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Subscribe to RSSA coalition of Boy Scouts councils representing some 540,000 youth asked the national organization on Monday to hold off on determining whether to end the controversial policy banning gay Scouts and leaders, saying it was concerned about the executives’ fast pace on a decision that can’t be “undone.”
The Boy Scouts of America's announcement last week that it may eliminate the exclusion of gays from membership at the national level, leaving the decision to its local units, has led to some soul-searching and a lot of questions among Scouting families and their chartering organizations. Some families have indicated they may leave if the ban is lifted, but many have welcomed a change they feel was long overdue.
The Scouts' began National Executive Board and Committee meetings on Monday, and a decision on the gay ban is expected Wednesday.
The coalition of 33 Boy Scouts councils representing some 540,000 youth, or 20 percent of the organization’s 2.6 million active Scouts, has “united to express our concern about the pace at which such actions are being taken,” according to a statement posted on the website of the Utah-based Great Salt Lake Council. “… we request that a final vote on this policy reversal be delayed to allow other stakeholder’s voices to be heard and a more thorough analysis of the impact on local councils.”
The decision comes just seven months after the organization said it was sticking with the policy following a confidential two-year review of the disputed membership guidelines. That review was announced months after Jennifer Tyrrell was dismissed from her post as leader of her son’s Tiger Cubs den because she is a lesbian, and a few months before California teen Ryan Andresen was denied his Eagle award because he is gay.
Both cases made national headlines for several weeks, roiling the private youth organization. Some critics pointed to declining membership numbers as a sign that families were being turned off over the issue.
Tom Pennington / Getty Images
Will Oliver, an Eagle Scout, Greg Bourke, a former Assistant Scoutmaster, Jennifer Tyrrell, a former Cub Scout den mother, and Eric Andresen, a former Scout leader, deliver boxes containing 1.4 million signatures urging the Boy Scouts of America to reverse the organization's ban on gay Scouts on February 4, 2013 in Irving, Texas.
The coalition, though, said: “While we understand the urge to support those councils who feel that the current policies negatively impact their ability to remain viable we also think that equal support and consideration should be given to those councils whose ability to remain viable will be impacted by adopting the new policy.”
It said the proposed policy “flies in direct contradiction” to the results of the two-year review and noted: “Time must be allowed for accurate polling data to be collected from stakeholders at all levels and all areas in an unbiased way. The voices of existing chartered partners and financial contributors must be heard alongside those of our volunteer leaders and the parents who entrust their children to us. This is a decision which cannot be ‘undone.’”
'Gravely distressed': Religion looms large over Boy Scouts decision on gays
The Great Salt Lake Council also said that it explicitly opposed any changes to the current membership policy without open discussion and deliberation with the various individuals who make up the organization.
When asked for comment about the positions of the coalition and the Great Salt Lake Council, BSA spokesman Deron Smith said in an email: “We recognize, deeply respect and appreciate the sincere beliefs about this issue.”
Advocates on both sides of the issue have stepped up their campaigns ahead of the BSA's final decision: They’ve encouraged their backers to make their voices heard through a phone-in and email deluge, a conservative group, the Family Research Council, said that it and 41 other groups ran a newspaper ad on Monday asking the BSA not to change the policy, and some conservative religious groups have urged their supporters to join in prayer to ask the board not to accept gays.
Tyrrell, of Bridgeport, Ohio, and Ryan Andresen’s father were among a group that delivered petitions to the Boy Scouts' headquarters in Texas on Monday bearing more than one million signatures calling for an end to the policy.
“It’s crucial because they are in the middle of making this potentially historical decision,” Tyrrell, 33, a mother of four children, told NBC News after delivering four boxes filled with the petitions and additional comments to a Boy Scouts' representative. The group had heard the organization has been receiving “a lot of negative feedback” from religious groups and wanted to provide the petitions so the BSA could see that “there are many people that support this and want this.”
“There are 1.4 million Americans that have signed petitions supporting the change in BSA policy,” said Andresen, 52, of Moraga, Calif. “That’s quite a statement. … that’s a lot of people supporting change.”
Tyrrell and other advocates have previously delivered some of the petitions, which Smith said the BSA had accepted, too. “The BSA has received a great deal of feedback from a variety of viewpoints and we appreciate everyone sharing their perspective on this issue,” he wrote.
After years of heartache, gay Scouts and supporters react warily over proposal to lift ban
Andresen’s son, Ryan, 18, is still hoping he will receive Scouting’s highest ranking, the Eagle award, though the journey has done a lot of damage to him emotionally, said Eric Andresen, who resigned as the committee chair of his son’s troop after the problems began. One of the family’s main objectives was to help others, such as boys who may still be hiding in the closet.
“I’m hoping that the board continues to do what’s right and deliberate this week and make the decision that we hope they’re going to make,” he said. “If they don’t, we’ll be back.”
Related stories:
- Gay teen denied Eagle Scout: 'Change is happening' over Boy Scouts anti-gay policy
- Eagle Scouts return badges to protest policy banning gays
- Boy Scouts: We're keeping policy banning gays
If you are a current or former member of the Boy Scouts and would like to share your thoughts on how your troop, pack or council is handling the possibility of a change in the membership policy, you can email the reporter at miranda.leitsinger@msnbc.com. We may use some comments for a follow-up story, so please specify if your remarks can be used and provide your name, hometown, age, Boy Scout affiliation and a phone number.
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Is it "straightboy scouts," or "boy scouts? " I think most molestations have been perpetrated by " heterosexual " scout leaders with "wives" and "normal" families, or can you prove that is wrong? I think not. The difference is that LGBT people choose adults who can choose.
Robert, a person who is 'heterosexual' and has a 'wife' and yet has gay relations isn't actually heterosexual, he's a 'closet homosexual' or whatever term you prefer, but he still is in fact a 'homosexual.' It's not that complicated, regardless of what you call him or he calls himself, you can count him in your ranks because normal people don't want him.
A private organizations choose whom they want to associate with as well.
Hear, hear. Men who are attracted to boys are by definition homos.
What do you call men who are married to women who molest pre-teen girls? Pedophiles, NOT homosexuals. The difference being age of consent. Pedophiles like children who are not old enough to consent. Homosexuals like other homosexuals whom are of the age of consent. Heterosexuals like other heterosexuals whom are the age of consent. Any questions? However, a large percentage of pedophiles marry opposite sex partners... It makes them look like fine citizens and gives them access to their prey, children. Think about it before finding a baby-sitter or leaving your children with anyone...
sheepdog asked "What do you call men who are married to women who molest pre-teen girls?" the same as older women who fool around with young boys ...
Zillions of signed petitions from people who are not associated with Scouting, and who probably don't give a hoot about Scouting, but align with gays, does not represent anything with respect to the organization itself. It is all a big PR stunt. I could probably also come up with 20 million signatures to say the GLBT coalitions should disband, but I doubt whether GLBT would listen at all. Same with BSA - they should ignore this noise because the ones signing the petitions are a very small minority of the population and only a small percentage of the signatures probably have anything association with BSA. BSA should stick to its principles, keep in place policies that protect young boys and ignore this minority fringe.
The BSA released a lot of files not long ago that proved how well they have protected the young boys. The signatures came from taxpayers who are helping fund this program by giving them preferred status and lowered fees to government lands for camping and such. Yes the taxpayers have a right to voice their opinions.
I don't think the Boy Scouts should bend over for the gays.
Just table any decision for about six months. The mainstream media has ADD, in a few months maybe it won't "be cool to be queer".
Gays in Scouting ?
I would yank my kids out of scouts on the thought !
Homo activities are a sin,plain and simple,,,
I dont need any lisp speaking banter on the topic
NBC you make me yawn every time you write articles like this! Fox News > NBC
-1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Thank you for posting my long entry.
The thinking has already been done.. kick the queers to the curb where they came from fyi.
Keep perverts away from kids.
Why would any one feed their kids with carcinogens? The values the Boy Scouts are projecting to the developing child is completely opposite from what homosexual perverts live by and practice.
Do not contaminate the water these kids drink, keep the dirt and sludge out.
Unbelievable, these gay freaks will stop at nothing until they destroy every institution in this country. Note to the BSA, if you reverse your policy on gays you will have effectively destroyed your organization.
Homophobic, Religious based haters everywhere. And I say that with love and admiration that you have to courage to express your blind hatred over a venue where the consequences are autonomous and benign. That is for yourself, not for the ignorant people who read your hate and agree.I Wonder if you have any idea of how much courage it takes to grow up in a hateful environment where to let your "terrible secret"be known is to face the wrath of the true believers of God? Living in constant fear the people sitting next to you will se some tell tale sign that you are, in fact a Homosexual and DOOMED to burn in hell.
That is the origins of the hateful doctrines we hear preached on every Sunday by people so blinded that a person's life has little or no value to the believers. What is so obscenely ridiculous is the text that the current day believer are using is absolutely nothing of the original writings and text. The Old Testament is a vague misrepresented text of a culmination of the Roman's editing that lasted over a thousand Years.
You quote the book of Leviticus and do not know that it was the third book of HEBREW Laws written by Moses to control his tribes of Jews so he could march into Canaan with a sizable military force. You call Homosexuality an abomination, well look or better read the entire Bible to see how many other Abominations there were.
Faith blinded Hypocrites are the worst. You speak of homosexuals raising children, well I am here to inform and enlighten the willing ignorant.
I was a social worker and saw, first hand the fine heterosexual families that tragically abused and used their children and Grandchildren for sexual purposes. I also knew Homosexual couples who were raising children and were more moral than any so called Christians I have ever met. The reason I can say that, The love of the home with the homosexuals was void of the prejudice and blind hatred taught to Christian children.
That is what Religion is all about, blind faith. People like you call something an abomination because you read a verse from scripture and take it as verbatim truth, when the real truth is that there are so many contradictions and perversions of truth in the Bible that it should be classified as historical fiction with the author being the Roman Empire.
Abraham was the chosen of god, right and a wiser man never lived, right? Well he had an Army behind him to enforce his laws. When he went to his sacred altar he built to honor god with blood sacrifices, the results were that what ever he decreed as the laws of God were in fact enforced with the threat of death.
He began the hateful laws of God with his claim that God leveled Sodom and Gomorrah, when the truth is that he , himself destroyed the city states. His brother Lot took a liking to the lifestyle of the city and not following the herds of sheep across the known world as was the Hebrew custom at that time. Abraham decreed the sins and the consequences of breaking the laws of God and he used the destruction of those city states asa lesson for posterity in the written record HE WROTE.
It should be time to leave those hateful writings to history. The founders of our nation gave us protection against Religious tyranny, otherwise they would have written into law the establishment of a state church. Sometime what is not written is just as important as what is written.
Lazarus
And still doesn't trump my Right to Assembly or my Right to Religious Freedom, regardless of what you think or feel.
Absolutely! But when your freedoms deliberately take away the Freedoms promised to EVERY American, you are an Abomination.
The same ancient laws that your faith is based on are the same laws that Muslims use as they stone someone to death, chop off their heads, burn them, Strangle them or however the mob feels is proper at the time.
I have a question for all of you faithful?
Why is it that the Muslims, Hebrews/Jews, Romans/Christians, Protestants all have kept the tenants of faith based in the same source, the Hebrew Writings, when each of these would gladly wipe the others off the face of the earth? The one thing all of these have in common is that they would all unite to erase non-believers from the earth. I guess you could call it the BROTHERHOOD of FAITH. Thank God that China, and India still have opposing views, huh?
The history is written with the blood of innocent people who had the misfortune to come into the vicinity of the religious faithful. Like the Spaniards who destroyed ancient civilizations. The many thousands of years of religious oppression has cost humanity too much to count.
The Greek Civilization fell to the Romans who in one thousand years managed to take all the worlds knowledge and erase the good and replace it with their own interpretation of civilization. They took the good works of Jesus and combined the hateful writings of the Hebrews. Their intent was to use the NT to counterbalance the OT.
The Muslims took control of the Greek land holdings, but the Greeks managed to survive by creating the Orthodox Church. But the heretic teaching of the Greeks old religions were forbidden except in fiction writings.
Do you know that during Abraham's time that they were struggling with the desire of their own people to blend in with local cultures and Pagan religions? That is why the laws of God written by Abraham were so stringent in the price of Sin. The wages of Sin is death. Today the modern preachers like to say this is just a metaphor, but in Abraham's and Moses times, it was all too real.
Death and blood offerings were common to apoint that the people were empowered to take God's laws into their own hands. If you wanted some one dead just accuse them of being a homosexual or working on the sabbath. The angry crowds would do the rest.I say that when you assume the place of God on Earth, you are breaking God's first law. That makes you a heretic.
May God Bless all of you Good Christians and Romans and Hebrews, and Muslims because you are the chosen ones who have the right(in your own minds) to take the life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness away from an American Citizen
Lazarus
You are a pompous fool that I can guarantee has NEVER read the Bible. And, if you claim you have then I can only say you have NO exegetical skills that would help you understand what you have read. Get an education BEFORE you pretend to be intelligent!
Dr. E
Come on LGBTs just form a Gay Scouts of America with the rules you choose and lets be done with this. Obama needs to get back to the real issues at hand like a failing economy and his debt problem.
On second thought, as much as Obama has damaged the economy keep him distracted with this little problem.
They will never do that, because it doesn't normalize their abnormal behavior.
If this is not reversed our troop will drop out and switch to another youth origination yet still teach scouting skills and original values that I learned in Scouting 50 years ago.
The English founder of the Boy Scouts was probably gay. I was molested by a gay older scout. It's not like the great homophobic ban actually keeps gays out, it just keeps honest gays out.
And your proof that Baden-Powell was gay???
Told you so. The BSA are a hate group. Always have been, always will be. Since a majority of their support and more importantly money come from the Church, this is nothing but a publicity stunt. They are a private organization which allows them to discriminate against whomever they wish. These low life scumbags will continue to teach groups of children hatred and intolerance for others for "being different". And I will continue to refuse to support them based on that alone.
So since you knew that the majority of support came from churches, why did you think the response would be anything different?
So again, if you do not like the religious tenants of another organization.............GO FORM YOUR OWN GROUP.
Problem solved.
As I said, I don't agree with them, so I don't support them. End of story. All I'm saying is that this is a private organization with the backing of the Church. Therefore, this whole subject is mute. I was just trying to explain this concept to those who want to force them to do something they don't want to. You can't pass a law forcing the KKK to accept blacks any more than you can change the BSA and force them to accept gays.
Jimbo: BSA is not a hate-filled organization. It does a lot of good for our country and the communities that comprise it. It is a private organization and receives funding from private, non-governmental sources. This includes, but is not limited to, churches. Other civic organizations support the Boy Scouts because of all the good things they do. And if you knew anything about their history, you'd see that unlike the rest of America, the Boy Scouts were racially integrated since their founding. In fact, they are part of an international movement that promotes peace and understanding, and good world citizenship as well as national patriotism. We could use more organizations like these. Perhaps gays will form their own Gay Scouts of America. Then we could have three such organizations for our youth -- one for boys, one for girls, and one for gays.
Remember, according to the Bible it says the eating pork is a sin 8 times, while homosexuality is mentioned 2 times.
So eating a pork chop is a bigger sin than sleeping with someone of the same sex. Only in a fairy tale.
Wrong.
Sexual perversion is mentioned several times, not just two.
AngryAlaskan you need to read a bible. It is true that under the terms of the Mosaic Law given to Israel, pork was forbidden. However, God is no longer relating to mankind under the terms of this covenant. Rather, we are under the terms of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8, for instance). Under the New Covenant, pork is no longer forbidden. Indeed, in Mark 7:14-23, Jesus clearly declares that all foods are clean. The same thing is affirmed by the Apostle Paul in Romans 14.
WRONG! Homosexuality is mentioned SIX times in the Bible! And, Scripture warned the people against eating pork BECAUSE it was part of their heritage and an act of obedience to God. Later on in the book of Galatians the ban on pork and ALL food was lifted. Don't quote Scripture like you know what it says when you CLEARLY do not!
Dr. E
drmark-1310601 I don't care what you say. You're just another liberal on here who thinks they know everything! Get a life bro!
JOEOSU - What? Are you nuts! I am anything but a liberal, dumbazz! I believe homosexuality is WRONG and sinful - if YOU don't then YOU are the LIBERAL!
Dr. E
If you are truly a religious organization, keep the ban, keep the ban, keep the ban.
I am not a homophobe. I do not hate gays and I do think they should have some
rights. Be gay, be a couple, call it marriage if you like. I don't care. But
I will not have anything to do with your wedding. I am also against things like
gay adoption.
To those who consider themselves to be both gay and Christian, and also to
those who support gay rights in the church, I have this to say. You know very
well that God uses the word "detestible" to describe homosexuality. I also have
this to say, "I am not your enemy." Your enemy is the friend who tells you ,"Be
proud that you are gay." He wants you to be proud of something shameful and
sinful. He will take you down the wide road with him. You will laugh all along
the way. When you get to the edge of the cliff at the end of the road, like
lemmings you will all jump into the black abyss.
Homosexual Christian, repentance is admitting you are wrong, giving a sincere
apology and making an effort to change yourself. If you do not admit that being
gay is wrong then how can you repent of it. If you tell people to be proud that
you are gay, how can they repent of it. If you do this you are calling God a
liar just like the devil did and does.
I have this to say about homosexual weddings in the church. A Christian
marriage is holy and it is between a man and a woman. A Gay wedding is unholy
and an abomination if done in the church. Churches that support gay marriage in
the church are an abomination and people should flee from them. Gay priests are
an abomination. I would imagine gay priests that get married in a gay wedding
would make God want to vomit and this is going on.
Gay men and gay supporters in the church, repent. Are you a lemming or do you
admit it when you are wrong? Jesus wants sincerity and that takes admitting when
you are wrong. In the book of Romans, God gives the homosexuals a disease. God
does not like homosexuality. The Bible also says clearly in the New Testament
that homosexuals will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Those who tell you to be
proud that you are gay are your enemy. If you do not admit that what you are
doing and the activity that you support is wrong, there is no repentance. Didn't
Jesus say "repent." Which is love? That which supports things that are evil or
that which supports righteous actions. You decide.
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Something I was wondering, If God gave AIDs to the Homosexuals, then what about the new strain of Gonorrhea? I bet that is the new Heterosexual plague that God sent down just for you? I hear it is resistant to all drugs and is the gift that keeps on giving. God Bless you good People!
Lazarus
Lord Baden-Powell would have been so ashamed to know that the wonderful organization he founded has been hijacked by godless perverts.
This isn't about BSA allowing gays into their ranks.
Because if gays didn't like the BSA, they would start their own group.
But by starting their own group, it would be known as a gay association.
So they only want to be in the BSA because it normalizes their abnormal behavior.
Just like Abraham Lincoln would be ashamed and embarrassed that his republican party has been hijacked by the American Taliban and other religious zealots.
I will not accept my Eagle Scout if this goes through.
Homosexuals make me uncomfortable and I view it as morally wrong. Why do people force it on us to accept gays? Yeah, we live in a world where gays are accepted but that doesn't mean every aspect or group in our lives has to include the presence of gays. Nobody really asks what we scouts want only what the parents have to say, How not allowing gays divides us. Well the truth of it is, is that this is being pushed on us to take it. I have no problem with gays as SCOUTS as long as they don't call attention to it or cause problems. NO GAY ADULTS, This will only create future problems
If god intended for us to be homosexual we would have totally different anatomies.
ZBM-
Ignorance and stupidity make me uncomfortable. Can I ask the world to have you segregated out as well since I think you chose to be stupid, and I'm convinced it's not just natural.
Seems like you have a great amount of growing up yet to do, not to mention learning that some people are different, not by choice, but by birth. And if you really believe in a God, then they 'created' gay people along with you as well. Maybe it's one of God's tests for you. Learning to accept and respect the differences in others and letting them live their lives as they see fit, without being challenged on something as basic as who they love.
Grow a pair and keep your morals out of other peoples lives, since you are going to encounter a lot of gay people and you won't even know it. You pass judgement on them, you might very well be surprised they one day may have the ability to pass judgement on you too....and for something as basic as being hired for a job, a promotion or to need their help, or even to perhaps....save your life.
Now it's going to be messed up. They are going to molest your little boys and try to turn the girls against boys so that they will never have a normal relationship as an adult. This country is unbelievable!
We don't have to accept gays in no way. If they want a gay boy scouts then all parents whose child is straight take them out and make it to where it is only gay then the boy scouts can be called girly boy scouts and their uniforms can be feminine with frills and lace. I have no respect for the boy scouts so I won't even capitalize their name.
Heed my warning BSA - IF YOU ALLOW THE PENIS SUCKING, SPERM SWALLOWING, ANUS LICKING, PERVERTS to be a part of the BSA I will do my best to collapse your organization. I have a network of over 38,000 organizations.....WE WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Dr. E
Dam you republicans are STUPID, READ ad GD BOOK you FKing MORONS
Homosexuals are NOT molesters, Most Molesters are heterosexuals.
Homosexuality is alive and well in the Animal kingdom, about the same percentage as humans.
YOU WOULDN'T know that though, your ignorant and uneducated because of RED states PISS POOR educational System.
AND THAT IS BUSH's FAULT.
WRONG! Per Capita homosexuals are MUCH MORE likely to be pedophiles than heterosexuals. FURTHERMORE, we are HUMANS not ANIMALS, idiot! Animals also EAT FECES, VOMIT and THEIR OWN YOUNG! Your comparison is beyond STUPID! The fact is, homosexuals are filthy: they suck penis', lick anus', swallow sperm, etc. NO WONDER THEY ARE STILL THE CHIEF spreader of AIDS.
Dr. E
Homosexuality in the animal kingdom is about domination. It is about one male animal showing another male animal he can do anything he wants to him. It is designed to make the receiving animal feel inferior.
Michael from Falls Church
Bingo I think you hit the nail on the head. It's about control. Whole F*ing world has become a sick bunch of voyeurs thinking out loud.
"Homosexuals are NOT molesters,"
That may be true, but neither are most heterosexual males, but you wouldn't let a man into a girl's locker room, even if he isn't a child molester.
Oh, and by the way, polygamy and incest also appear in the animal kingdom.
Argumentative, approximately 90% of all pedophiles/child molesters are heterosexual, married men (probably a lot like you); they are attracted to the age, not the gender, and will prey on whichever gender is readily available to them.