Rick Perry, who has equated the fight against gays in the Boy Scouts to the fight to abolish slavery, told Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council on Friday’s edition of Washington Watch that the Boy Scouts of America’s delegates bowed to “political correctness” and “money” in ending the ban on gay members under the age of 18.
The Texas governor went as so far as to say that God will hold the BSA’s leadership accountable: “they will look back on it someday and be held accountable, so that day will come and they will stand before their maker and be accountable for the decisions that they made.”
Listen:
“I think a loving, tolerant view towards those who have different sexual preference is the ideal position but Scouts has never been about sexuality and my point is that’s one of the reasons I wrote the book, it shouldn’t be. Scouting is not about sex, it’s about building character. But those who wanted to push their agenda have now put parents and young men in the position of making a decision, is this where I want to spend my time? Is this an organization that I do want to be associated with? I think the jury is going to be out for a while.
“I do think that those on that board made a decision that was driven by political correctness, by money and they will look back on it someday and be held accountable, so that day will come and they will stand before their maker and be accountable for the decisions that they made.”
Later in the show, the always eloquent U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) tried to make a joke (or something) about how Boy Scouts might earn a merit badge from an openly gay troop leader.
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Listen:
Perkins: Even before the ink was dry on the press releases the groups pushing this were demanding that they needed more, this was not enough; they wanted to open up the ranks of leadership to those who openly practice homosexuality.
Gohmert: I wonder what you’d call that merit badge.Perkins: I don’t know but I’m sure they’ll think of something.
Gohmert claimed that he is “brokenhearted” over the decision, telling Perkins: “You’re going to allow a situation where a seventeen-year-old guy that’s sexually attracted to other guys gets in a little tent with an eleven-year-old new rookie Boy Scout and they spend the night together, night after night at camp? I mean, come on.” He said that the Boy Scouts only made the move over the possible financial benefits and in doing so ignored the Bible.
Listen:
“I was just so brokenhearted over the vote with the Boy Scouts. You’re going to allow a situation where a seventeen-year-old guy that’s sexually attracted to other guys gets in a little tent with an eleven-year-old new rookie Boy Scout and they spend the night together, night after night at camp? I mean, come on. I thought we were making progress. All I can figure is — I was an Eagle Scout, we share so much of the love of scouting — when you hear what happened, the people I talked to are, ‘well just think there are so many corporations that are holding up their donations and if we will just do this all of that money is going to flow to Boy Scouts.’
“Are you kidding me? Is money the most important thing in life? Gosh no. You’re blessed so much more if you follow the teachings in the little old rulebook we call the Bible.”
