Boy Scouts in the news again
CHICAGO - The Pentagon has agreed to warn military bases worldwide not to directly sponsor Boy Scout troops, partially resolving claims that the government has engaged in religious discrimination by supporting a group that requires members to believe in God.
The settlement announced Monday is part of a series of legal challenges in recent years over how closely the government should be aligned with the Boy Scouts of America, a venerable organization that boasts a membership of more than 3.2 million members.
Civil liberties advocates have set their sights on the organization's policies because the group bans openly gay scout leaders and compels members to swear an oath of duty to God. The ACLU believes that direct government sponsorship of such a program amounts to discrimination. (source)
What do you think?
On a personal level, I agree with the ACLU on this one. But if the Boy Scouts can get away with discriminating against gays because they are a private organization, what's the difference if they discriminate against those who do not believe in God? You can't have it both ways and it looks as if their discriminatory policies are catching up to them.
The court was right. They are a private organization and can therefore kick out gays, atheists, and others they don't want in their organization. But there is a price to having those policies.
Discrimination is discrimination, and it doesn't really matter who is being discriminated against. If you condone it for one group you don't like, sooner or later it will come around and bite YOU in the ass.
Just my opinion...
Additional background:
Boy Scouts of America v. Dale
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The difference is that here, the US military was sponsoring the Boy Scout troops, and the US military can't discriminate on the basis of religion. The Boy Scouts, as a private organization, can discriminate, but the government can't help them do it.