Should The Boy Scouts OF America Let Atheist In?
Yes
Side Score: 41
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No
Side Score: 12
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2
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What do you mean should they? I was an atheist when I was a Boy Scout. And that was over 15 years ago. In fact I used to make fun of the Christian kids. Once when a few of them were off at a Bible camp me and a couple buddies ambushed them at night. Stood their food and threw have of poop in their tents. Burned one of their tents down. Nobody was in it, we made sure. We didn't hurt them except one kid got his nose bloodied when he confronted me about the whole thing the next day. I bloodied lots of Christians before I was Saved. I am ashamed of that. But now I bloody evil ones for the Lord! Side: Yes
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Well I am an atheist, and a Boy Scout. Most of my troop is aware of it (I'm not in the closet), and as far as I can tell they don't give a shit. It is true that Boy Scouts has some religious aspects but I love the program as a whole and it isn't nearly as exclusively regressive as many frame it as. Side: Yes
They let sodomites in, atheists can't be worse. They might as well let in Satanists and Muslims too. And of course they have to open all the doors for the boys who don't have enough brains to know they are not girls, and vice verse. Now they have to change "Boy Scouts" to "I feel like a Boy Scout Today, Yesterday I was a Girl Scout". Side: Yes
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I'm certain that the membership of the Boy Scouts contains a significant % of atheists already. To believe in some mythical god should not be a prerequisite for enrollment into this fine organization. The Boy Scouts teaches self confidence through self reliance, and comradeship without the nonsensical practise of praying and singing the praises of some big quiet shy man who apparently spends his time zooming around the cosmos. Side: Yes
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This is an issue really close to my own heart. I am an eagle scout and an atheist. I went through the entire process without any religious belief at all. My troop, fortunately, was not very religious and probably would not have cared either way (except for a few parents on the committee board and what-not). The problem is many atheists are kicked out of the scouts and people have even had their eagles revoked. They put in all that work just to have it taken away over something so petty. The BSA was a christian organization in 1950. Now its 2016 and their religious rules are so watered down to the point where they say you just have to believe SOMETHING. You can get by by just saying you think theres some spiritual mumbo jumbo you think is out there governing the universe. So they should just get on with it and dump the religious requirement. They can still keep all the religious programming just make it optional. Side: Yes
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BSA is a federally chartered corporation, so it is neither illegal nor unconstitutional for them to restrict their membership. They also have a lengthy integrated history with religion, with their major sponsors and partners consistently being religious organizations. The values of the BSA are closely connected to religious faith, which is why this is an issue in the first place. It is precisely because their mission is to advance those (religious) values that excluding atheists from membership is not illegal. Nor should it be, in my opinion. Side: No
Oh, please. Christians are not "invading" the LGBTQ+ community anymore than atheists are "invading" the Boy Scouts. And there is no realm of reality in which everyone can do whatever they want, either. Saying that an atheist is entitled to join the Boy Scouts against the wish of the latter necessarily restricts the ability of the latter to choose to do what they want. Side: Yes
The question as phrased is whether or not the BSA itself should privately elect to alter its conditions of membership to allow atheists to join. This does not require any "invasion" by atheists, and may be prompted by the natural shifts in opinion which can occur internally within any organization. Most groups do benefit from a broader and more diverse membership, unless they are expressly hate groups that thrive upon exclusion which I do not think describes the BSA. Side: Yes
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How could it be a book with fictional characters when all 4 gospels were written right around the same time by four different people, who have eight other people in which all but one of all of them was killed for believing in God and Jesus and all having the same story to tell about them. So to me, if they weren't real then I'm pretty sure a couple of them would have finally said, you know what I lied and so did everyone else. Just think about it. Side: No
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All my children are grown up. In September I will be a Grandfather, if God wills it. You filthy atheists will not get the chance to corrupt my children. I have taught them well. I got to them early in life, before they knew anything about this world. If atheists are allowed to lead the youth, where do you think they will lead them? You were created. If not directly, your ancestors were. They were given the ability to create more life. That's how you got here scumbag. You've got to stand for something
Side: No
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