The entrance sign to the Scout Camp: "Followers in Christ" -- WTF?

[Bozita]

Just saw it on ABC's Nightline.

Unfuckingbelievable!

I never before knew that.

[TexasObserver]

1. Boyscouts are almost totally taken over by Christians now.

Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, too.

[Rosemary2205]

2. The Scouts were ALWAYS a christian organization.

over time they started accomodating other religions but faith in God is a cornerstone of scouting.

[Bozita]

3. Thanks for the info.

[Rosemary2205]

4. The scout promise

On my honor, I will try to do my duty to God and my country, to help other people at all times, and to obey the Girl/Boy Scout Law.

A Scout's honor is to be trusted
A scout is loyal.
A scout's duty is to be useful and to help others.
A scout is a friend to all and brother/sister to every other scout.
A scout is courteous
A scout is a friend to animals
A scout obeys orders.
A scout is cheerful.
A scout is thrify
A scout is clean in thought, word and deed.



This is from memory and I can't be absolutely sure all the words are perfect. It's been 40 years. I believe the boy scouts are identical.

[NutmegYankee]

19. Boy Scout oath is close:

I'm an Eagle Scout. I figure I'll remember this till the day I die.

On my honor, I will do my best,
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law,
To help other people at all times,
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Law: A Scout is
Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Courteous
Kind
Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
&
Reverent


I have heard that the word "God" can be replaced by your specific deity. I was at jamborees that had a few Muslim scouts who used Allah instead. I have heard of a few Pagan scouts doing the same. The rule is that you be reverent. There was never a requirement to be Christian. I knew quite a few Jewish Scouts as well.

[thecrow]

5. Yeah they kicked us out and wouldn't let us go camping

because though we had lived together for six years, we weren't *gasp* married.
So my son learned that the scouts were bad people because they threw his mom out.
Even though he feels that my SO is his father more than his "real" father.
We are *still* not married and I couldn't care who gets their panties in a knot about it.
Going on 16 years now...

No the scouts aren't very tolerant.

[TahitiNut]

6. Wrong. There are Jewish scouts, Buddhist scouts, Hindu scouts,and Muslim scouts.

:shrug:

And there were back in the 50s when I was a Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Explorer Scout. Entire troops. Clearly, depending on where they're located and who sponsors them, they can be VERY fundy-indoctrinated ... but the same could be said about the schools.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Funny, so was I, a cub scout leader

and a JEWISH temple sponsored us.

Ok, ok, it was in Mexico but still

It was fun to take the kids camping and have them exposed to other people

GASP, the horror!

[TahitiNut]

15. I found far more to enjoy than dislike, but ....

... I certainly DO find their organizational homophobic attitudes detestable. Clearly, I'd be zealously opposed to affiliating with them if such attitudes were propagated and scouts were encouraged or required to adopt such attitudes. When I was involved, we hardly did much "churchy" stuff at all. In fact, when I was an Explorer scout we were FAR more interested in the girls camping nearby than anything else.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. I find the homophobia troubling in the US (I am being nice)

I also know that each national organization takes on many elements from its local leadership....

In mexico they were not that bad, or at least as a leader with kids I had no time to find out.

And yes, our kids, we had to keep them on a leash... since as you said, they were more interested on the boys camping near by (girls scouts) or the girls camping near by (boy scouts)

Ah raging hormones!

As to churchy, since we were sponsored by the temple we did participate once a month in the service and provided flags and honor guards when needed.

[NutmegYankee]

17. Reverence is a cornerstone.

It can be of any faith however.

[HughMoran]

7. Creepy

I don't ever remember hearing anything about Christ when I was a scout.

[Rex]

8. Boy Scouts is a Christian organization, you must believe in God.

So that sign makes sense.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. It is only religious, but not necessarily christian

an individual troop may be... but the movement is actually (or should be) tolerant of all faiths

Baden Powell, the founder, did not create a christian organization. But saw values, as in religious values, as an important foundation of good character

And in 1911 (iirc) he might have had a point

Then again, it was also a fairly jingoistic organization in the beginning... in the UK and Scouts were involved in the defense of the british fleet at Jutland. (Brownie points if you know what war)

[Rex]

12. Well it is a christian organization now, this is old news.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. In the United States... which is NOT the world movement

there are scouts around the world, Mexico, Canada, Bahrain. the UK. every European country... most Asian countries (hell a scout recently SAVED the life of the President of Malaysia, and trust me that kid was all but Christian, but well prepared)


Think beyond US borders, will ya?

For fucks face, this is like saying that the Red Cross movement is useless just because it is so screwed up in the US

[Rex]

18. If you don't know what I was talking about then you should back away from the PC.

I promise you I think far beyond these borders more than you ever could.

[HughMoran]

13. I was never asked about that

I would have told them it's none of your business.

[Rex]

20. It is all a big political scandal now, I could personally careless what

a private organization wants for their secret handshake or special ring. We live with Scientology as a legitimate religion so the point is moot.

[Book Lover]

21. Point of clarification

If it were wholly a christian organization, you would have to believe that Jesus is God.

[Occam Bandage]

11. Boy Scouts are, and have always been, a Christian organization. In recent decades

they have become very open to other faiths--to the point where many people are unaware of the organization's Christianity. Don't get angry that they're Christian; be glad that you only now found out they were Christian.