should the boy scouts of america

[rightwinger]

As I said, the BSA is allowed to keep out whomever they want...don't forget, it's not just gays and the children of gays they keep out. Atheists and the children of atheists aren't allowed in too. But don't expect to get government sweetheart deals while doing it...that's all.

Not true

The BSA does not keep out the children of gays or the children of atheists. In actuality, they don't even ask you if you are gay or whether you are an atheist. Its when a member openly states their beliefs that they will be kicked out.
Kind of a Don't ask...don't tell

I'm sorry, but if they know, the child is kicked out....or not allowed to join.

BSA Discrimination.org:Home -> BSA & Gays -> Gay Parents & BSA

Skepticblog » Boy Scouts: You’ve Been Cast Out

Just in a quick google.

I don't know bodecea. That story is from 1992.
I have been involved in scouting since 1994 and was never asked if I was gay or an atheist. I am an atheist by the way. I disagree with the policy of BSA national and believe they will eventually change.
At the troop level it never comes up. There are references to God but at no time is any boy specifically grilled on his beliefs. Most troops are happy if any parent gets involved and I have never seen any boy rejected because of his parents beliefs

 

[del]

It seems that way- but it looks like some of the bsa leaders have done some investigating into their members belief systems and lifestyles, and booted them for it..

Each Council has its own agenda. Most troops act independently and don't really care

Any local chapter who allows gays/atheists/children of same are THREATENED by the National BSA with being dropped as an official Boy Scout chapter/troop.

we were never threatened and we had to write a letter to our chartering organization (a church) stating that we would accept gays and atheists. in reality, we never asked anyone about either their sexual orientation or their religion. we never heard a peep from anyone upstream.

when my son had to get a reference from a teacher for his Eagle, the teacher specifically mentioned my son's membership in the high school gay straight alliance as showing his scout spirit and bravery. never heard a word about that either and he made Eagle which is reviewed at local, regional and national levels.

LDS troops might do this; i don't know.

 

[rightwinger]

Each Council has its own agenda. Most troops act independently and don't really care

Any local chapter who allows gays/atheists/children of same are THREATENED by the National BSA with being dropped as an official Boy Scout chapter/troop.

we were never threatened and we had to write a letter to our chartering organization (a church) stating that we would accept gays and atheists. in reality, we never asked anyone about either their sexual orientation or their religion. we never heard a peep from anyone upstream.

when my son had to get a reference from a teacher for his Eagle, the teacher specifically mentioned my son's membership in the high school gay straight alliance as showing his scout spirit and bravery. never heard a word about that either and he made Eagle which is reviewed at local, regional and national levels.

LDS troops might do this; i don't know.

del

I'm sure each troop is different and I'm sure there are horror stories out there. My sons troop was also chartered by a church and nobody cared what religion the boys were. My son also made Eagle and nobody at the troop level ever cared about sexuality or religious affiliation.
The scouts will eventually change their policy against gays but will retain their policy about atheists

 

[Father Time]

Any local chapter who allows gays/atheists/children of same are THREATENED by the National BSA with being dropped as an official Boy Scout chapter/troop.

we were never threatened and we had to write a letter to our chartering organization (a church) stating that we would accept gays and atheists. in reality, we never asked anyone about either their sexual orientation or their religion. we never heard a peep from anyone upstream.

when my son had to get a reference from a teacher for his Eagle, the teacher specifically mentioned my son's membership in the high school gay straight alliance as showing his scout spirit and bravery. never heard a word about that either and he made Eagle which is reviewed at local, regional and national levels.

LDS troops might do this; i don't know.

del

I'm sure each troop is different and I'm sure there are horror stories out there. My sons troop was also chartered by a church and nobody cared what religion the boys were. My son also made Eagle and nobody at the troop level ever cared about sexuality or religious affiliation.
The scouts will eventually change their policy against gays but will retain their policy about atheists

Why?

You'd think it'd be atheists getting a break first.

After all some ignorant shmucks (like say Sunni here) still think gay man=pedo or that they're somehow dangerous.

You can't argue the same with atheists.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Can you or can you not refute anything said there.

I also don't waste time downtown, refuting the homeless people shouting on the street corners about the government beaming lasers into their heads to read their minds.

I'll take that as a no.

I'm quite sure you'll take whatever I say to mean whatever you want to hear, because you always do. Thankfully, I don't think highly enough of you to care. I'm also not surprised 6that you would prefer to continue pretending you offered something worthy of my time, rather than actually offering something worthy of my time. I'll take THAT to mean that you have no proof of your assertions, and are now surrendering the argument. Thanks for playing.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Ugh I think its really a bad program.. My son was in boy scouts (cub scouts, I guess) for a total of like 3 months before I pulled him out. It is very disorganized, and there is a lacking of any real ambition within the program..



Apparently, as a private organization, they have the right to make decisions like these- just because they are a private organization- The one thing that I think causes the gays pushing for tolerance is that the LDS of is open to homosexual leadership in both Canada and in the US, of Girl Scouts troops, and as of now, open to homosexual leadership of boy scout troops in Canada. The LDS, according to this article, used to be okay with Unitarian Universalist church patches, also, until they decided that the church allowed for too much gayness.

This is another example of ignorance from within religious denominations that are already lacking in approval from the majority of Americans.. You would think they would work on their PR strategy, and find a way of gaining people's respect without being all weird and inconsistent...

And if the goal of churches was to be popular and liked by the secular world, that would matter. Perhaps YOU should learn more about your topic before you speak, because not everyone is concerned about winning Miss Congeniality.

Taking my links out when you quote me does not suddenly mean that I did not do MY research.. TYVM.


OOPS.. Brain Fart..

Edit: Ignoring the content of my posts does not then make the information exist any less..

I didn't ignore your content. It would be very hard to tell you that your content is stupid and irrelevant without paying attention to it. You can give me all the "information" in the frigging WORLD about how unpopulare the church is with groups the church doesn't give a rat fart in a windstorm about, and it's STILL not going to be relevant to the fact that the church does not have and never has had popularity as one of its goals.

Please try to stop projecting your desperate, juvenile need to be liked onto the rest of us.

 

[Father Time]

I also don't waste time downtown, refuting the homeless people shouting on the street corners about the government beaming lasers into their heads to read their minds.

I'll take that as a no.

I'm quite sure you'll take whatever I say to mean whatever you want to hear, because you always do. Thankfully, I don't think highly enough of you to care. I'm also not surprised 6that you would prefer to continue pretending you offered something worthy of my time, rather than actually offering something worthy of my time. I'll take THAT to mean that you have no proof of your assertions, and are now surrendering the argument. Thanks for playing.

Yet you'll waste time making a reply to it?
Nice try though but it's you who has to prove that my source is unreliable or got the information wrong. You haven't done so and now you're just entering stall mode hoping no one will notice.

Oh and that wasn't my only source, I also had the Washington Times and someone else had Fox News.

 

[JD_2B]

And if the goal of churches was to be popular and liked by the secular world, that would matter. Perhaps YOU should learn more about your topic before you speak, because not everyone is concerned about winning Miss Congeniality.

Taking my links out when you quote me does not suddenly mean that I did not do MY research.. TYVM.


OOPS.. Brain Fart..

Edit: Ignoring the content of my posts does not then make the information exist any less..

I didn't ignore your content. It would be very hard to tell you that your content is stupid and irrelevant without paying attention to it. You can give me all the "information" in the frigging WORLD about how unpopulare the church is with groups the church doesn't give a rat fart in a windstorm about, and it's STILL not going to be relevant to the fact that the church does not have and never has had popularity as one of its goals.

Please try to stop projecting your desperate, juvenile need to be liked onto the rest of us.

OMG To be friends with the likes of a bunch of net trolls, flamers, and in all likeliness, high school dropouts.. Gee the thought truly has NEVER BEFORE crossed my mind...


Unlike you, I actually have a little something called intelligence.. and having to re-explain my posts to people like you over and over and over again, is hardly the type of activity that brings meaning to one's life.. However, I have found that a mind is still a terrible thing to waste- and accept the challenge of finding a way to explain things to people so that they might understand them a little better.


And again (and again and again- riding around on a carousel of thought for the assistance of the intellectually challenged is also not MY idea of fun- lol) This issue about the Church's own INTERNAL disagreement about its leadership preferences is most certainly a PR issue.. If it wasn't, we would not be discussing it's numerous inconsistencies, now would we!!

The PR issue is NOT "popularity"-even though the BSA is a very popular organization- it IS, as I said before- far more about being consistent, and in doing so, gaining people's respect for making such choices, rather than leaving them to feel like they can change those inconsistencies in their own favor..

It would not be an ISSUE (round and round and round we go) if the Boy Scouts of Canada did not have an entirely different set of rules for membership and leadership than the Boy Scouts of America has. If THAT were the case (wash, rinse, repeat) then it would be considered an actual organization-wide belief, and even a belief with religious roots, rather than (broken fucking record) some intolerance issue that will be seen as unfair by many groups, (again and again and again) not the least of all gays.

So you see, you fucking douchebag- the door swings both ways- Next time you decide to sling shit at me, you can expect me to call you out on it..

 

[rightwinger]

we were never threatened and we had to write a letter to our chartering organization (a church) stating that we would accept gays and atheists. in reality, we never asked anyone about either their sexual orientation or their religion. we never heard a peep from anyone upstream.

when my son had to get a reference from a teacher for his Eagle, the teacher specifically mentioned my son's membership in the high school gay straight alliance as showing his scout spirit and bravery. never heard a word about that either and he made Eagle which is reviewed at local, regional and national levels.

LDS troops might do this; i don't know.

del

I'm sure each troop is different and I'm sure there are horror stories out there. My sons troop was also chartered by a church and nobody cared what religion the boys were. My son also made Eagle and nobody at the troop level ever cared about sexuality or religious affiliation.
The scouts will eventually change their policy against gays but will retain their policy about atheists

Why?

You'd think it'd be atheists getting a break first.

After all some ignorant shmucks (like say Sunni here) still think gay man=pedo or that they're somehow dangerous.

You can't argue the same with atheists.

The reason I don't think they will accept atheists is because of the Scout Law, "a scout is reverent". Scouting was built with religion as one of its foundations and I don't think they will change that.

The anti gay restrictions come from an interpretation of what "morally straight" and "clean" is. I think it is more probable that scouting would change its interpretation on these values than to eliminate its religious foundations

 

[JD_2B]

del

I'm sure each troop is different and I'm sure there are horror stories out there. My sons troop was also chartered by a church and nobody cared what religion the boys were. My son also made Eagle and nobody at the troop level ever cared about sexuality or religious affiliation.
The scouts will eventually change their policy against gays but will retain their policy about atheists

Why?

You'd think it'd be atheists getting a break first.

After all some ignorant shmucks (like say Sunni here) still think gay man=pedo or that they're somehow dangerous.

You can't argue the same with atheists.

The reason I don't think they will accept atheists is because of the Scout Law, "a scout is reverent". Scouting was built with religion as one of its foundations and I don't think they will change that.

The anti gay restrictions come from an interpretation of what "morally straight" and "clean" is. I think it is more probable that scouting would change its interpretation on these values than to eliminate its religious foundations

I simply don't see them being consistent as a church based organization- allowing certain gays in and certain gays out- depending on the locale, and that gay member's role in the organization.
It is ridiculous that they want people to respect their religious beliefs as RELIGIOUS, when they are completely and utterly in an obvious state of confusion with their own ideals and policies.

 

[rightwinger]

Why?

You'd think it'd be atheists getting a break first.

After all some ignorant shmucks (like say Sunni here) still think gay man=pedo or that they're somehow dangerous.

You can't argue the same with atheists.

The reason I don't think they will accept atheists is because of the Scout Law, "a scout is reverent". Scouting was built with religion as one of its foundations and I don't think they will change that.

The anti gay restrictions come from an interpretation of what "morally straight" and "clean" is. I think it is more probable that scouting would change its interpretation on these values than to eliminate its religious foundations

I simply don't see them being consistent as a church based organization- allowing certain gays in and certain gays out- depending on the locale, and that gay member's role in the organization.
It is ridiculous that they want people to respect their religious beliefs as RELIGIOUS, when they are completely and utterly in an obvious state of confusion with their own ideals and policies.

Scouts don't push a specific set of religious ideals. You can be Christian, Muslim, Jewish or even have some vague concept of a higher power and you meet the "reverent" requirement. Its just an open denial of a higher power that they think is contrary to their ideals
The gay objection comes down to the interpretation of Morally Straight

 

[JD_2B]

The reason I don't think they will accept atheists is because of the Scout Law, "a scout is reverent". Scouting was built with religion as one of its foundations and I don't think they will change that.

The anti gay restrictions come from an interpretation of what "morally straight" and "clean" is. I think it is more probable that scouting would change its interpretation on these values than to eliminate its religious foundations

I simply don't see them being consistent as a church based organization- allowing certain gays in and certain gays out- depending on the locale, and that gay member's role in the organization.
It is ridiculous that they want people to respect their religious beliefs as RELIGIOUS, when they are completely and utterly in an obvious state of confusion with their own ideals and policies.

Scouts don't push a specific set of religious ideals. You can be Christian, Muslim, Jewish or even have some vague concept of a higher power and you meet the "reverent" requirement. Its just an open denial of a higher power that they think is contrary to their ideals
The gay objection comes down to the interpretation of Morally Straight

I am clear about that-

So how is it that Morally Straight means one thing in one country, and another thing in another.. ??

There's where it gets hairy- If this was a religious organization, and they claim to have the right to keep certain people out based on that religious belief- then they are being discriminative towards gays in one place, and not discriminating (as much) in another.

Between their inexpensive leasing of public land, and their general inconsistencies towards gays, they are not exactly being the epitome of religion anyways.

PS- They no longer have multiple denominations backing them- its mostly LDS. Whoever has the gold makes the rules. There is a big tiff between LDS and Unitarian Universalists, who used to be major backers of BSA.. Now, LDS is having a tantrum because the UU's allow gays to be church leaders, etc.. YET, gays can lead a boy scout troop under LDS funding- as long as none of the boys are gay?
Makes no damn sense. Actually, it makes perfect sense- It is called intolerance, discrimination, and has absolutely nothing to do with religion, and everything to do with cultism and homophobia, IMHO.

 

[kwc57]

I'm an Assistant Scoutmaster of a Boy Scout Troop. This is pretty much the BSA's position in a nutshell. It is on the adult leader application form. An adult is supposed to agree to this principle in order to become a registered leader in the BSA. Because this is the BSA's stance, this is what excludes athiests. Are there units out there who ignore it? Yes. Are they leading by example and being Trustworthy? No. Should the policy change? Possibly. As the principle states, the BSA is nonsectarian and a boy's religious education is left to the family and institution of their particular faith.

BSA Declaration of Religious Principle

Excerpted from the Adult Registration Application B.S.A. No. 28-501.

The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God and, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the home and organization or group with which the member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life.

Only persons willing to subscribe to these precepts from the Declaration of Religious Principle and to the Bylaws of the Boy Scouts of America shall be entitled to certificates of leadership.

 

[ncarolinadixie]

What needs to be clarified here IMO is this is not about "membership" criteria as much as leadership positions held by ADULTS. To say they would deny membership to a 4-5 year old boy because he is gay is, well, a silly concept. IMO a 4-5 year old boy has no clue if he's gay or not at this point and I really don't think they would be a "danger" to the other boys. To much has been said about membership discrimination due to being gay. That's not what the issue being debated is. It's whether or not a gay ADULT should be allowed in a position of leadership over a BS Troop.

Again, my opinion of that is it would depend on a very strenuous back ground check being performed. Just because a male is gay does NOT automatically mean they're going to be a pedofile and desire young boys. It has already been shown that gay men can and have make great fathers. Being gay and being a pedofile are two intirely different things.

 

[JD_2B]

I'm an Assistant Scoutmaster of a Boy Scout Troop. This is pretty much the BSA's position in a nutshell. It is on the adult leader application form. An adult is supposed to agree to this principle in order to become a registered leader in the BSA. Because this is the BSA's stance, this is what excludes athiests. Are there units out there who ignore it? Yes. Are they leading by example and being Trustworthy? No. Should the policy change? Possibly. As the principle states, the BSA is nonsectarian and a boy's religious education is left to the family and institution of their particular faith.

BSA Declaration of Religious Principle

Excerpted from the Adult Registration Application B.S.A. No. 28-501.

The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God and, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the home and organization or group with which the member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life.

Only persons willing to subscribe to these precepts from the Declaration of Religious Principle and to the Bylaws of the Boy Scouts of America shall be entitled to certificates of leadership.

My personal posts on this, are mainly concerning gays being allowed in.. and less to do with what denomination is allowed in. I do not contest that they would prefer that people of a certain Christian background be allowed in (as it says, "God"- I am not sure how specific this is trying to be, or nonspecific, either way).. and would probably prefer that Satanists (the people who believe that they are their own gods) and Pagans and Wiccans, etc.. you know- people who believe in a different kind of God, who is not "one" but can be many things, that is.. not be allowed in. Of course, you can always clarify what BSA means when they say they are nonsectarian, and what they mean by "God", etc- as the term is broadly defined as "a deity", or "supreme being", simply put. Different religions call God different things, also- in fact, "Allah" is just the Q'uran's word for "God", and is not the name OF God in their book..
I only bring these questions up, because I am curious as to just how broadly they define "faith in God" and to what extent "nonsectarian" might mean. If you can help narrow this down, that would help my understanding of this issue immensely.

Can you also give us some understanding of the policies on homosexuality, and the background on that, if you know it? It seems to me that homophobia stems more from a Christian-God point of view than any other, and I would like to understand their reasoning behind this "no gays" policy.

Thanks!!

 

[kwc57]

My personal posts on this, are mainly concerning gays being allowed in.. and less to do with what denomination is allowed in. I do not contest that they would prefer that people of a certain Christian background be allowed in (as it says, "God"- I am not sure how specific this is trying to be, or nonspecific, either way).. and would probably prefer that Satanists (the people who believe that they are their own gods) and Pagans and Wiccans, etc.. you know- people who believe in a different kind of God, who is not "one" but can be many things, that is.. not be allowed in. Of course, you can always clarify what BSA means when they say they are nonsectarian, and what they mean by "God", etc- as the term is broadly defined as "a deity", or "supreme being", simply put. Different religions call God different things, also- in fact, "Allah" is just the Q'uran's word for "God", and is not the name OF God in their book..
I only bring these questions up, because I am curious as to just how broadly they define "faith in God" and to what extent "nonsectarian" might mean. If you can help narrow this down, that would help my understanding of this issue immensely.

Can you also give us some understanding of the policies on homosexuality, and the background on that, if you know it? It seems to me that homophobia stems more from a Christian-God point of view than any other, and I would like to understand their reasoning behind this "no gays" policy.

Thanks!!

Scout Oath
On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Law

A Scout is:
Trustworthy – A Scout tells the truth. He keeps his promises. Honesty is part of his code of conduct. People can depend on him.
Loyal – A Scout is true to his family, Scout leaders, friends, school, and nation.
Helpful – A Scout is concerned about other people. He does things willingly for others without pay or reward.
Friendly – A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other Scouts. He seeks to understand others. He respects those with ideas and customs other than his own.
Courteous – A Scout is polite to everyone regardless of age or position. He knows good manners make it easier for people to get along together.
Kind – A Scout understands there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants to be treated.
Obedient – A Scout follows the rules of his family, school, and troop. He obeys the laws of his community and country. If he thinks these rules and laws are unfair, he tries to have them changed in an orderly manner rather than disobey them.
Cheerful – A Scout looks for the bright side of things. He cheerfully does tasks that come his way. He tries to make others happy.
Thrifty – A Scout works to pay his way and to help others. He saves for unforeseen needs. He protects and conserves natural resources. He carefully uses time and property.
Brave – A Scout can face danger even if he is afraid. He has the courage to stand for what he thinks is right even if others laugh at or threaten him.
Clean – A Scout keeps his body and mind fit and clean. He goes around with those who believe in living by these same ideals. He helps keep his home and community clean.
Reverent – A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.

JD, that is pretty much all there is concerning religion in Scouting. Notice nowhere does it define "God". The main thrust of scouting is duty to God and Country, others and self. Self is obvious. Others is just that, everyone. Country is obvious as well. God is whatever a boy, his family and faith define it to be. Basically that you believe in a power greater than yourself and that you are faithful in your religious duites however that is defined by your family and faith.

Honestly, religion is treated like food and sleep in scouting. It is a part of your life that needs to be paid attention to, but it is up to you to decide how to do it. It really isn't a topic of regular discussion other than when a boy is having a Scoutmaster Conference or Board of Review for a rank advancement and might be asked how he is doing duty to HIS God. There are no right answers.

I know a number of boys in my little corner of scouting who make my "gaydar" go off. I've never known of a single boy being kicked out of scouting. For that matter, I don't know of any adults. Again, I'm speaking of my corner of the world. What gets folks in trouble is being an "avowed" homosexual. In other words, the guys who like to stand up and say "I'm queer and proud of it, whatcha gonna do about it". Like it or not, there are still plenty of folks in the world who see homosexuality as a morality issue. Refer to the oath and law above and it becomes self explanatory. BSA is a private organization and the Supreme Court has ruled a number of times on freedom of association. They can exclude gays and athiests........or people with tattoos and mohawks if they wanted to. For the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would want to join an organization that doesn't welcome them.....but that is just me. I'm a Baptist, I have no desire to join a Catholic Church or force them to accept me and my practices.

Like religion, sexuality is a subject that pretty much gets left alone and is left to the family to determine for themselves. Trust me, an adult leader that is all over his wife with public displays of affection in front of the boys would be just as frowned upon as a gay leader talking about his most recent date action. Sexuality just isn't what scouting is about and an openly gay person is kind of like a sexuality sore thumb. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against gays. My sister is a lesbian and my best friend is gay.

I certainly don't speak for the BSA, but I hope my personal experience and insight help you unbderstand. Bottom line, all the hubbub about gays and athiests and BSA are folks outside the organization raising a ruckus. It just isn't a regular topic of discussion in the scouting world.

 

[rightwinger]

My personal posts on this, are mainly concerning gays being allowed in.. and less to do with what denomination is allowed in. I do not contest that they would prefer that people of a certain Christian background be allowed in (as it says, "God"- I am not sure how specific this is trying to be, or nonspecific, either way).. and would probably prefer that Satanists (the people who believe that they are their own gods) and Pagans and Wiccans, etc.. you know- people who believe in a different kind of God, who is not "one" but can be many things, that is.. not be allowed in. Of course, you can always clarify what BSA means when they say they are nonsectarian, and what they mean by "God", etc- as the term is broadly defined as "a deity", or "supreme being", simply put. Different religions call God different things, also- in fact, "Allah" is just the Q'uran's word for "God", and is not the name OF God in their book..
I only bring these questions up, because I am curious as to just how broadly they define "faith in God" and to what extent "nonsectarian" might mean. If you can help narrow this down, that would help my understanding of this issue immensely.

Can you also give us some understanding of the policies on homosexuality, and the background on that, if you know it? It seems to me that homophobia stems more from a Christian-God point of view than any other, and I would like to understand their reasoning behind this "no gays" policy.

Thanks!!

Scout Oath
On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Law

A Scout is:
Trustworthy – A Scout tells the truth. He keeps his promises. Honesty is part of his code of conduct. People can depend on him.
Loyal – A Scout is true to his family, Scout leaders, friends, school, and nation.
Helpful – A Scout is concerned about other people. He does things willingly for others without pay or reward.
Friendly – A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other Scouts. He seeks to understand others. He respects those with ideas and customs other than his own.
Courteous – A Scout is polite to everyone regardless of age or position. He knows good manners make it easier for people to get along together.
Kind – A Scout understands there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants to be treated.
Obedient – A Scout follows the rules of his family, school, and troop. He obeys the laws of his community and country. If he thinks these rules and laws are unfair, he tries to have them changed in an orderly manner rather than disobey them.
Cheerful – A Scout looks for the bright side of things. He cheerfully does tasks that come his way. He tries to make others happy.
Thrifty – A Scout works to pay his way and to help others. He saves for unforeseen needs. He protects and conserves natural resources. He carefully uses time and property.
Brave – A Scout can face danger even if he is afraid. He has the courage to stand for what he thinks is right even if others laugh at or threaten him.
Clean – A Scout keeps his body and mind fit and clean. He goes around with those who believe in living by these same ideals. He helps keep his home and community clean.
Reverent – A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.

JD, that is pretty much all there is concerning religion in Scouting. Notice nowhere does it define "God". The main thrust of scouting is duty to God and Country, others and self. Self is obvious. Others is just that, everyone. Country is obvious as well. God is whatever a boy, his family and faith define it to be. Basically that you believe in a power greater than yourself and that you are faithful in your religious duites however that is defined by your family and faith.

Honestly, religion is treated like food and sleep in scouting. It is a part of your life that needs to be paid attention to, but it is up to you to decide how to do it. It really isn't a topic of regular discussion other than when a boy is having a Scoutmaster Conference or Board of Review for a rank advancement and might be asked how he is doing duty to HIS God. There are no right answers.

I know a number of boys in my little corner of scouting who make my "gaydar" go off. I've never known of a single boy being kicked out of scouting. For that matter, I don't know of any adults. Again, I'm speaking of my corner of the world. What gets folks in trouble is being an "avowed" homosexual. In other words, the guys who like to stand up and say "I'm queer and proud of it, whatcha gonna do about it". Like it or not, there are still plenty of folks in the world who see homosexuality as a morality issue. Refer to the oath and law above and it becomes self explanatory. BSA is a private organization and the Supreme Court has ruled a number of times on freedom of association. They can exclude gays and athiests........or people with tattoos and mohawks if they wanted to. For the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would want to join an organization that doesn't welcome them.....but that is just me. I'm a Baptist, I have no desire to join a Catholic Church or force them to accept me and my practices.

Like religion, sexuality is a subject that pretty much gets left alone and is left to the family to determine for themselves. Trust me, an adult leader that is all over his wife with public displays of affection in front of the boys would be just as frowned upon as a gay leader talking about his most recent date action. Sexuality just isn't what scouting is about and an openly gay person is kind of like a sexuality sore thumb. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against gays. My sister is a lesbian and my best friend is gay.

I certainly don't speak for the BSA, but I hope my personal experience and insight help you unbderstand. Bottom line, all the hubbub about gays and athiests and BSA are folks outside the organization raising a ruckus. It just isn't a regular topic of discussion in the scouting world.

I had a similar experience. It generally just never came up. Religion was left up to the boys. Sexuality, either homo or hetero never really came up except all the boys call each other gay.
I have seen many leaders in scouting who were in their 40s, never married and may or may not have been gay. Nobody asked and nobody cared. It is the open calling attention to your sexuality that gets you kicked out.
I have already said that I thought the position of the scouts on this issue was wrong. But they do much more good in so many areas, I would say just give them time