The organization began allowing gay youth in 2013 and ended a blanket ban on gay adult leaders in 2015. In 2017, it made the historic announcement that girls would be accepted as Cub Scouts as of 2018 and into the flagship Boy Scout program — renamed Scouts BSA — in 2019.
Gay members? ✅
Gay leaders? ✅
Girls? ✅
Atheists? Um… er… well…
https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2014/10/03/belief-in-god-scouting/
As an atheist scout, I got around that by just lying to them. LOL. I guess I wasn’t a good scout.
Your article is from 2014. 10 years ago all of your other checks were NO as well. I can’t find anything recently about atheists with a quick search, just old stuff like that.
It’s still a core part of their membership:
https://www.scouting.org/
Scout Oath “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.”
More:
https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2018/05/31/bsa-reaffirms-duty-to-god-aspect-of-all-programs-through-resolution-adopted-at-2018-national-annual-meeting/
https://dutytogodbsa.org/portfolio/what-does-duty-to-god-mean/
it is, BUT, if you read between the lines of the requirements, there’s plenty of room for pragmatic atheists (in pragmatic packs/troops). It’s not perfect, but overall Scouting has absolutely embraced inclusiveness.
Not when you’re interviewing for your Eagle they haven’t. Describing how you serve your higher power is still a question at the final interview before receiving it. Either you lie as an atheist, or you tell the truth and don’t get your Eagle. So either violate what it’s supposed to mean to be a scout (integrity and honesty) or you throw away what you’ve worked so hard for for years.
And that’s ignoring the fact that many troops are hosted via churches, especially in southern areas.
I can’t argue with that, but I’d have no qualms about “lying” about a ‘‘make believe’’ thing anyway. Tons of kids get their religious award and then never step foot in a church again. It would be very nice if kids could be honest about it though, even just picking a religion to earn the reward for as an academic exercise should be allowed I think learning about how much of a part religion can play in people’s lives, how it affects their judgement, is a good thing for a person to learn about, and perhaps that’s the final test. Respecting the requirement for the sake of the ceremony maybe. Even a (respectful) atheist would take their hat off in a place of worship if asked to.
Maybe a regional/troop thing or my memory is failing me? My interview in 2017 (Iowa) didn’t have a religious question in it iirc; there was a question on how I’d be giving back to my community. Don’t think my interviewers were extremely religious though.
They would only ask that in a religious troop. There are plenty of troops charted by secular organizations that won’t ask about that.
I wish there didn’t have to be any reading between the lines. They’re sooo close…
Very true. Sadly, probably not something they’ll budge on any time soon, but then again it’s a volunteer organization, so maybe there’s hope.
A big part of Scouting, at the organizational level, is fund raising. Without funds, you can’t afford the uniforms or the events or any of the things that make Boy Scouts a social group.
Historically, the Mormon Church has been a major contributor and facilitator of Boy Scout troops, particularly through the American Midwest and Southwest. Catholics and Methodists are other large scale feeders for the organization. Yes, you can read between the lines. But show up with your “pragmatic atheist” merit badge, and you’re not going to be particularly well received by other troops who came up through religious organizations.
Jews and Muslims haven’t have it particularly easy integrating with the Boy Scouts, either.
If they haven’t made a public statement that they’ve stopped excluding atheists, why should anyone assume they’ve changed their policies?
The rise of secularism
Start a 4-H Club. They’re run by state universities, so they’re subject to all their policies involving inclusivity and each club is centered on a specific topic. Want a camping/outdoor life club? Easy. Doesn’t have to be Ag related.
As a former 4-Her myself, the 4-H extension office in our region is run by a state university, but the clubs themselves are community-organized. Also, many clubs in our area were general, so you could do any topic covered by the extension office and be a part of the club.
I got my God and Country before I became an atheist. I think my dad still has it lol
My two favorite things
Besides family of course
I’m an Eagle and an atheist. I don’t remember being required to confirm a belief. But even though I was part of an organization in a very small very religious town, nobody seemed to care.
I lied as a scout too.
We-Blows? No thanks. You blows. I’m just here for that campfire smell on my school clothes during the weekdays.