The BSA and Vegetarianism
During NPR’s afternoon news show All Things Considered yesterday, Robert Siegel interviewed a young Eagle Scout, Darrell Lambert, who happens to be an atheist. The young man in question is in danger of losing his membership in the Boy Scouts because of his refusal to acknowledge belief in a Supreme Being. Of course, he objects to this. He says, “…telling me I can’t pick and choose which parts of the Scout Oath that I abide by, well, the Scout Oath, if you read into it more, says that you’re supposed to be physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight, and, um, you know, you’re supposed to avoid the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other narcotics. Well, you know, are they going to start kicking out people for not exercising regularly, and for, um, people that may smoke and drink on their own accord? They have a legal right to smoke, if they’re over eighteen, but are Boy Scouts going to start kicking them out ‘cause it dosen’t go by the Oath?”
IS ANYONE ELSE ANNOYED THAT THIS FELLOW IS MISSING THE POINT? The BSA can set their own rules, and force members to abide by said rules. If every Boy Scout is supposed to wear pea-green knee socks on Wednesday, the BSA has every right to exclude boys who do not do so. Much like the Augusta National golf club, the BSA is a private, self-governing organization.
A “Catholic” who rejects one small part of the teachings of the Church is not a Catholic in good standing. (Pick and choose? Like the teachings on contraception? Abortion? Divorce vs. Annulment? &c, &c.) Likewise, a “vegetarian” who eats double cheeseburgers is no vegetarian just because he claims to be. What has this to do with the BSA? MEMBERSHIP IS VOLUNTARY. This boy is not required to be a Boy Scout. If he chooses to join the group, one would think he would embrace the beliefs of the group, or else find someone else to teach him to build fires and tie knots.
Someone else can blog about whether or not the BSA’s policy is moral or Christian, and whether opportunities for conversion are missed because of the policy…