From: stank@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (Stan Krieger)
Subject: Re: Jesus vs. Cub Scouts?
Organization: Summit NJ
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 05:26:05 GMT

Todd Stevens writes:

>Having been practically coerced into becoming an assistant den leader 
>for my son's bear den, I figured I'd better read through his bear book
>to see what I was getting myself into.  In chapter 2 I read about the
>Emblems of Faith Achievement where the scout receives the Religious
>Emblem Square Knot.  I was greatly disturbed to read about the Buddhist,
>Hindu, Islamic and Jewish emblems that I, serving in a leadership
>position, might have to award as an achievement someday.  As a Christian,
>I would find it extremely difficult to award someone for any work done to 
>further beliefs that discredit Jesus as Lord and Savior.  I was wondering
>how other Christian scout leaders have handled this moral dilemma.  I just
>hope it remains a hypothetical situation for me!

Before I answer the question itself, I feel I need to address the tone of
Mr. Stevens' posting.  I consider it blatantly anti-Semitic, anti-Islam,
anti-Buddhist, anti-Hindu, and anti-any and every other religion that
Scouts worldwide observe and are encouraged to observe.   If Mr. Stevens
cannot accept the reality that Christianity is but one OPINION of
God's relationship with mankind, and not THE opinion or THE Word,
it can seriously affect his ability to work with boys who do not
share his religious beliefs, and thus his ability to serve as a
Cub Scout leader.   As an extreme case, what's he going to do 3
years from now, when he's an ASM for his son's 6th grade patrol,
and a Jewish boy wants to cook his pancakes first, so they don't
get cooked in bacon fat?

Now, regarding the issue itself.  Typically the presentation of
religious awards is done by the religious institution and not by
the Pack or Troop.  In my son's case, his Aleph (the Jewish Committee
on Scouting's Cub Scout Award) was presented to him at a Saturday
morning service in our synagogue; his Ner Tamid (the Boy Scout
award) was presented to him, also on Saturday morning, at his
Bar Mitzvah.   In the case of the Ner Tamid, as I was Advancement
Chairman of our Troop at the time, I did announce it at a Court
of  Honor, but not as part of a formal presentation of the award.

Finally, unlike Mr. Stevens' apparent disgust at having to, God
forbid, present a religious award to a non-Christian, also as
part of my work as Advancement Chairman, I determined which boys
in the Troop had earned religious awards as Cub Scouts (there
were two, both Catholics), and at the same time I announced
my son's Ner Tamid, I also announced those two boys, presented
all three boys with the loop that signifies a religious award,
and encouraged all the boys in the Troop to earn their religious
awards.

In closing: Mr. Stevens, now that you are a youth group leader,
I strongly suggest you learn to show a little tolerance toward
those who do not share your religious beliefs.  If you want to
believe that the freelance preacher Joshua (commonly known
by the Greek translation "Jesus") is the Messiah, that is your
right and privilege, but it does NOT give you the right to
downgrade or treat with contempt other religious beliefs that
boys in your Den or Pack might have.  The religious beliefs
of those boys are just as legitimate, and just as real, as
yours, and as a Scout leader, you have the OBLIGATION to
respect their beliefs and to encourage them, as circumstances
arise, to continue their religious and spiritual growth.
I also hope that you never, at Scout camp, encourage or force
a Jewish boy to attend a Christian service.  Besides the
emotional harm it could do to the boy, it could also open
you, your unit, your council, and BSA to legal action for
mental child abuse.
-- 
Stan Krieger                 All opinions, advice, or suggestions, even
UNIX System Laboratories     if related to my employment, are my own.
Summit, NJ
smk@usl.com