Why do the Boy Scouts of America (now known as Scouts BSA) continue to
discriminate against non-religious boys by refusing them membership into the BSA?
The Scouts maintain “that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without
recognizing his obligation to God.”
Does anyone really believe that you cannot be a good citizen unless you believe in a supernatural deity? Really!
I maintain that no one can grow into the best kind of citizen who discriminates against
non-religious boys and their families. It is what you do, not what you believe, that
makes you a good citizen.
The BSA still excludes boys solely based on their religious beliefs and that is wrong.
No boy should be deprived of becoming a Boy Scout simply because of a religious
preference. A boy’s ability to tie a proper half-hitch or square knot is not dependent
upon his religious beliefs or lack of them.
The BSA should be promoting sound American values and religious bigotry is not one
of them.
Stigmatizing and excluding boys clearly re-enforces prejudices and helps validate intolerance. It is an injustice the BSA must correct and until it does, it will remain a stain on their reputation and one they will never recover from, nor should they.
The BSA should drop its religious oath and law requirements because it is the right
thing to do. If the BSA insists on standing for bigotry and religious divisiveness, they
should stand alone.
Borden Applegate
Jackson
