Among the famous quips attributed to the great Groucho Marx is his oft-quoted line that he'd never join any club that would accept him as a member. The man-on-the-street's corollary to such Marxian theory is the less-humorous but more-frequently confession: "I know where I'm not wanted."
Once in a great while, an organization which formerly rejected certain hopefuls from joining it makes an about-face and softens its strict --most would say biased--criterion and accept the erstwhile pariahs, though not, we hasten to say, with opened arms. This is what happened recently within the Boy Scouts of America, which after a century of existence, decided to admit openly gay young men into its membership. It's about time-- we might say, while the BSA maintains its long-standing ban against allowing gay men as scoutleaders.
But no sooner than the door opened, a multitude of windows banged shut. Some Southern Baptist churches in the United States are staging a mass defection, withdrawing their association with the scouts rather than follow the new direction. In other words, they'd rather quit than allow some kids to become Boy Scouts. The reason they give for such cruel discrimination is religious. According to an AP report of 6/5/13, one associate pastor says, "We're a Bible-believing church, and the Boy Scouts have opted to pursue a different moral path."
"A different moral path"? Really? Over the decades, the Boy Scouts have maintained a "squeaky clean" image, instilling values of helpfulness,charity,environmental consciousness, patriotism and most of all, fairness. By no longer discriminating against potential scouts who happen to be gay, they are going beyond mere tolerance toward the higher plane of acceptance. If anything, the Boy Scouts are following, rather than flouting the Scriptures: loving their neighbors as they do themselves. (Or at least making the attempt.)
What's missing from the argument of the Southern Baptists is the Christian idea(l) of an all-loving God. As Dr. Martin Luther King once stated, "Every man is equal because he is a child of God." So, the question arises: is this the way to treat a (literal) child, with rejection, cruelty, and hatred? If a boy happens to be gay, he had no choice --moral or otherwise-- in the matter; this is the way God made him. Why should he be made to suffer for it?
Additionally, the boy may be already suffering the pain of rejection and intolerance. Schoolyard bullies have a tendency to target gays (or those perceived to be gay.) What is a kid supposed to do in order to counteract the daily cycle of abuse? Join a gang? The kid needs an environment in which he may feel unconditionally accepted,a structure in which he can participate fully in enriching activities, a place to learn, to achieve--to enjoy the same opportunities as anybody else.
The Boy Scouts of America still have a long way to go, but in terms of enlightenment, they're way ahead of some of these church leaders.By choosing to remain within the Boy Scouts, the churches could continue to do good works. Instead, they've bailed, called it quits, opting to take their dolls and dishes and go home rather than to give some poor kids a break.
I'm an old lady who walks with a cane-- what do I know? But I'll tell you something: when I need someone to help me cross the street, I hope he's a Boy Scout and not a Southern Baptist.
What do you think about this issue?
