Talk:Boy Scouts of America membership controversies/Religion

In the BSA, traditional Scouting is considered to be one movement with three main programs. Cub Scouting is available to boys from first to fifth-grade or 7 to 11½ years. Boy Scouting is for boys ages 10 to 18 with the Varsity Scouting sub-division for boys ages 14 to 18. Venturing is the program for young men and women ages 13 through 21 with the Sea Scouting sub-division.

The objectives of the BSA are referred to as Aims of Scouting: character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. The BSA pursues these aims through an informal education system called the Scout method, with variations that are designed to be appropriate for the age and maturity of each membership division.^[1][2] Each unit is sponsored by a community organization as part of their youth program and is involved in the neighborhood and community.^[3]

Learning for Life is a school and work-site based program that is a subsidiary of the BSA designed for schools and community-based organizations. Exploring is the worksite-based program of Learning for Life. Learning for Life is not considered a traditional Scouting program; it does not use the Scout Promise, Scout Law, uniforms, or insignia of traditional Scouting. All Learning for Life programs are open to youth and adults without restriction based on religion, sexual orientation, gender, race or other considerations other than age requirements.

The BSA is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, an international association of Scouting organizations. WOSM has a membership of 160 national Scout organizations with more than 28 million members.^[4] Only one Scouting organization per country is recognized by WOSM; in many countries, the recognized organization is a federation composed of multiple Scout associations.

BSA religious policies

The Boy Scouts of America's position is that atheists and agnostics cannot participate as youth, adult volunteers or professional employees. The Declaration of Religious Principle (DRP) states:

The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, ‘On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law.’ The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members. No matter what the religious faith of the members may be, this fundamental need of good citizenship should be kept before them. The Boy Scouts of America, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the home and the organization or group with which the member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life.^[5][6]

The DRP is codified in the Charter and Bylaws of the Boy Scouts of America,^[5]: 17 and was published in the 1911 edition of the Handbook for Boys.^[7] Since its inception, the DRP has changed only to make it gender neutral. The DRP is clearly stated on the youth and adult membership applications as a requirement for membership.^[8][9] Boy Scouts are required to memorize and repeat the Scout Oath and Law periodically after joining; Cub Scouts and Venturers have similar oaths. The Scout Law used by the BSA is unique within the Scouting movement— the original Scout Law had nine points, where the BSA has twelve, including 'reverent'.^[10]

The BSA has further clarified that the religious policies specifically exclude atheists and agnostics:

Because of its views concerning the duty to God, Boy Scouts of America believes that an atheist or agnostic is not an appropriate role model of the Scout Oath and Law for adolescent boys. Because of Scouting’s methods and beliefs, Scouting does not accept atheists and agnostics as members or adult volunteer leaders.^[6]

Accordingly, in the exercise of their constitutional right to bring the values of Scouting to youth members, the Boy Scouts of America will not employ atheists, agnostics, known or avowed homosexuals, or others as professional Scouters or in other capacities in which such employment would tend to interfere with the mission of reinforcing the values of the Scout Oath and the Scout Law in young people.^[6]

The BSA does not require adherence to any particular religious beliefs and does promote a policy of tolerance towards all beliefs.

The activities of the members of the Boy Scouts of America shall be carried on under conditions which show respect to the convictions of others in matters of custom and religion, as required by the twelfth point of the Scout Law, reading ‘Reverent. A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.^[5]: 17

In no case where a unit is connected with a church or other distinctively religious organization shall members of other denominations or faith be required, because of their membership in the unit, to take part in or observe a religious ceremony distinctly unique to that organization or church.^[5]: 17

BSA promotion of religion

The BSA provides no specific religious instruction, but does promote religion through various religious emblems programs for the various age levels. In Cub Scouting the joining rank is Bobcat where the boy must learn the Cub Scout Promise, which includes "To do my duty to God and my country." Further advancement requires family discussions and demonstrations on the practice of faith. New Boy Scouts must understand and agree to live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law which include "To do my duty to God and my country" and "reverent." Venturers must understand and agree to the Venturing Oath which includes "I promise to do my duty to God" and the Venturing Oath which includes "I believe that America's strength lies in our trust in God." Ventures may earn the Religious and Community Life Bronze Award,^[11] and the TRUST Award.^[12]

BSA relationships with religious organizations

The National Council of the BSA has a Religious Relationships Committee formed of representatives of those religious organizations who charter Scouting units. As of 2007, about 62% of chartered organizations are religious institutions.^[13]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the chartered organization with the largest number of Scouts and formally uses the Scouting program as a part of its Young Men auxiliary.^[14] The LDS does not endorse coeducational Scouting programs nor does it endorse or use programs of the Girl Scouts of the USA. The first-grade Tiger Cubs section of Cub Scouting is not used. As Boy Scouts reach age 14, they move to the Varsity Scouting program.

WOSM policies

One of the principles of the World Organization of the Scout Movement is Duty to God, defined as:

Adherence to spiritual principles, loyalty to the religion that expresses them and acceptance of the duties resulting therefrom.^[15]

WOSM requires that all member organizations adhere to a Duty to God:

All members of the Scout Movement are required to adhere to a Scout Promise and Law reflecting, in language appropriate to the culture and civilization of each National Scout Organization, and approved by the World Organization, the principles of Duty to God...^[16]

WOSM further states that a youth who declares atheism should not be rejected:

Your role as Scout leader is not to reject a Rover because he says he is an atheist but to help him to clarify his ideas concerning God and spiritual development, and to ask him, at least, to start a process of research, reflection and experimentation.^[17]

Religion in the United States

The majority of adult Americans identify themselves as Christians (78%), while non-Christian religions including Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and others collectively make up about 6% of the population.^[18] Another 15% of the adult population identified themselves as atheist, agnostic, Humanist, deist or with no theistic religious beliefs. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prevents the government from having any authority in religion, and guarantees the free exercise of religion in a concept generally known as separation of church and state.

Incidents

In 1970, James Clark of Narragansett Council was advanced to Eagle Scout after initially being denied because he was an atheist.^[19]

In 1985, fifteen-year-old Paul Trout of the Stonewall Jackson Area Council went before a board of review for advancement to Life Scout. In response to questions on duty to God, Trout stated that he did not believe in God as a Supreme Being.^[20] The National Council initially ruled that Trout should be expelled, but reversed itself, choosing to interpret his statements as a disagreement over the definition of God and reinstated Trout. The BSA reaffirmed the Declaration of Religious Principle, and formed a task force to examine BSA literature to ensure that statements regarding God reflected the religious diversity of its members.

Darrell Lambert was an assistant Scoutmaster who was expelled from the BSA in 2002 after it became known that he was an atheist.^[21]

Litigation

Several legal cases have been brought by non-theists who had membership rejected when attempting to join the BSA. Each case has affirmed the right of the BSA to exclusive membership policies under the freedom of association.

• Welsh v. Boy Scouts of America (1993).^[22] The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that private organizations have the right to discriminate on the basis of religion when establishing their own membership standards.

• Seabourn v. Coronado Area Council (1995).^[23] The Kansas Supreme Court held that the BSA is not a public accommodation within the Kansas Act Against Discrimination and could not be required to accept atheists as members.

• Randall v. Orange County Council (1998). The California Supreme Court held that the BSA is not a business establishment covered by the Unruh Civil Rights Act and could not be required to accept atheists as members.

There have also been several lawsuits over the use of public school facilities by the BSA due to their religious polices. Each case affirmed the right of the BSA to access on an equal basis with other organizations.

• Sherman v. Community Consolidated School District 21 of Wheeling Township (1993)^[24]

• Powell v. Bunn (2002)^[25]

• Scalise v. Boy Scouts of America (2005)^[26]

Litigation over support by government entities resulted in the BSA revising their policies on chartering organizations and in the loss of some support.

• Winkler v. Chicago School Reform Board (2004). Winkler sued the Chicago school system over their sponsorship of BSA units in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The case was settled with the BSA transferring charters from Housing and Urban Development, public schools and the military to non-government sponsors.

• Winkler v. Rumsfeld (2007). The Department of Defense was sued over their support of the national Scout jamboree in violation of the Establishment Clause. The US Court of Appeals determined that the plaintiffs had no legal standing to bring the suit.

• Barnes-Wallace v. Boy Scouts of America is an ongoing case involving the preferential lease of San Diego city property to the BSA.

• Evans v. Berkeley held that the city of Berkeley could sever an agreement providing facilities at no cost to a local Sea Scouting ship due to the BSA's policies on religion and sexuality.

Legislation

• Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act (2002) provides that no public school "shall deny equal access or a fair opportunity to meet to, or discriminate against, any group officially affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America, or any other youth group listed in title 36 of the United States Code."

• Support Our Scouts Act (2005) prevents local, state and federal agencies from denying the BSA equal access to public facilities, forums, and programs open to other youth or community organizations.

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