The Sinking of the USS BSA

Tragedy befell what had been a trusted American organization and now the breach in that institution is visible for all to see as the Boy Scouts of America (past name - now "Scouts BSA") begins its descent into the murky waters of inconsequence. The vote in 2013 by the Boy Scouts of America by 79% to allow “gay” members and later in 2015 to allow Scoutmasters of the same, appeased the necessary lawsuit intimidation tactics, but now it is time to pay the price for appeasement.

It is no surprise that the seeds of moral corruption that were sown in 2013 are now coming to fruition. According to the One America News Network (OANN) on 11/16 2020, “More than 82k alleged sexual abuse claims filed against Boy Scouts.” Yes, cases of sexual abuse were reported before 2013 (and all the claims may not be legitimate), and the Boy Scouts organization may continue for some time, but not as the bastion of moral and character mentoring it once was. Sad.

The “religious exception” included in the “deal” seemed a compromise the BSA board could live with. On July 27, 2015, Pete Williams writes for nbcnews.com, “'This change allows Scouting's members and parents to select local units, chartered by organizations with similar beliefs, that best meet the needs of their families,' said a statement from the Scouts' leadership.” However, once the lie of religious exception was bought the door had been opened. What followed could only be described as predictable.

According to the BSA website under the subheading “Faith Traditions,” it states that, “Young people need faith. There is abundant evidence that children benefit from the moral compass provided by religious tradition.” And then further states that “One of the key tenets of Scouting is ‘duty to God.’” So what did go wrong? Beloved singer from the 1950’s Pat Boone, reports for News Max on Wednesday, 27 May 2015. “’Robert Gates, former director of the CIA and former secretary of defense, and now president of the Boy Scouts of America, made a declaration to the assembled executives of that wonderful, time-honored youth organization: “We must deal with the world as it is, not as we might wish it to be.’” To clarify, Gates was only president from 2014-2016.

Wait, what? “Not as we might wish it to be.” Notice that substitution of “wish” in place of “should.” The world as it should be is “duty (deference, worship, service, etc.) to God.” Following the commands of God to abstain from the influence of the evil desires of the flesh and the world is how we should live. Boone states, “And what was he talking about? ‘The cascading events, the incessant discrimination lawsuits, and the impending Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage’ had led him to conclude that the hallowed rules that define the whole Scouting program ‘cannot be sustained.’” Boone then quips, “Dear God, Bob Gates...what are you thinking?”

Gail Peterson of HLI asked on August 1st, 2019, “What Went Wrong with the Boy Scouts?” She points out a little-known fact, “In 2019 the title (name) was officially changed to Scouts BSA.” That is significant because the reference to any gender has been removed, just as it has been in other major institutions across our nation. Prior to this change, “In 2010 girls were allowed to join the scouting organization.” Notwithstanding its history, the BSA continues to concede to sociopolitical pressures. And in 2017, the BSA stated that it would give transgender “boys” (girls who self-identified as boys) scouting membership.

The BSA leadership wants to change with the times. While change is inevitable, change in a positive direction is ALWAYS preferable to change in a downward direction, but it is a little late for that now.

Peterson then sums up the core issue and the impetus behind this article, namely that BSA leadership has “opened Pandora’s box,” and makes the further point that, “An all-male organization including gays should have secured the protection and safety of the young Scouts participating in the BSA.” And the situation just keeps getting worse when the BSA leadership announced that “condoms would be readily available” at its July 2019 global convention to the shock of many of its councils and associated organizations.

So now, the sexual abuse lawsuits have followed. Is this the world as we wish it to be? No Gates, it isn’t. How is that the abuse lawsuits are preferable to the intimidation lawsuits? Only a coward seeks to weigh which enemy to acquiesce to, which adversary to bow down to, which loss will cost us the least. Of course, money is a key issue because it always is, and the Boy Scouts coffers are not deep enough to fight off the threats of “homophobia” etc.; still that is no excuse.

Whatever happened to “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” While the BSA leadership has certainly lost its moral bearings, having become morally “not straight,” I believe it is also correct to say that a major lapse has also occurred with regards to the “mentally awake” aspect of the oath as well. Mentally awake speaks of a person who is not caught in a trap by another. In other words, no one could threaten the BSA leadership with lawsuits thereby forcing them to agree with demands they would otherwise refuse. Alas, a crack in the moral hull of BSA leadership has led to this sinking. To all the young boys who have suffered the horrors of sinful men, I apologize…because the predators won’t.