Boy Scouts?

[Summit]

the primary intent of the OP was to point out the discriminatory, exclusionary, closed-ranks, militaristic, jingoistic methods of the scouts

Really? You should either be a politician or a news media journalist with your flair for flamboyant BS!

[Papa D]

Really? You should either be a politician or a news media journalist with your flair for flamboyant BS!

yes, "really"
I guess I'll take this is as compliment as I was a journalism major for a while before I settled on drama.
I'd make too many blunders to be a politician, I'm not nearly patriotic enough and I would put my foot in my mouth quick.
Thanks though.

[Wise Old Owl]

Why can't we all get along...

[Papa D]

Why can't we all get along...

#1 - I'm trying
#2 - It wouldn't be as fun
#3 - Summit is wrong
#4 - He's picking on me, make him stop WOO

[TD55]

Once while hiking around NY-NJ with a friend and two dogs some Boy Scouts gave us a #10 can of ravioli.

[MuddyWaters]

I've met many Scout groups on trails and most have been well behaved enough not to be a problem. Leaders run the gamut from clueless to excellent. Some boys have grown to be fine men, partly because of their affilation with the BSA.

The problem with BSA is their adherence to what can only be described as outdated, bigoted policies. Exclusion of gays and the non-religious from the ranks of Scouts or Scout leaders is a throwback to another era, not so enlightened. The fact that so many churches--and in the more recent 10/15 years a big influx of Mormans--exert control over Scouting means these bigoted policies may not change anytime soon.

As a private organization, BSA has every right to maintain official bigoted policies. The Supreme Court has ruled it so. But BSA and its apologists must be prepared to deal with the consequences without whining.

Many of us who would otherwise support BSA cannot in good conscience do so, and we steer boys to other organizations that do not discriminate. A smaller number of us work toward denying BSA the free use of public facilities, or public financial support, because of their institutional bigotry.

Some Scouting leaders ignore these archaic rules and do not oust gays or non-religious. That's fine for those troops, but it does not actually address the real problem which is the national hierarchy's demonizing and excluding boys and men for just being honest about who they are and/or what they believe.

**********

If you disagree with the official positions BSA takes, in addition to withholding support
you can steer boys and would-be Scout leaders elsewhere. A good place to start is:

www.scoutingforall.org

It's quite a diverse site and some of us may not agree with every word to be viewed there, or every link to other sites— but here you will find the smoking guns some here in this thread deny exist. You will also find lots of alternatives to BSA.

BSA reflects the desires and beliefs of its members.

Just because some in our pacifist society will have you believe that it is politically incorrect to say anything bad about gays or atheists today, DOES NOT mean that those practices are generally and widely accepted. There is a tremendous difference between being tolerant of others, and embracing and accepting them.

I would put it to you that while many in this country are quite tolerant of fringe groups, that tolerance ends when they begin to affect their rights.

Call it bigotry if your like. Minority and fringe groups excel and name-calling. But people have a right to expose their children to the environments that they choose. Truth is, everyone is a bigot in their own way. You yourself are one thinking that BSA is not "enlightened", but obviously you are. The traditional values that have served us for hundreds of years, still serve us well today and will into the future.

While the values of others lead to moral and societal decay.

[Summit]

yes, "really"
I guess I'll take this is as compliment as I was a journalism major for a while before I settled on drama.
I'd make too many blunders to be a politician, I'm not nearly patriotic enough and I would put my foot in my mouth quick.
Thanks though.

Your claim that the BSA is:

- discriminatory, exclusionary, closed-ranks - is based on your core values not being biblically based, AND that you don't feel anyone else has the right to hold to biblical values and desire exclusive association with like-minded people, which is pure bigotry. (please spare us the tax issue that you've used repeatedly and which has been adequately refuted as not having any substance)
- militaristic - the only thing I can think of that would warrant this accusation is that they have uniforms? Discipline maybe? Training? What's wrong with any of those? Don't tell me your vivid, active imagination has the BSA training youth Nazi Germany style (brainwashing)?
- jingoistic - is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "extreme patriotism in the form of aggressive foreign policy." In practice, it is a country's advocation of the use of threats or actual force against other countries in order to safeguard what it perceives as its national interests. Colloquially, it refers to excessive bias in judging one's own country as superior to others – an extreme type of nationalism. The only context I can guess you are tagging the BSA with this word would be a superiority complex? Whatever? Flamboyant and without merit.

[Summit]

#3 - Summit is wrong
#4 - He's picking on me, make him stop WOO

No sniveling here!

[Summit]

Why can't we all get along...

I can't just ignore someone making false statements and painting people who hold to biblical values in an untrue light. Never have, never will. Period!

[Summit]

BSA reflects the desires and beliefs of its members.

Just because some in our pacifist society will have you believe that it is politically incorrect to say anything bad about gays or atheists today, DOES NOT mean that those practices are generally and widely accepted. There is a tremendous difference between being tolerant of others, and embracing and accepting them.

I would put it to you that while many in this country are quite tolerant of fringe groups, that tolerance ends when they begin to affect their rights.

Call it bigotry if your like. Minority and fringe groups excel and name-calling. But people have a right to expose their children to the environments that they choose. Truth is, everyone is a bigot in their own way. You yourself are one thinking that BSA is not "enlightened", but obviously you are. The traditional values that have served us for hundreds of years, still serve us well today and will into the future.

While the values of others lead to moral and societal decay.

Well said!!! Very well said!!!

[Wise Old Owl]

WELL BOTH OF YOU GO SIT IN THE CORNER ON THOSE STOOLS... AND TURN AND FACE THE WALL.. No Sniveling.

Let me be clear there is no adult day care here..... that's called Happy Hour.

[Papa D]

WELL BOTH OF YOU GO SIT IN THE CORNER ON THOSE STOOLS... AND TURN AND FACE THE WALL.. No Sniveling.

Let me be clear there is no adult day care here..... that's called Happy Hour.

Thanks WOO

[Summit]

WELL BOTH OF YOU GO SIT IN THE CORNER ON THOSE STOOLS... AND TURN AND FACE THE WALL.. No Sniveling.

Let me be clear there is no adult day care here..... that's called Happy Hour.

<In Corner> sulking, scolded, scorned, sniff, sniff . . .

[WingedMonkey]

For those stuck on your perceived christian values and bible teachings in scouting...there is no place in any of the the National Councils forced belief in a god that it be a christian god. At least the National Council has made it that far.

[Wise Old Owl]

Some of you by now should realize that a seat belt attached to your office chair in front of the laptop might come in handy ... for the rest of us .. (milk exsploding from the nose ) will not be tollerated in polite blogs....

[Sierra Echo]

<In Corner> sulking, scolded, scorned, sniff, sniff . . .

Don't pat WOOs head! That will get his attention!

[WingedMonkey]

Some of you by now should realize that a seat belt attached to your office chair in front of the laptop might come in handy ... for the rest of us .. (milk exsploding from the nose ) will not be tollerated in polite blogs....

Some days past you posted advice about alcohol, old age and a key board...did you read it?

[Summit]

Some of you by now should realize that a seat belt attached to your office chair in front of the laptop might come in handy ... for the rest of us .. (milk exsploding from the nose ) will not be tollerated in polite blogs....

Permission to unfasten my seat belt to go pee? Please?

[Papa D]

For those stuck on your perceived christian values and bible teachings in scouting...there is no place in any of the the National Councils forced belief in a god that it be a christian god. At least the National Council has made it that far.

Could it be a Norse Goddess: I like her:
images.jpeg

[Wise Old Owl]

Some days past you posted advice about alcohol, old age and a key board...did you read it?

Thank you for roller coaster like thread swerves.