Via Witchvox, comes an article about the sons of a serviceman being kicked out of the Boy Scouts for being Wiccan. It's 2006 and this is America. For the love of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
The article reports that: "The number one scout law is to do your duty to God and your country," Troop 71 Scout Master Gene Doherty said. "They met to discuss whether or not the boys could live up to that because of their religion."
The conclusion was that they could not.
Doherty called Army Cpt. Todd Buchheim, the boys' father and a former Eagle Scout stationed at Fort Polk, to inform him that the boys no longer were welcome in the troop. The Buchheims said Doherty told them that if Cody had lied about his faith, the boys could have remained with no problem."
Does this sound like the sort of thing we'd like to model for our children? I swear there are days when i think Americans have the emotional age of a retarded twelve year old, but that would be unfair to some retarded twelve year olds I've known. So many of the problems we have in this country could be solved if people would just start to act like grown ups.
The freaking point of the meeting was religious diversity! And when they got religious diversity, the grown ups -- not the kids, but the grown ups -- freaked out.
I'll leave aside why any self respecting Wiccan would have their kids in a gay-hating group like the scouts. This weekend, the cutest little nine year old came up to me at the grocery store parking lot selling something for the boy scouts. I said, "Sorry. I won't donate to any group that excludes gays."
I swear, America, grow the fuck up. Because when you hurt yourself, I will laugh.
5 comments:
Absolutely right!
Sorry, but no, I don't support the Boy Scouts. My son wasn't willing to say that he believed in God and he was out too.
The BSA takes itself way too seriously. I was in Brownies and Girl Guides for years, and never said the part about "...my duty to God" in the oaths (they're a little different from the US version, and now IIRC there is a non-sectarian and/or faith-free version as well), and I only got static about it from my mother, who was a leader in my Brownie pack.
BushCo Youth?
jawbone
I find this story quite disturbing as a scout myself in the UK. In th UK we are pretty liberal over these things, gay's are quite welcome and the association has publically distanced itself from homophobic attitudes and kids of no religious faith are also welcome (although there are some traditionalists even over here who may not agree). I just wish that all countries could share this attitude. I just hope that all parts of the movement don't get tarred with the same brush
When we get enough Wiccans and Druids together, we'll be able to form our own Scouts. Think how earth-loving they'll be! I hereby volunteer for leadership.
Post a Comment