The Boy Scouts of America issued a statement on their website with their new MembershipStandards/Resolution on May 23 (2 days ago) that they will be allowing openly gay students to join the BSA as of January 1st, 2014. Some may applaud this decision, but we are heartbroken over it.
For 103 years, the Boy Scouts has promoted high moral character, upright living, with a focus on doing good, learning survival skills, and encouraging boys to be boys... with strong moral character.
Now, they have apparently decided that strong moral character is no longer important? Since when?
My husband, an Eagle Scout, and our oldest son, who just crossed over to Bear Scout (3rd year Cub Scout) are withdrawing from the scouting organization with heavy hearts.
We aren't opposed to the people who say they are gay - it's the actions we are against, not the people. We're all sinners - gay or straight - but the gay lifestyle is living intentionally in that sin - and some of them so flagrantly that they feel the need to smear it in our faces. We don't push our orientation in their faces with our comments or excessive displays of public affection - and we certainly do not want them pushing theirs in ours.
Love the sinner, hate the sin. We don't hate the people - but we hate the *lifestyle* of men being with men, and women being with women. It is contrary to the Biblical standards we hold so dear, and we don't want this forced into the awareness of our children. As the children mature, we do explain to them about how different people choose different lifestyles than we do - some just different from us, some wrong, some right, but we also stress that it is not our place to stand in judgement. It is, however, our place to stand firm in our convictions and to stand for what is right. This is something the Boy Scouts of America used to be proud to do as well. Why they stopped, what changed all that, is baffling.
I don't get it - why does sexual orientation need to factor in?
Now, for the arguments that the BSA isn't about sexuality - no, it's not. It's about boys being boys and learning to do things in nature, in life... their camping trips and things are supposed to be "safe" from certain kinds of influences - one of the reasons why it's not co-ed, right? It isn't appropriate for a bunch of girls and boys to go camping together, sharing tents with the opposite gender, when they are unrelated. How then is it ok for boys who are attracted to boys to share a tent with other boys? How safe is it (for the straight boys or the gay boys) to go camping in the same tent with another boy who may decide that he has a "crush" on his tentmate, or for a straight boy who is so opposed to the gay lifestyle that there may be bullying? what about if there are 2 or more "gay" boys who decide to go after a straight boy? (it's happened - maybe not in scouts, but I know it has happened - I know a straight boy who was attacked by 3 gay boys and spent much time in intensive care recovering from what they did to him, and he will never be the same *physically* as he was before that time, never mind the emotional and psychological trauma). Boy Scouts is supposed to be safe from all that stuff.
Years ago, I worked as a secretary in am auto glass shop. The tune up shop next door had a gay female who worked there - she decided that she liked me "that way" and really pursued me - even when I made it clear that I was not interested. At. All. I didn't want to be rude to her, but it reached a point that I went to my boss in tears, begging him to deal with her and make her leave me alone (he treated me like a daughter, and at that time, I went to him as a father-figure in need of his help). That behavior was intimidating- at times it was frightening. And yes, I was an adult. I was a mother. I'm not easily intimidated, but she managed to do it with how pushy she was and how forceful she was about if I would "just try it", I'd find that I would "want it". Um. No.
Am I saying that all gay people will be pushy like that? No. Are all straight people pushy like that? No. But some are. Do I want my sons to go on a scout outing and potentially have to deal with that? And if they speak up, will they be accused of being "intolerant" or "hateful" for refusing the advances of a gay person? That's just not fair. But it has happened to others for not being gay or being opposed to the gay lifestyle.
There have been gay scouts (I imagine there are some right now), but they are/were not *openly* gay - it wasn't a topic, it wasn't an issue - but by making it an issue through allowing *openly* gay boys to join the Boy Scouts, it has become an issue. Sex has suddenly become a topic that our boys must have thrown in their faces as a result of this. They are boys. Not men. Not yet. They should be building things, learning about nature, putting up tents, going fishing, doing good deeds... exploring the world. Not exploring sexuality. That is for the adult world.
Boy Scouts used to be a safe place for our boys to grow and learn and explore. Now, it isn't going to be that safe place anymore.
It feels like the leaders who have made this decision (and yes, we did get the survey, filled it out and shared our voice in opposition to this move) have failed. They have failed as strong, moral characters, they have failed as men. They have failed our boys. Shame on them. They should be as ashamed of themselves as we are of them.
No comments:
Post a Comment