Scouts policy tests churches: Opinionline

Pocono Recorder, Stroudsburg, Pa., editorial: "The Boy Scouts of America should be commended for voting to allow openly gay youths to participate in Scouting. ... Several religious denominations ... have decried the BSA's move and threatened to sever their connection. The threats resound because thousands of troops ... are sponsored by churches. Still, the BSA's decision enjoys the support of the Mormon Church, the nation's biggest sponsor of troops. And officials of the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest troop sponsor, say they will spend time before ... the new policy takes effect, to determine ... how the change might affect its churches. ... A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that homosexuality is a biological characteristic. ... Religions are about faith, not science. One can only hope ... all faith groups' commonly held teachings of kindness ... will recognize that opening the Scouts to all ... is simply the right thing to do."

Zack Ford, ThinkProgress: "Many churches have already pulled their support. ... These actions suggest that the primary reason any of these organizations supported the BSA in the first place was because of its policy of anti-gay discrimination. None of the other values the Scouts uphold or the lessons they teach boys are apparently enough for these churches to stick with them, because they just can't tolerate that there might be a gay kid in their troop. If shunning teenagers for their sexual orientations trumps all the other values these churches care about, perhaps the BSA is better off without their sponsorship."

Scott Alessi, U.S. Catholic: "While some religious groups have quickly cut ties with the Scouts, the Catholic Church has been more careful to find a balance between its stance on homosexuality and its deep connection to the Boy Scouts. ... Some families, no matter how much they love Scouting, are going to leave it behind because of their deeply held beliefs on sexuality. Others, no matter how they feel about same-sex attraction, just can't give up their affiliation with the Scouts."

Erick Erickson, Red State, "The moral component to the Scouts will collapse in favor of knot tying, tent pitching and badge collection. While being gay in and of itself is not a sin, we fool ourselves to think that secular society does not rapidly then move to the act itself as another form of normal. The truth is, for Christians the homosexual act is a clear sin and an organization such as the Scouts that lets in gay Scouts will not long maintain its compass in declaring the Scout fine, but his conduct not."

Philip Tutor, The Anniston (Ala.) Star: "Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's executive committee, told ABC that 'we don't hate people,' which has become a quasi-cliché among those who, in the same breath, are slamming the doors on teenagers they welcomed just moments before. Where there's smoke, there's fire. How's that for a message to send to America's youth: Shun those who think and act differently. Don't reach out to any and all. Don't tolerate, discriminate."

Nettie Francis, Casper (Wyo.) Journal: "Some think the BSA has backed down on their timeless values. Nothing could be further from the truth. BSA standards are the same. However, the organization has expanded the opportunity for every youth to come and learn about duty to God, duty to country, helping other people, and being physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight."

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