And the Pharisees said

It's been just over a week since the Boy Scouts of America have rescinded their decision to ban openly gay boys from scouting.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

Change

So for the 3rd time in my life I'm at the head of an organization as major change is coming about. 

Back 20 years ago I was an officer at the Eagle Lodge in San Antonio voted on and rejected, then later voted on and accepted the first black man in our lodge. 

Fifteen years ago I was president of the Elks Lodge in Gonzales as the National Elks brought the vote to the local level and we had to vote on whether or not to allow women in the Elks.  The vote was against letting women into the Elks that time.  Yet a couple of years later we had our first woman president. 

Now I'm Scoutmaster of Troop 262, liaison for Crew 264, Skipper for Ship 265 and Unit Commissioner for Gonzales serving 5 units, and again change is in the air.  Our 100+ year of excluding gay boys and gay volunteers will be up for discussion and on the ballot for the summer national convention. 

After over 17000 emails, 10s of thousands of surveys filled out by scouters, parents, and volunteers, and general discussions with just scouters (no 3rd party organizations), the scouts have decided to amend part of their membership requirements.  The proposal is to allow boys who are openly gay to be Boy Scouts.  It will not amend the adult membership requirements to exclude gay adult volunteers. 

Can you say let's straddle the fence? 

So now those who are against any gays aren't going to be happy, and those who want gays in scouting aren't going to be happy.  *sigh*

I want to point out 2 things.  First a scout should be courteous.  That means that even if we disagree with someone, their opinions or their ideology, we accept who they are and are civil to them just like we are to ANYONE else.  Doesn't mean we have to like them, or agree with them or what they do, just that we have to be courteous to them.  Regardless of what side of the fence you sit on.

Second, if history is going to repeat itself, and if you read above you'll see where I'm going here, it won't be long till this whole issue is behind us and the fact that some one is gay is no more important as if someone was a woman be 75 years ago when they were excluded in scouting.  Within 5 years of the change the cub scouts will be all new, and they won't even know there was a change.  Even the leaders will have to scratch their heads to remember 'when'. 

I understand the reluctance of some, both on religious grounds and in the fear of safety categories.  And I'm willing to have either a private or open dialogue with anyone who would like to with the end goal that you'll feel better about the decision that BSA is heading in that direction.  Note I didn't say you'd agree with it, but that you'd feel better about it.  Less than 10 years ago I would have been with you making sure scouting never changed, so I know where you're coming from.

By the way, the Eagle Lodge #70 doesn't think twice about a black applicant now.  Elks lodge 2413 has as many active women as they do men running the show, and no one ever talks about the days the women weren't allowed.  It will be nice when scouts won't even remember that we ever discriminated against any group.

God Bless,
Dennis