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Boy Scouts
Kerby Anderson
When the Boy Scouts of America filed chapter 11 bankruptcy recently, was anyone really surprised? Wasn’t this the most predictable “I told you so” moment for those of us in the Christian world? We supported the Boy Scouts through all of their troubles and lawsuits. But when they decided to turn their backs on their history, we could see what would happen.
To be fair, the Boy Scouts spent decades fending off the unholy trinity of G’s: gays, girls, and the godless. Numerous lawsuits were filed against them by gay activists demanding that gay scoutmasters and scouts should be allowed in the organization. Feminists demanded the Boy Scouts open up the organization to girls. Atheists objected to the official Scout Oath that begins with, “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God.”
When the Boy Scouts started over a century ago, they were at the center of American life. But they went from being one of the most respected organizations to one of the most vilified organizations. They were a pillar of principle until about seven years ago when Boy Scout headquarters gave into compromise. They opened the group to boys and leaders who identified as homosexual. And then they began to recruit girls.
They also face thousands of child abuse allegations. In fact, that may be one of the reasons for filing chapter 11. For decades, the Boy Scouts have been keeping files on volunteers who were labeled “ineligible.” The critics merely call them the “perversion files.”
Perhaps there is a vicarious lesson we can all learn from the Boy Scouts. Moral compromise with those who oppose moral values concerning sexuality and devotion to God doesn’t work. It drove the Christians out of the Boy Scouts and it didn’t appease the secular activists and critics.
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