Forgive my ignorance I hadn’t realised that the Boy Scouts of America is homophobic. Following a two year review it has unanimously agreed to uphold a ban that prevents “open or avowed” gay people from being part of the youth organization. Agnostics and atheists are also excluded. Created in 1910 it has more than 2,720,000 youth members and more than 1 million adult members. Not small fry, by any means. It is difficult to separate this decision from the overwhelming preponderance of Christian organisations in its make-up. Is there any chance that the Scout Movement or indeed leading Christian youth groups in the UK will condemn this decision?
| Name of Organization | Total Units | Total Yout |
|---|---|---|
| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | 37928 | 412720 |
| United Methodist Church | 11287 | 371499 |
| Catholic Church | 8795 | 286733 |
| Parent-teacher groups other than PTAs | 4039 | 160007 |
| Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | 3714 | 126969 |
| Lutheranism | 4030 | 121096 |
| Groups of Citizens | 3782 | 110248 |
| Baptists | 4282 | 108435 |
| Private schools | 2975 | 97869 |
| Parent-Teacher Association/Parent Teacher Organization | 1775 | 72321 |
As a Christian myself, I am really surprised to discover this especially after the recent political support for gay marriage from President Obama and others. I understand there is a big difference of opinion around homosexuality within the church which is complex, but I would hope (and expect) a spirit of tolerance towards gay people regardless of religious belief. Banning them (and atheists, agnostics, etc) from such a large youth organisation is not only discriminatory, but also judgemental – something which Jesus himself seemed to stand against.