by Dawn Trial
It was 1978 when it began circulating that the Boy Scouts were activating a “sleeper” policy that prohibited atheists, agnostics, and homosexuals from being scout leaders. It was cited that the views, beliefs, and practices of the above-mentioned people were incompatible with the Scout Oath, which swears to do the duty of God and King, as well as the Scout Law, which is comprised of 9 missives. What could possibly be contained within the 9 missives of the Boy Scout Law that would be ‘incompatible’ with atheists, agnostics, and homosexuals?
Let’s see!
1. A scout’s honor is to be trusted
2. A scout is loyal
3. A scout’s duty is to be helpful and useful to others
4. A scout is a friend to all and brother to every scout, no matter what social classes the other belongs to.
5. A scout is courteous
6. A scout is a friend to animals
7. A scout obeys orders
8. A scout smiles & whistles
9. A scout is thrifty
Which one of these did you guess was incompatible with atheists or homosexuals? The answer lies in the definition of number 7 which reads, “a scout is to obey the orders of his patrol-leader, or scout master without question. Even if he gets an order he does not like, he must do as soldiers and sailors do, he must carry it out all the same because it is his duty; and after he has done it he can come and state any reasons against it: but he must carry out the order at once. That is discipline.”
So what they’re telling us, and the rest of America, is that homosexual leaders would use that power over their scouts, in a sexually manipulative and abusive manner. Thus confusing homosexuals with pedophiles, as so many religious entities do. They don’t want to be educated, they want their right to discriminate upheld.
What has made this all the more interesting has been that in recent months, as the Boy Scouts have toyed with the idea of repealing their ban on homosexuals, they went so far as to poll Americans for their perspective, hoping Americans would agree their scouts could not be trusted in the hands of homosexuals. Much to the Boy Scouts’ dismay, CBS reported in March of 2013 that 53% of all Americans favor marriage equality, and gay couples being allowed to adopt and foster children. Somehow, that didn’t translate to the Boy Scouts, who are now considering lifting a ban on openly gay scouts (most likely with the hopes of ‘curing’ them through duty to God & King), but once they turn 18, they evidently turn into pedophiles, and must leave the Boy Scouts forever.
So despite what the Boy Scouts claim to teach young men, what they really are doing is teaching them that they can always justify sacrificing one of your morals, if in doing so you can further the continued isolation and ignorance of fellow human beings, and reject their own missive number 4, to be a friend, no matter what.