Boy Scouts to Atheist: Accept A God or Get Out

By Michael L. Betsch
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
October 30, 2002

(CNSNews.com) - The assistant scoutmaster of a Pacific Northwest Boy Scout troop must either profess his belief in a "supreme being" or face banishment from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). However, 19-year-old Darrel Lambert said he's been an atheist since the ninth grade and he's sticking to his convictions.

Lambert's track record with the Seattle-based Troop 1531 is impressive. Throughout his 10-year scouting career he earned 37 merit badges to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout; served as a quartermaster and three-time senior patrol leader; and has dedicated himself to more than 1,000 hours of community service.

For many people, participating in Boy Scouts is considered to be a normal part of American life - something that little boys are just expected to be able to do.

The Scouts themselves are often viewed as being representative of what right in America - teaching young boys to behave honourably, know the difference between right and wrong - and to choose to do what is right, to be helpful, kind and courteous, and helping them develop a variety of skills while building their character. 

The problem, of course, is that they are also an example of what's wrong with America.  They reject gays, atheists and agnostics, which teaches the boys who are a part of scouts that gays, athiests and agnostics aren't "good" enough to associate with.  They also teach that exclusion is acceptable, even if that exclusion is not based on the unique merits or faults of a specific individual, but because of that individuals inclusion in some kind of a demographically undesireable group.

But Lambert is also passionate in his rejection of the existence of any supreme being, even though the BSA's regional Chief Seattle Council informed him that expressing a reverence for Mother Earth would be an acceptable form of worship."

I have to admit, I find more than a bit of irony in this statement, given that Pagan children have had difficulties being accepted into Boy Scout troops. The problem was big enough that the Aquarian Tabernacle Church in Seattle has started their own scouting program called SpiralScouts.

Davis, who serves as the Archpriest of the Wiccan Aquarian Tabernacle Church, said his main argument with the BSA is that the group has refused to recognize Wicca as an acceptable form of worship, but at the same time, the BSA incorporates the symbols of myriad Christian denominations into its Religious Emblems program.

He said the Scouts rejected a Wicca badge that was designed and submitted by a well-known Wiccan priestess.

In response, the BSA stated that: religious emblems are the property of approved religious scouting organizations and are awarded at their own discretion. For example, he said the National Catholic Council on Scouting and the National Jewish Committee on Scouting each have their own unique religious emblem.

"There is no national Wiccan organization," Shields [a BSA representative] said. "So, that's why there is no religious award for Wiccans."

The Covenant of the Goddess, however, which is a national Wiccan organization, offers the Hart and Crescent award to any youths who wish to work for it, and promote it as available to kids who are a part of youth Scouting organizations.

So, what is one to make of all this.  If the Boy Scouts are truly willing to accept any profession of faith, and will accept badges and awareds sponsored by national religious organizations, then why will they not accept the Hart and Crescent award from CoG? 

To a great extent, all of this would just be something I'd consider inappropriate and more than a bit shameful, but within the Scouts rights to do, if it weren't for the fact that, by virtue of holding a Congressional Charter, counting the President as their honorary Commander-in-Chief, being able to come into schools and recruit new member and receive some funding from governmental sources, they are at the very least a quasi-public organization.  As such, they should be required to adhere to all non-discrimination policies on both the federal and local levels.  If they are unwilling to do so, then they should return the charter, end the association with the president, refrain from using schools as recruiting grounds and refrain from taking any kind of public funding.