Baptists plan exodus from Boy Scouts

[brooklynite]

CNN:

For Southern Baptist pastor Tim Reed, it was Scripture versus the Scouts.

“God’s word explicitly says homosexuality is a choice, a sin,” said Reed, pastor of First Baptist Church of Gravel Ridge in Jacksonville, Arkansas.

So when the Boy Scouts of America voted to lift its ban on openly gay youths on May 24, Reed said the church had no choice but to cut its charter with Troop 542.

“It’s not a hate thing here,” Reed told CNN affiliate Fox 16. “It’s a moral stance we must take as a Southern Baptist church.”

Don't let me block the exit.

[demwing]

1. Now if the LDS Church would get out of the Scout business as well /nt

[longship]

5. ^^THIS^^

LDS are huge supporters of BSA.

As an atheist former scout, I object to their insistence that members be believers.

[rug]

2. In other news . . . .

Catholic Leaders Urge Support For Boy Scouts After Shift On Gays

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/catholic-leaders-urge-support-for-boy-scouts-after-shift-on-gays_n_3369669.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

[skepticscott]

7. Wow, you mean Catholic leaders like

the pope, cardinals and archbishops??

Oh...wait...

[rug]

8. I don't think the College of Cardinals has issued a statement on U.S. Boy Scouts.

Sorry to disappoint you.

[skepticscott]

9. It would be impossible

for the College of Cardinals to disappoint me on this issue, since I expect hard line anti-gay bigotry and discrimination from them for the foreseeable future. The question is why this headline is anything significant with regard to the RCC position on gays, since it doesn't involve anyone of any moment.

[rug]

10. This is what is significant.

(RNS) The U.S. Catholic Church’s top liaison to the Boy Scouts of America is telling Catholic Scout leaders and troop sponsors that the BSA’s new policy welcoming gay Scouts “is not in conflict with Catholic teaching” and they should continue to support scouting programs.

At the risk of fueling your disappointment, it is also significant because it rebuts this:

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2013/05/31/liberal-catholic-group-petitions-against-bremerton-priests-anti-gay-letter/

Read his letter. It is beyond vile.

http://starofthesea.net/index.php/our-parish/blog/626-fr-lappes-response-to-new-boy-scouts#

[skepticscott]

16. Since the BSA is not part of the Catholic church

and since the RCC has no competence to dictate their policies in the first place, I'd say the significance is minimal, especially since this is not an expression of full and enthusiastic support, or even one saying "good, its about time", but simply one stating the rather obvious fact that the Catholic Church has no teachings that forbid the Boy Scouts to have gay members. Whoopee.

[Warren Stupidity]

3. Go with god.

[stopbush]

4. So, "choosing" to be gay is bad, but choosing what religion you'll follow is ????

I'm so sick of religionists equating morals with religion.

[dimbear]

6. "It's not a hate thing" he says on TV.

Evidently we're getting under his skin with the truth.
Why bother to deny an accusation if it isn't widely believed?

Anyway, understandable why you abandon your flock. Looks like rain.

[rrneck]

11. Fuck off then. ntt

[Thinkingabout]

12. Since Jesus taught us to love everybody I wonder where this monister stands on this one.

Maybe I don't remember correctly but Jesus even reached out to all, the SBC is going very radical like the Muslim brotherhood, I was raised in a SBC home but have left because of their radical stands on many issues one of being too quick to use their pulpit time to engage in politics when this time should be used to speak of love Jesus had for all, an hour or so a week and they want to waste it on displaying their radical stands.

[pokerfan]

13. God’s word explicitly says lots of things

http://www.humanistsofutah.org/2002/WhyCantIOwnACanadian_10-02.html

[LuvNewcastle]

14. Southern Baptist churches are individually autonomous.

That pastor speaks only for his own church. There will probably be other SB churches who leave the Boy Scouts too, but they have no say about what other churches decide.

[hrmjustin]

15. Won't miss bigots

[Iggo]

17. Later, haters!