Sunday, October 19, 2008

Boy Scouts Missing the Boat

Obfuscate true North, chuck the compass and bury the anchor! Part of the reason I became a Christian is that I was a Boy Scout. Part of the Scout Oath reads, “To do my duty to God and my country...” Repeating the Scout Oath two or three times a week, I thought it might be a good idea to find out who my God was. How could I do my duty if I didn’t know what was required of me?

The final sentence of the Scout Oath states that I will “keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” Today’s Boy Scouts are being taught “how to procure and use condoms.” Just great. How does one keep oneself morally straight without something to measure straightness against?

What if Godly principles were being taught? What if “morally straight” was defined by Judeo-Christian principles?

Duty to God implies principles one lives by. Morally straight can only be understood in the context of God as anchor for one’s soul. Perhaps we’re missing the boat here.

Update: Additional comment from Dillo follows in the comments section. Bottom line: We need to provide a godly, principled and moral response to sexuality, rather than "They're going to have sex anyway...."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

e you a Scout in the United States? If so, your comments don't apply. The BSA is not teaching those things.

The Boys Scouts of the United Kingdom are learning such things. It's limited to their country.

We don't teach that in the Boy Scouts of America.

Anonymous said...

Try reading the actual article from the Scouts Association. It's not about giving young people condoms, but being there for them to talk to if they want to.

Dillo said...

Yes, the B.S.A. isn't (currently)teaching these things. However, I suspect it will not be long until we follow suit.

Commenters are right-Scout leaders aren't handing out the condoms; the actual article only deals with telling the scouts where to get them---.

I maintain that, although scouting should not be afraid to address sexual issues...none of the material referenced strongly addresses "doing my duty to God," nor being morally straight. It follows the cultural norm that "They're going to do it anyway, so let's make it safe for them."

Kaylia Metcalfe said...

Just a question: why is sex immoral?

Can’t one be “morally straight” and be sexually active?

I had a boyfriend in high school who was, oh wait let me think, an Eagle scout or something like that and he was one of the nicest most moral people I ever knew. And we were sexually active. What he chose to do with his body didn’t make him an immoral person…

Although in his case I think he was in the Scouts for reasons that went beyond religion, in fact I don’t think the religious aspects of the Scouts were what had brought himin or kept him there.

Just wondering what your thoughts are.