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Boy Scouts

Discussion in 'Other Discussions' started by tamborine lady, Mar 2, 2014.

  1. tamborine lady

    tamborine lady Active Member

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    I have a discussion going with a young man about Boy Scouts. I had given a post about some other organization for young men, and he said it was not very Christian to take our kids out of Scouts because kids with alternitive lifestyles were coming in. What are scriptures to refute that?
     
  2. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    The better question is how he believes scripture supports his view.
     
  3. tamborine lady

    tamborine lady Active Member

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    His premise is that Jesus ate and hung out with sinners, so what's to say that the new kids won't get saved. (BTW, the young man, though raised as a Christian, says he is an atheist now)
     
  4. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    The problem is it costs money to support it and we do not support homosexuality.

    2Co 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
    2Co 6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
    2Co 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
    2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
    2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
     
  5. ktn4eg

    ktn4eg New Member

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    There are (and have been) other less offensive youth organizations to which we can (and should) direct our young men and women.

    Such groups as Trail Life USA (a "more Christian" alternative to the Boy Scouts) is one of them.

    Another "church-based" youth organization is AWANAs ( Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed [As per Paul's advice to Timothy found in II Timothy 2:15] ). My church ( www.lighthouseministries.org ) sponsors an AWANA organization. AWANAs focuses primarily on Bible Memorization and other such "church-based" efforts such as supporting and encouraging missionaries at home and abroad.

    As a former Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Explorer, I'm deeply saddened to witness the moral decline and eventual demise of the Boy Scouts. Many Scout Troops either are directly sponsored by, or use the physical facilities of churches. If this trend continues, many churches will be forced to completely sever their ties with the Boy Scouts.

    While it's been many years since Yours Truly raised his hand and recited the Scout Oath:
    "On my honor I will do my best, To do my duty to God and my country, and obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight [emphasis mine]," I'm deeply saddened to see what was once a very noble organization for boys and young men proceed down the slippery and very tenuous slope of accepting and embracing the sinful lifestyle of homosexuality--a lifestyle that the Word of God clearly condemns.
     
  6. tamborine lady

    tamborine lady Active Member

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    Trail Life U.S.A. was the one I was telling people about. The guy I'm talking to knows what the Bible says, but doesn't understand what it means. Says Paul and Jesus' teachings are contrary to each other. So I guess I will continue to pray that God puts someone in his path that he will listen to.
     
  7. FriendofSpurgeon

    FriendofSpurgeon Well-Known Member
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    Really???

    Here are the membership requirements ---
    www.scouting.org/MembershipStandards/Resolution/Resolution.aspx

    Not sure why anyone would want to pull their sons out of this organization because of this.

    Scouting is a wonderful organization. Very glad that I - and my son - have been involved.

    I am familiar with AWANA. Good organization. Does not compare to scouting.

    Signed ---

    Parent of an Eagle Scout
     
  8. tamborine lady

    tamborine lady Active Member

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    So you don't mind if boys with alternative life styles are allowed to go on trips with your kids and are exposed to things they may not be equipped to handle? :tonofbricks:
     
  9. ktn4eg

    ktn4eg New Member

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    The AWANA organization ( www.awana.org ) primarily focuses on Bible memorization and other activities that churches take on.

    The Boy Scouts ( www.scouting.org ) tend to focus more on outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, etc.

    The Boy Scouts started out as an organization that had noble goals, but as time progressed it started down the slippery slope of accommodating itself of "political correctness," due in part to the fact that many of its corporate sponsors encouraged it to be a breeding ground for social engineering our young boys and young men to conform to sinful and unbiblical patterns of life.

    Unfortunately, I don't see that ungodly trend being reversed to any great extent.

    While individual Cub Scout Dens and Scout and Explorer Troops have always had their own individual challenges and problems dealing with boys who seemed to yearn to be someone "different" than the God Who created them to be, the fact remains that, at least on the national level, little (if anything) will be done to reverse this ungodly trend.

    Many of us who either wore the uniform of the Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts or Explorers, or were parents or close relatives of these young boys and young men, will find little (if any) solace when they learn of the way things appear to be trending in these organizations at the national level.

    Sigh.....:tear:
     
  10. FriendofSpurgeon

    FriendofSpurgeon Well-Known Member
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    Actually, nothing close to that ever happened and all I can do is go by my experience with scouting.

    Cub scouts are up to 10 years old. Pretty much a non-issue at that age. There were very few overnight trips. When they did happen, there was significant parental involvement - with most - if not all parents going as well. Basically, almost like a large family outing.

    Boy scouts are a bit older. Again, lots of parental involvement, primarily the dads but moms as well. There were a lot of camping trips, with many parents going as well. I personally knew and trusted each of the scoutmasters associated with our troop. Also, we knew the boys and parents as well. These are the kids in our neighborhood, our schools and our churches. That year, we had over 15 eagle scouts - all of whom are fine young men - all of them are now in top universities, including the Naval Academy.
     
  11. tamborine lady

    tamborine lady Active Member

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    Well I guess I am the overprotective type. I just hope nobody lives to regret keeping their kids in scouts. But on the flip side, they have to learn about stuff sometime, so maybe a controlled environment is best.
     
  12. FriendofSpurgeon

    FriendofSpurgeon Well-Known Member
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    Understand. However, my experience - and the experience of every single person I know who have been involved with scounting - is that this has been a non-issue. Churches on the other hand....:tonofbricks:
     
  13. evenifigoalone

    evenifigoalone Well-Known Member

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    IMO--I kinda see where the guy mentioned in the OP is coming from. We're in the world, but not of it. Being Christian doesn't mean holing yourself up at home where it's safe and leaving the world alone--rather, we should be trying to find opportunities to be witnesses to the world.

    But, parents should certainly have the right to pursue alternatives. And true that children and teenagers are impressionable, so obviously if one feels that they're around bad influences then an alternative would be better. Although I wouldn't automatically assume that the troop will have bad influences in it because of the recently changed rule, but then I'm not a parent.

    My younger brother was in the cub scouts a few years ago--my mom was very involved, and I think since she chose to be a part of it as some sort of leader (?) she had to receive some training on how to react to bad situations such as signs of sexual abuse or finding out that some of the scouts were planning on meeting a stranger from the internet.
     
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