After news reports came out today that the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) may drop its national policy banning openly gay members in favor of “passing any decisions on gay membership to the local level,” outrage among Religious Right activists has just begun.
For example, American Family Association spokesman Bryan Fischer suggested the move would allow Jerry Sandusky-like pedophiles to become troop leaders:
Conservative talk show host Janet Mefferd followed suit.
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, which launched a boycott of UPS after the company stopped donating to the BSA for failing to meet its non-discrimination guidelines, said that the inclusion of openly gay members undermines “the well-being of the boys under their care”:
“The Boy Scouts of America board would be making a serious mistake to bow to the strong-arm tactics of LGBT activists and open the organization to homosexuality. What has changed in terms of the Boy Scouts’ concern for the well-being of the boys under their care? Or is this not about the well-being of the Scouts, but the funding for the organization?
“The Boy Scouts has for decades been a force for moral integrity and leadership in the United States. Sadly, their principled stances have marked them as a target for harassment by homosexual activists and corporations such as UPS which are working to pressure the Boy Scouts into abandoning their historic values.
“The mission of the Boy Scouts is ‘to instill values in young people’ and ‘prepare them to make ethical choices,’ and the Scout’s oath includes a pledge ‘to do my duty to God’ and keep himself ‘morally straight.’ It is entirely reasonable and not at all unusual for those passages to be interpreted as requiring abstinence from homosexual conduct.
“If the board capitulates to the bullying of homosexual activists, the Boy Scouts’ legacy of producing great leaders will become yet another casualty of moral compromise. The Boy Scouts should stand firm in their timeless values and respect the right of parents to discuss these sexual topics with their children,” concluded Perkins.
In an email to members, Perkins claimed that any policy change would have “devastating” consequences:
A departure from their long-held policies would be devastating to an organization that has prided itself on the development of character in boys. In fact, according to a recent Gallup survey, only 42 percent of Americans support changing the policy to allow homosexual scout leaders.
As the BSA board meets next week, it is crucial that they hear from those who stand with them and their current policy regarding homosexuality. Please call the Boy Scouts of America at 972-580-2000 and tell them that you want to see the organization stand firm in its moral values and respect the right of parents to discuss these sexual topics with their children.
The Christian Post, whose editor Richard Land leads the Southern Baptist Convention’s political arm, interviewed a top Southern Baptist who said the potential shift in policy “boggles the mind.”
A source who has knowledge of the situation told The Christian Post last week that the BSA’s top executives had met with top leaders at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention, among others, over the last few weeks to inform them of the possibility of this policy shift.
…
“It boggles my mind to think the BSA would make such a move,” said an executive in the Southern Baptist Convention who asked not to be identified. “If they have counted the cost of this decision in terms of relationships and numbers, then I believe they have miscalculated that cost.”
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Didn’t that already happen when homosexuals were being denied?
And we should be suprised why?
lol u have evidence on ur hand : sarcasm
hands
people these religious groups know they are losing they are pulling out all the stops
I wonder if they have those feelings with respect to the Roman Catholic Church?
It is a known fact that pedophiles are more likely to be HETEROsexual NOT HOMOsexual, but then the religious right is usually wrong about everything so why should this be any different?
^^ exactly. did they do the same for their priests?
Religious groups are known for being breeding grounds for pedophiles.
I would warn them to keep clear of Catholic priests if anyone.
I thought the Catholic Church was responsible for molesting kids!
people are still on this one? so dumb! ignorant people will never know the difference between us and actual pedophiles.
How many times have we heard this argument, gays are pedophiles seriously shut the fuck up, I had a family member that was molested by her dad and he was into women…..SHUT THE FUCK UP. Im a lesbian and I will not even date women under 21!
This is why I sometimes want to quit boyscouts. I wish I could be open without being harrassed.
They need to look inside their doors first. They have plenty of abusers.
… LAUGHABLE-”Religious”(?)-RIGHT!!! 96% of molesters are-STR8=known family members/relatives. Check thee FBI statistics, which have been reported for-MANY-yrs.!!!
Dirty Fuckers!
Oh for fuck’s sake, not this again.
oh puleeeze
i knew hey would try shit like this
looks like someone is afraid of the competition… TALK ABOUT THE POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK.
Boy Scouts already has history of pedophilia but it never had anything to do with Gay people
Excuse me While you were talking about gays being pedophiles you left your closet door open and some skeletons fell out
Can we stop being ridiculous for one gosh darn MOMENT!!!
The pedophilies are they ones keeping the gays out, cause we see ya for what you are.
Anyone that believes this is true doesn’t actually know any gay people. I despise purposeful ignorance.
They already have around 50 or more lawsuits now for child abuse….. these are all straight men doing the molesting.
But they are NOT dropping the policy. just letting each council decide to ban us,. so national can wipe their hands and say fight each area on the van.. its not us…
Ugh this just makes me sick to my stomach…
They are right. Children should go to Catholic camp because no one get’s molested there >_>
Um…two words…Catholic Church.
Pedophilia has been going on like forever in the Scouts, committed by str8 scout leaders, etc.
Yes, they blame the gays so they can rape the kids.
Pedophiles tend to be “straight” guys not gays!! Dumbasses!
Sorry but the scouts already have issues with pedophiles. Gay men do not equal pedophiles. I know of many pedophiles that were married or were involved with women. The mentality of these religious groups is ridiculous.
Yup. Priests raping children, anyone?
I had a “friend” on fb say the same thing and best bet I reported him, unfriended him and blocked him. That is complete bs and a sterotype. That is like saying because I am white I will force blacks to be my slaves… (eye roll)
I doubt that it would happen as much as it does in churches by priests and pastors!
Sorry but there has been proven from the youth protection files that have been released that gays are not the perpetrators of any pedophilia whatsoever so they are barking up the wrong tree.
simple answer have a religious right separate group for scouting.
Seriously, I wish I knew how to sue the Boy Scouts for slander. That’s completely what that is, badmouthing millions of people they don’t even know, slandering an entire minority group.
hmmmm then maybe the straight men in the group need to be screened cause there are more straight moesters than gay…and gay equalls pedophilia???? really??? ummmm no it dosent…
Takes one to know one.
and yet their priests are the one molesting boys…….
Churches have been engaging in child abuse ever since religion was invented, long, long long before the Boy Scout movement was established.
Someone needs to drag his nasty ass into court and SUE him for slander!
a perp is a lust thing not a homo or straight thing. wish they would wake up and smell the red wine.
Ummm religious anyone’s don’t get to talk about pedophilia anything…….
The religious right believe the public are imbeciles. Studies have shown repeatedly that gays are not comitting pedophilia on youth, telling the public this because adult str8 males are the pedophiles, just as they are in the catholic church. Wise up people!!
I bet there are more Gay people than Pedophiles in the world. There are about as many Pedophiles as their are Religious leaders or Priests as far as i can see. As long as their are humans their will be defects in their brains and mental illnesses of all types. Just because your father might be a Pedophile does not make his children Pedophiles.
This just in. There are more pedophiles in the religious right than their are with the gay community. That is all. (Beats: Attention everyone. Testicles. That is all.)
Well, *that’s* a laugh, since they already have that. Perhaps the effect will be to *reduce* it!!! Ever thought of that Einsteins?! <3
Because the Catholic church hasn’t had any issues with this… Tell me again why this is a problem associated with gays? Gay does not equal pedophile. People who are attracted to children are pedophiles. Gays are attracted to appropriate aged members of the same sex. Plus, that’s why background checks for troop leaders are helpful. Gay or straight. Last time I checked, the majority of pedophiles are hetero.
If I were in charge of the Boy Scouts, I’d ignore them.
really people. get a grip.
lol look at them acting as if it doesn’t already happen. Silly people.
Actual statistics have proven that the most dangerous men for young boys to be around is Catholic priests. Shouldn’t the religious right be imploring their followers to avoid the Catholic Church? Pedophilia is most often committed by straight men, as it’s not about the sex but about control, kinda like the control these far right groups want to exert on people. I’d be more worried about a young boy being around one of them than a gay scout or scout leader.
Plainly and simply, the religious right are just plain moronic.
When I was 10 I was molested by an outstanding family man who had kids of his own. What is the criteria for becoming a pedophile? Being gay doesn’t constitute an attraction to children. In fact, heterosexual pedophiles are more common as I’ve had the misfortune of being victim to one.
I know more gay priest than gay boy scout leaders. What is this? 1960?
you have to know what pedophiles are before you can accuse anyone of it.
Wait a minute! Didn’t they just get court ordered to release all the pedophile files they already have? Facts be damed
Haha! Most male pedophiles are married “straight ” men!
They think they can scare people with the boogyman! We know better.
this crap just pisses me off. gay men like other gay MEN….not little boys. the flipping ignorance is raised yet again to a new level….
Of course the religious right would make this statement since they are so rabidly and vehemently BIGOTED and HATEFUL. LET’S STOP and THINK WHY the Boy Scouts are selectively relinquishing their BAN on allowing Gays to join their organisation. THEY NEED MONEY. Their sponsors and benefactors are CUTTING OFF FUNDING. GAYS and PARENTS OF GAY CHILDREN need to seriously be AWARE of this development because this lifting of the ban is DISINGENUOUS at BEST! Boy Scouts don’t want your children, THEY WANT YOUR MONEY! Because REICH-WING HATE MONGERS have, by this time, infiltrated Boy Scouts groups, any progressively minded GAY individual or PARENT of GAY CHILDREN should BEWARE of harm that could potentially be inflicted upon them. My response is BBB: BEWARE, BE CAUTIOUS, BOYCOTT!
They should know as religious people commit the majority of pedophilia crimes.
Stupid, Stupid, Stupid.