Catholic Leaders Urge Support for Boy Scouts Under New Policy on Gays

[KatherineS]

Catholic leaders urge support for Boy Scouts after shift on gays




(RNS) The U.S. Catholic Church’s top liaison to the Boy Scouts of America is telling Catholic Scout leaders and troop sponsors that the BSA’s new policy welcoming gay Scouts “is not in conflict with Catholic teaching” and they should continue to support scouting programs.

“Scouting is still the best youth-serving program available to all youth,” Edward P. Martin, chairman of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, wrote in a May 29 letter addressed to “fellow Catholic Scouters.”

“We should be encouraged that the change in BSA’s youth membership standard is not in conflict with Catholic teaching,” Martin said, asking that “Catholic Scouters and chartered organization heads not rush to judgment.”

...

Following the vote, a number of Catholics said the church should sever its ties with the BSA and launch alternative scouting groups. The Sunday after the BSA decision, the Rev. Derek Lappe of Our Lady Star of the Sea in Bremerton, Wash., announced that he was closing the parish’s scouting program in a lengthy broadside that called gays “loser men” and listed widely discredited reasons why some men are gay.



Catholic leaders urge support for Boy Scouts after shift on gays | Religion News Service-
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[MagicSabbath]

I missed it.
When did the Pope make an official announcement embracing homosexuals and gay marriage?
Given this top liaison is claiming this about Catholic teachings now, I imagine it couldn't have been long ago. Say, before the BSA voted to allow openly gay boys to join?

 

[AMDG]

I missed it.
When did the Pope make an official announcement embracing homosexuals and gay marriage?

The Church hasn't. The act of homosexuality is still called disordered. And since God calls the *act* an abomination, no way can a man sanctify it. Besides that redefining traditional marriage is quite harmful to society, especially children.

Already there is an exodus from the Boy Scouts. Many churches find that embracing homosexuality and gay marriage is contrary to religious principles.

Too bad. RIP BSA.

Catholic teaching on Homosexual Marriage is still the same, just as this site from the Bishops says:

http://www.marriageuniqueforareason.org/

 

[Tallguy88]

I missed it.
When did the Pope make an official announcement embracing homosexuals and gay marriage?
Given this top liaison is claiming this about Catholic teachings now, I imagine it couldn't have been long ago. Say, before the BSA voted to allow openly gay boys to join?

It is immoral to discriminate against people for merely being gay. This is affirmed in the Catechism. The boy scouts discriminated against people for their orientation, regardless of whether they were celibate or not. Now their stance is more in line with the Church than it was previously.

 

[ranpleasant]

It is immoral to discriminate against people for merely being gay. This is affirmed in the Catechism. The boy scouts discriminated against people for their orientation, regardless of whether they were celibate or not. Now their stance is more in line with the Church than it was previously.

Do you really think openly gay young men are going to be celibate? You'll find pork in your pork&beans before you find a openly gay man who is celibate. It may be in line with some cafeteria churches of nice but it is not in line with the Holy Catholic Church.

Ran

 

[AMDG]

Do you really think openly gay young men are going to be celibate? You'll find pork in your pork&beans before you find a openly gay man who is celibate. It may be in line with some cafeteria churches of nice but it is not in line with the Holy Catholic Church.

I think you are right. And a children's and teen's organization should not be about sex at all. And it may be no better than the folks who look askance at every priest because of the priest scandal in 2002, but I'm willing to bet that a lot of mothers are going to think twice before allowing their son's to go to overnight camps in an organization that explicitly is thinking "sex". "Lead us not into temptation."

 

[Davidnic]

There are multiple issues here. Catholic theology does not say gay people are evil. But the act is sinful and disordered. So it can be argued that it is not against Catholic theology to allow openly gay boys to join. However, if the allowing openly gay boys to join is done in a manner that says the orientation is fine as a lifestyle and becomes and issue with boys camping together...then the Church, by diocese decision can say they will not participate.

It can go either way depending on how the policy is executed. It is not, on the face, against Catholic theology. But there are possible problems depending on how it is presented.

There are religious medals and badges for understanding of the theology of your group. I have them from my time as a scout. If the presentation of the policy in actual reality makes teaching and living the faith impossible, then troops may need to change. Parishes have already stopped sponsoring Girl Scout troops because of the support they give planned parenthood.

 

[Tallguy88]

Do you really think openly gay young men are going to be celibate? You'll find pork in your pork&beans before you find a openly gay man who is celibate. It may be in line with some cafeteria churches of nice but it is not in line with the Holy Catholic Church.

Ran

You understand we're talking about kids, right? Puberty is a confusing time. Plus, with society pushing gayness like it is, it will make it even more confusing.

That being the case, should an organization whose goal is to turn young boys into good men just kick them out if they're sexually confused? Even if they really do turn out to be gay, what impact does that have on scouting? Do you think they're going to be having gay orgies or something?

 

[KatherineS]

Decency requires a person or organization to actually do something objectionable before action is taken against them, not gossiping hens speculating things will happen.

The National Committee on Scouting and my Archbishop have both stood with the Boys Scouts under this new policy. God bless them.

Only a small minority has even indicated they would leave the BSA and my view is good riddence to those who go.

As for priests like the one in Washington State, who could tolerate the Boys Scouts even though they do not have a policy on abortion but can't live with them now that they no longer have a policy against gay scouts, I would suggest that he stands gulity of dissent from the Church's teaching on abortion.

 

[Brooklyn Knight]

Parishes have already stopped sponsoring Girl Scout troops because of the support they give planned parenthood.

Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Catholic schools and hospitals, the sooner all these close down, the better. Let some other secular group spring forward in it's place.

In the meantime, I'll continue drinking my beer, using my Hoyt hunting bow, getting fresh meat, and drinking my beer.

 

[TheOtherHockeyMom]

So the Church requires gay young men to be celibate, but you're saying that is not possible, Ran? Is the Church naive, or did God create gay men just to condemn them?

 

[Tallguy88]

I think you are right. And a children's and teen's organization should not be about sex at all. And it may be no better than the folks who look askance at every priest because of the priest scandal in 2002, but I'm willing to bet that a lot of mothers are going to think twice before allowing their son's to go to overnight camps in an organization that explicitly is thinking "sex". "Lead us not into temptation."

Except, scouting isn't about sex. The only reason it was an issue is because the BSA was unjustly discriminating against children because of their orientation. Now that the policy has changed to a more moral one, there should be no effect on the usual business of scouting.

It's like saying that not discriminating against homosexuals the same as promoting homosexuality. It's not. The Catechism says that we can't discriminate against gays merely because if their orientation. The BSA did, now they don't. This shouldn't even be an issue for Catholics.

 

[Tallguy88]

Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Catholic schools and hospitals, the sooner all these close down, the better. Let some other secular group spring forward in it's place.

In the meantime, I'll continue drinking my beer, using my Hoyt hunting bow, getting fresh meat, and drinking my beer.

The boy scouts and girl scouts are secular groups.

 

[Davidnic]

Isn't the National Catholic Committee on Scouting as a group still studying it based on their announcement? The chairman said not to rush to judgement and their current stance is neutral.

Personally for me, I want to see how they implement it. If they do so in a way that says an eventual active homosexual lifestyle is as valid as a heterosexual one...then that's a problem.

If they stay away from any of that and just do the scouting and make sure, just as they would if girls were present, that camp outs and such are not problematic...then I, as a parent, could work with that.

 

[MagicSabbath]

The Church hasn't. The act of homosexuality is still called disordered. And since God calls the *act* an abomination, no way can a man sanctify it. Besides that redefining traditional marriage is quite harmful to society, especially children.

Already there is an exodus from the Boy Scouts. Many churches find that embracing homosexuality and gay marriage is contrary to religious principles.

Too bad. RIP BSA.

Catholic teaching on Homosexual Marriage is still the same, just as this site from the Bishops says:

U.S. Bishops on Marriage: The Catholic Church's Teachings on Marriage

OK, I did not think the church had altered it's stance. Thank you.

It is immoral to discriminate against people for merely being gay. This is affirmed in the Catechism. The boy scouts discriminated against people for their orientation, regardless of whether they were celibate or not. Now their stance is more in line with the Church than it was previously.

I wouldn't think that is true at all about the BSA change in policy.
They've voted to allow openly gay boy's into the Scouts. That is exactly what it means. Openly gay.
There is no condition of celibacy attached to that admission. Openly gay means coming out of the closet as a homosexual. It is not indicative of someone who is celibate.

 

[Brooklyn Knight]

The boy scouts and girl scouts are secular groups.

Yeah, let's just gloss over all those Christian influences as well as policies disbarring atheists and agnostics from joining.

Then again, you thought a Catholic high school was in the wrong for firing a homosexual Methodist who was living with her partner.

 

[Davidnic]

Since the Scouts bar all sexual activity..this is not at odds with Catholic teaching. Like I said the issue will come after it is implemented in other ways of confirming the lifestyle as valid. If that does not happen, then ok.

 

[Tallguy88]

Yeah, let's just gloss over all those Christian influences as well as policies disbarring atheists and agnostics from joining.

They are a private organization not affiliated with a particular religion. That's what secular means: not part of a church.

Then again, you thought a Catholic high school was in the wrong for firing a homosexual Methodist who was living with her partner.

Because they were.

 

[Brooklyn Knight]

They are a private organization not affiliated with a particular religion. That's what secular means: not part of a church.

They are not affiliated with one but they sure are far from being truly secular if they have policies with regards to atheists, agnostics, homosexuals, and there are Christian influences within.

Because they were.

Don't sign the contract if there's something in there that you can not or will not abide to.

 

[TheOtherHockeyMom]

Are Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or Pagan boys allowed to join? I didn't realize agnostics and atheists weren't welcome.