Scouting and religion
The Scouts is a religious organisation. There has been some high-profile controversy about atheists suing them. I was with a troop that met at a local public school in part because my parents preferred it over any of the options that met at churches or private religious schools. There were a lot of actively religious people in the troop, but it never actually seemed to impact the activities. Banks says
While the Scouting organization doesn’t define who God is and defers explanation of the relationship between boys and their deity to their families and religious leaders, it doesn’t allow much wiggle room for those who do not believe in one of the major religions or minor offshoots. So if you are a believer in Ja, Ra, Zeus, Quetzalcoatal, the flying spaghetti monster or a firm believer in using your Sunday morning for doing nothing more than sleeping in, the Boy Scouts do not have a place for you.That, however, wasn't my experience at all. I never mad any secret about my lack of religiousness. No one particularly cared. I also didn't make an asshole of myself, bringing in the ACLU to sue for my right to say the Scout Oath without the word "God."
I actually did make a small issue of it once, my Eagle Scout Board of Review. To earn each rank, you have to pass a Board, who make sure you have fulfilled the requirements and you're developing your skills in the right way. At the junior ranks, you're reviewed by senior Scouts. At the senior ranks, you're reviewed by adults from the troop. But for Eagle, you're reviewed for the first time by people you don't know, adults selected by the Council.
As I was getting ready for my Board, my parents suggested I be careful not to make an issue of religion, and I didn't plan to. But in the Board, they asked me which part of the Scout Law I had the most trouble with. I paused, gave it some thought, and said "I suppose 'Reverent.'" They seemed surprised. (It seems it was a standard question. A friend of mine, who was headed to the Army shortly after his Eagle Board, told them his biggest problem was 'Obedient.' That was good for a laugh, and they all moved on.) I explained that I hadn't been brought up religious and that I didn't feel it but I understood that other people did. "Don't you ever think about where the world all comes from?" Well, yes. But I think there are scientific answers, even if we don't have them all yet. "Don't you ever think about a higher meaning in life?" Yes, and I'm not really sure what the answer is, but I've never felt I'd find it in religion. "When you're hiking in the Sierra's and you see the beauty and majesty of nature, do you not feel the sense of God?" No. I think it's amazing, and it does fill me with awe, but not a sense of the supernatural. It went on like this for a while, but in the end, they decided that I was "reverent toward God," in keeping with the Scout Law, even if I didn't actually believe.
At the time, I was just glad it worked out. Looking back, I think they got it exactly right. Even more, I really appreciate the fact that they did. I hope the whole Scouting movement can see things the same way.
Scouting and homosexuality
I don't have any personal stories about Scouting and gays. I think that, at the time, I would have been pretty uncomfortable with a gay Scout leader or fellow Scout. But now, I'd like to see Scouting open up. I have gay friends, some of whom are parents. If their kids wanted to get into Scouting, I'd like to see them welcome. And if my (hypothetical) kids were in their troop, I'd be happy for them to act as troop leaders.
The Scouts have argued that homosexuality contradicts the Scout Oath's obligation to be "morally straight," but I would argue that begs the question. It should be less of a stretch for them to decide there is nothing immoral about homosexuality than it was to decide that I was reverent. I'm far from a moral relativist, but there's nothing in the Oath or Law that rules this out.
The bigger question, of course, is the reaction of the many parents and Scouts who may not have gay friends or may not have become accepting of homosexuality. According to Banks, the LDS Church (which is a hugely disproportionate supporter of Scouting) has threatened to leave if they are forced to accept gay scoutmasters. I imagine they wouldn't be the only ones. I wouldn't want to see Scouting forced into anything, but, as I said earlier, I'd like to see them decide on their own to accept gay Scouts and leaders.
Neither of these changes will be easy for the organisation, and they may not be popular, but according to the Scout Law, A Scout is Brave.
