Comments on: Re: Scouting for All http://www.jeremyprivett.com/blog/archives/re-scouting-for-all/ Programming and Life Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:01:20 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Lewis http://www.jeremyprivett.com/blog/archives/re-scouting-for-all/comment-page-1/#comment-1545 Lewis Sat, 03 Mar 2007 17:40:28 +0000 http://www.jeremyprivett.com/archives/re-scouting-for-all/#comment-1545 That sounds like it just means you must respect other people's beliefs. That sounds like it just means you must respect other people’s beliefs.

]]> By: Brian Westley http://www.jeremyprivett.com/blog/archives/re-scouting-for-all/comment-page-1/#comment-1485 Brian Westley Mon, 26 Feb 2007 16:30:07 +0000 http://www.jeremyprivett.com/archives/re-scouting-for-all/#comment-1485 The UK is a bit strange; atheist kids can presumably be members (since the UK scouting association explicitly says that no youth will be denied membership on various criteria, including 'religious belief', but then goes on to say that youth can't join if they 'deny the spiritual side of human beings', whatever they mean by that). Adults are explicitly excluded in their ironically-titled 'Equal Opportunites Policy'. The UK is a bit strange; atheist kids can presumably be members (since the UK scouting association explicitly says that no youth will be denied membership on various criteria, including ‘religious belief’, but then goes on to say that youth can’t join if they ‘deny the spiritual side of human beings’, whatever they mean by that). Adults are explicitly excluded in their ironically-titled ‘Equal Opportunites Policy’.

]]> By: Lewis http://www.jeremyprivett.com/blog/archives/re-scouting-for-all/comment-page-1/#comment-1484 Lewis Mon, 26 Feb 2007 15:24:14 +0000 http://www.jeremyprivett.com/archives/re-scouting-for-all/#comment-1484 In the UK atheists can be scouts, I think. In the UK atheists can be scouts, I think.

]]> By: Jeremy http://www.jeremyprivett.com/blog/archives/re-scouting-for-all/comment-page-1/#comment-1476 Jeremy Mon, 26 Feb 2007 05:20:08 +0000 http://www.jeremyprivett.com/archives/re-scouting-for-all/#comment-1476 Actually, I'm editing the entry at the moment. I had a bit of a misunderstanding. Actually, I’m editing the entry at the moment. I had a bit of a misunderstanding.

]]> By: Brian Westley http://www.jeremyprivett.com/blog/archives/re-scouting-for-all/comment-page-1/#comment-1475 Brian Westley Mon, 26 Feb 2007 04:57:16 +0000 http://www.jeremyprivett.com/archives/re-scouting-for-all/#comment-1475 Well then, I have to question why you didn't immediately leave scouting as soon as you became an atheist. Why is it acceptable for you to be an atheist in scouting, but not for someone else? That's the very definition of a double standard. If you agree with scouting's principles, why didn't you follow them? How can you be a "proud scout" when you failed to uphold the oath and law? And the BSA is hardly principled; even when they were kicking out atheists as a private club, public schools were the largest sponsors of cub scout packs. Any honest organization would have stopped accepting government sponsorship immediately, because public schools obviously can't operate "no atheists" private clubs, but the BSA had to be threatened with lawsuits to get them to stop. Well then, I have to question why you didn’t immediately leave scouting as soon as you became an atheist. Why is it acceptable for you to be an atheist in scouting, but not for someone else? That’s the very definition of a double standard. If you agree with scouting’s principles, why didn’t you follow them? How can you be a “proud scout” when you failed to uphold the oath and law?

And the BSA is hardly principled; even when they were kicking out atheists as a private club, public schools were the largest sponsors of cub scout packs. Any honest organization would have stopped accepting government sponsorship immediately, because public schools obviously can’t operate “no atheists” private clubs, but the BSA had to be threatened with lawsuits to get them to stop.

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