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Redstate
I Have No
Problem With the Boy Scouts’ Decision
By Erick Erickson
May 24th, 2013
The Boy Scouts of America have decided to keep the ban on gay scout
leaders, but allow gay young men to participate in scouting. The vote
was not even close. More than 60% voted to end the ban.
I have no problem with this. While I would have voted against it, if a
majority of scouts want that, that is fine with me. Their institution
is allowed to evolve as they see fit. My father was in the Order of the
Arrow. He spent a number of years fundraising for the Boy Scouts. I was
in the Boy Scouts growing up in Dubai. It has been a wonderful
organization.
My son will not be in the scouts. While I have no problem with the
scouts allowing in self-identified gay youths, and I believe churches
should welcome in gays, I do not believe an organization that works to
foster morality and strong character in young men can continue to do so
while allowing in young men who identify as gay if the homosexual act
is to still be considered a sin.
To be sure, being gay is not a sin. All of us have temptations. But to
act on that temptation and engage in sin, is sinful. We live in a day
and age where many expect the government to subsidize birth control
because sexual behavior in and out of marriage is the norm. Society no
longer recognizes homosexual behavior as a sin, nor does it recognize
sex outside of marriae generally as sin. Government now subsidizes the
behavior.
While churches should not turn away gays and should preach the full
Gospel to us and them and require us all to repent, an organization
like the Scouts will no longer do so in the context of teaching healthy
morality and character to young men. The moral component to the Scouts
will collapse in favor of knot tying, tent pitching, and badge
collection.
While being gay in and of itself is not a sin, we fool ourselves to
think that secular society does not rapidly then move to the act itself
as another form of normal. The truth is, for Christians the homosexual
act is a clear sin and an organization such as the scouts that lets in
gay scouts will not long maintain its compass in declaring the scout
fine, but his conduct not. The scouts will lose that distinction just
as society has and will, over time, allow gay scout masters. The wall
is breached and cannot be repaired.
They are entitled to do so. They have chosen to conform to society. I
can choose to not support them. Other organizations will arise to
compete.
We live in a day and age when the Christian call to love the sinner,
but hate the sin, conflicts with the world’s call to love the sinner
and his sin. That is a bridge too far for me…
Read the rest of the article at Redstate
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