It's been just over a week since the Boy Scouts of America have rescinded
their decision to ban openly gay boys from scouting. Now mind you that
written policy is only just over 20 years old. When I was growing up
no such policy, neither for nor against, existed in scouting. Honestly
the day they added it was the start to the problems today. But I
digress, but that's not where I wanted to go, what I wanted to go with
is the reaction of many organizations since that vote.
The
organizations want to quote Gods hatred of certain acts, especially
homosexuality, for grounds to drop scouting. "It's a sin and we can't
have it!" Where is the "morally straight' in scouting? So I'm going to
use the WWJD here.
Matthew 9:9 - 13 tells us Jesus
would sit at the table and eat with prostitutes and tax collectors (what
more vile type of sinner was there?).....and then the Pharisees
couldn't stand it...it's vile ...it's unclean...what the heck is He
thinking????? THOSE ARE SINNERS! Oh my!
Wow, the
hypocrisy of it all. I am a sinner! In my almost 50 years I've never
met someone face to face that is not a sinner. I am oh so grateful for
the mercy that God has granted me in my sins, and the future mercy He
will grant for all the times I'll fail in the future.
I
think in almost every ones case there is a sin we struggle with every
day for the rest of our lives. Alcohol, gluttony, anger, coveting,
lust, etc, etc, etc. And yet we forget that Jesus told us in John 8:7
that only those without sin should cast the first stone. Well folks,
that's not me, and truth be told, that's not you either.
Look
a boy in their teens (even into their early 20's) often don't have a
true clue to their sexuality. Their brains are still trying to process
all the hormonal adjustments that come along with puberty and the
barrage of sexuality that our society dumps on them. And until the
1990s the boy scouts had no, none, zero place in any sexuality (not
heterosexual or homosexual). And the removal of the statement banning
gay boys basically takes sexuality out of scouting again. It is not an
approval of homosexuality, it's the removal of sexuality in our scouting
programs all together.
The Southern Baptist
convention will vote to ban scouting in their churchs in a couple of
weeks. One of the Lutheran churches has put out a harsh statement and
are looking for other alternatives. And several other churches have
dropped units are are in the process of it because of the drop of the
ban in scouting. Wow, I'm glad I'm not a member in any of those
churches, because I would hate to think of what they think of me. I
would surely be branded too as a sinner and be banned.
I
always though churches and the organizations they sponsor were for
sinners to attend. That the whole idea was to allow sinners to come and
learn through acts and deeds about Gods infinite love. That the fact
I'm at church and learning from those ministering or leading the
organization within our church was the first step in building a
relationship with Christ so that I might learn the true love of
God...and after learning that love I will make changes in my life to
align myself with whatever plan God has with me....regardless of what
that is.
Scouting is my ministry in life right now.
It's where God put me to make a difference in 100s of boys lives over
the last decade. I do it through example, through word, through
failures, through success. I do it with the help of others who are also
sinners and struggle through life.
It shames me that
in the name of Christ, the same Christ that I have NO doubt would be
eating dinner with the gay community regularly, these Christian
organizations are banning or turning a back on scouting. But I guess
better that we see the Pharisees in their true light than to be fooled
into believing they really were working in the name of Christ.
Let
the Pharisees pray out loud and beat themselves and quote their laws.
My God is a loving God who tells me to love my neighbor regardless of
their sins. Doesn't mean I have to love the sin, but again, who am I to
judge?
WWJD
Dennis
