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Church Run Boy Scout Troops:
The BSA is guaranteed to lose everything in red and will probably lose the majority of everything in blue if they do this.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Troops: 37,882
Boy Scouts: 420,977
United Methodist Church
Troops: 11,078
Boy Scouts: 371,491
Catholic Church
Troops: 8,570
Boy Scouts: 283,642
Presbyterian Church
Troops: 3,663
Boy Scouts: 127,931
Lutheran Church
Troops: 3,902
Boy Scouts: 119,701
Baptist Churches
Troops: 4,099
Boy Scouts: 109,298
Will the BSA make a move that will cost them well over half of their current 900,000 youth membership?
On top of that, many other organizations that run scout troops, while not being religions themselves, are religiously oriented. Troops run by the Masons, YMCA's, etc are likely to drop out entirely. Then take into account the fact that many parents will simply pull their kids out of the program.
Realistically speaking, this move would be organizational suicide.
So what?!!!!! If that happens, then some fair-minded organizations would join to take up the slack. Aside from letting the BSA use their facilities, what else does the church contribute to the BSA?
You really believe that you can speak for every person in every one of those denominations?
Wow. Just wow.
How about just one: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They've threatened to leave the BSA in the past over this very issue. They already have a replacement youth program in place. They'll leave, trust me. They will view this measure as a "slippery slope" scenario. The BSA is their de facto official youth organization and that'd be a dealbreaker for them.
Bad luck that about 1/3 of the scouts in this country belong to troops run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints but them's the breaks, right?
And it would be unbelievably naive to assume that the BSA doesn't lose the majority of troops run by Christian churches. There may be some religions that are more accepting of gays but the large majority of Christianity still considers homosexuality "an abomination against God."
I'm not even stating my own opinion here but I am trying to point out how unrealistic this would be.
So what?!!!!! If that happens, then some fair-minded organizations would join to take up the slack. Aside from letting the BSA use their facilities, what else does the church contribute to the BSA?
Well, about 2/3 of the scouts participating, they actually run the troops for that 2/3 portion and they are the single biggest source of funding for the BSA. But hey, who needs money, right?
Think of the BSA as a business -- which they most certainly are for all intents and purposes. Is it a smart business decision to **** off 2/3 of your customers?? And I doubt many "fair minded" organizations actually give a crap about Boy Scouts.
Consider what pushing for gay rights did for the Episcopal Church. They used to be the largest and most powerful religion in this nation. Now they're shrinking at an alarming rate and fading into irrelevance.
Last edited by godofthunder9010; 01-28-2013 at 03:30 PM..
I gather you much prefer the old fashioned way in which homosexuals had to keep themselves secret if they wanted to join and remain in. Quite frankly, it would seem you would want your son in an organization where homosexuals were free to be open as to who they were, so your son would know just who the hell it is they need to watch out for.
I want homosexuals to stay out of the Boy Scouts and make their own group.
How about just one: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They've threatened to leave the BSA in the past over this very issue. They already have a replacement youth program in place. They'll leave, trust me. They will view this measure as a "slippery slope" scenario. The BSA is their de facto official youth organization and that'd be a dealbreaker for them.
Bad luck that about 1/3 of the scouts in this country belong to troops run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints but them's the breaks, right?
And it would be unbelievably naive to assume that the BSA doesn't lose the majority of troops run by Christian churches. There may be some religions that are more accepting of gays but the large majority of Christianity still considers homosexuality "an abomination against God."
I'm not even stating my own opinion here but I am trying to point out how unrealistic this would be.
If the hysteria on this thread is any indication, the Boy Scouts stopped being a prestigious, honorable institution long ago.
Growing up, my mom was a Boy Scout leader because - shocker- none of the dads were willing or able to step up to the plate. My dad traveled Monday-Friday (as in lived in an apartment in whichever city he was working in), but many of the dads were just too tired after their 9-5. No one had a problem with that.
Don't want gay troop leaders? Step it up yourself. Boy Scouts isn't a babysitting for your kid - get involved. Don't want your kid around other gay kids? Maybe you should consider not having children at all..
The Mormon Church hasn't changed much there actually. They're not kicking people out just for being attracted to the same gender. As far as I know, doing so was never Church policy, although local leaders may have done things along those lines. But they will excommunicate for homosexual behavior. That holds true for all extra-marital sexual relationships too. If you're living in sin -- gay or straight -- and you refuse to stop living in sin, you're going to get tossed out of the LDS Church. The difference is that the LDS faith is not going to change it's stance on homosexuality ever. Same goes for the Catholic Church no doubt. No recognition/acceptance for same-gender unions, period, end of story.
The only thing that really changed was that the leaders of the LDS faith are trying to get local leaders to do a better job of living the principal of "Love the sinner, hate the sin."
Don't want gay troop leaders? Step it up yourself. Boy Scouts isn't a babysitting for your kid - get involved. Don't want your kid around other gay kids? Maybe you should consider not having children at all..
This.
A lot of people are real good at saying, "tsk, tsk" but when there's actual work to be done they are nowhere to be found.
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