From: cwebster@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Chris Webster)
Subject: Re: BofA and UW can now support discrimination against blacks and Jews
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 13:38:26 EDT

In article <1992Aug29.145536.3961@cbnewsl.cb.att.com> stank@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (Stan Krieger) writes:
>
>Let me clarify a few points and issues here.
 
 No, let me clarify:

 If you can't accept someone than pledges the Scout Oath and Law, then get
 the Hell out of Scouting.
 
 [Most everyone else: Sorry about the tone, but I thought it needed to be
 said.]
>
>I am reading all these postings on rec.scouting and am responding to
>them on that group consistent with the charter of that group.
>
>The ONLY issue that I am responding to is BSA's exclusion of homosexuals
>from membership.  The BSA position on this has been explained and
>defended.  There is a code of conduct that Scouts must subscribe to
>and "morally straight" is part of the code. I personally feel that the
>Scout Oath and Law do represent positive, laudable, standards of behavior.
>Also, it does NOT represent gay-bashing, as such behavior would be a


Sorry, Stan, but when a 15 year old is forced out of a troop, told that
he's "unfit" and "immoral" simply because he has a particular sexual
preference _IS_ gay-bashing.

Imagine being fifteen and telling your scoutmaster you like girls and then
have all the sh*t done to you that the BSA does to gay teens.  You'd feel
pretty bashed.

>violation of other points of the Oath and Law; in fact, they make
>absolutely no mention of homosexuality, atheism, or any other behavior,
>except as they relate to eligibility for membership in BSA.
>

Since the Scout Oath and Law, which the BSA _should_ be based on (it's not, at
least not on the National level) doesn't outlaw certain people (yes, people,
not behavior) why should these people be excluded from scouting, which the
BSA has a monopoly on, at least for males in the U.S.

>Clearly, the gay rights agenda, as I understand it, is that sexual
>preference should not matter in anything, as such behavior is
>perfectly normal and thus should not be labelled as immoral. Fine,
>but that's only one point of view; another point of view is that our
>religions teach us that we can control our behavior, that we are above
>our animal instincts, and that there are certain things that God
>expects from us.  

My God doesn't differentiate between heteo and homo relationships; she
differentiates by "quality" (for lack of a better word) of them.  Since
when has your God become the one which Scouting is based on?

>			Now, these two points are going to clash in religious
>based organizations, such as BSA as well as in church or synagogue youth
>groups.  I mean, in the same way that I would not want any adult leader
>in my son's Boy Scout Troop to live an openly immoral lifestyle (and
>this also includes "sleeping around"), because there is no way that I'd

But "immoral" doesn't include gambling does it?

One who gambles certainly isn't helping other people at all times.

See begining of post.

>want teenage boys to be given the impression that such behavior is
>"correct", I would also expect heavy parental resistance to a synagogue
>youth group leader who is married to a non-Jew (as such marriages are
>prohibited by traditional Jewish law), or to my wanting to be a youth
>group leader at the local church.
>-- 
>Stan Krieger                     All opinions, advice, or suggestions, even
>AT&T UNIX System Laboratories    if related to my employment, are my own.
>Summit, NJ
>smk@usl.com


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