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May 31st, 2013
04:19 PM ET
Baptists plan exodus from Boy ScoutsBy Daniel Burke, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor (CNN) - For Southern Baptist pastor Tim Reed, it was Scripture versus the Scouts. “God’s word explicitly says homosexuality is a choice, a sin,” said Reed, pastor of First Baptist Church of Gravel Ridge in Jacksonville, Arkansas. So when the Boy Scouts of America voted to lift its ban on openly gay youths on May 24, Reed said the church had no choice but to cut its charter with Troop 542. “It’s not a hate thing here,” Reed told CNN affiliate Fox 16. “It’s a moral stance we must take as a Southern Baptist church.” Southern Baptist leaders say Reed is not alone. Baptist churches sponsor nearly 4,000 Scout units representing more than 100,000 youths, according to the Boy Scouts of America. That number could drop precipitously. The Southern Baptist Convention, the country’s largest Protestant denomination, will soon urge its 45,000 congregations and 16 million members to cut ties with the Scouts, according to church leaders. The denomination will vote on nonbinding but influential resolutions during a convention June 11-12 in Houston. “There’s a 100% chance that there will be a resolution about disaffiliation at the convention,” said Richard Land, the outgoing head of the Southern Baptists’ Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, “and a 100% chance that 99% of people will vote for it.” “Southern Baptists are going to be leaving the Boy Scouts en masse,” Land continued. Roger “Sing” Oldham, a spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention, emphasized that local congregations make their own decision on the Scouts. But he, too, said he expects Baptist delegates, which the church calls “messengers,” to voice their disagreement with the BSA's decision to allow gay youths. “With this policy change, the Boy Scouts’ values are contradictory to the basic values of our local churches,” Oldham said. Several religious groups with strong Scouting ties support the new policy. “We have heard from both those who support the amended policy and those who would have preferred it would not have changed,” said BSA spokesman Deron Smith. Faith-based organizations charter more than 70% of Scout chapters, providing meeting space and leadership, according to the BSA. “There have been some organizations that have decided not to renew their charters with Scouting," said Smith, "but we can’t quantify the impact of the amended policy." The National Jewish Committee on Scouting, the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which sponsors more Scout units than any other faith, all endorsed the change. The National Catholic Committee on Scouting, which is run with oversight from a bishop, said Thursday that allowing gay youths in the Scouts does not conflict with church teaching. Each bishop will decide whether or not to allow churches in his diocese to charter Scout units, the committee added. “We ask that Catholic Scouters and chartered organization heads not rush to judgment,” said Edward Martin, chairman of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting. But the Rev. Derek Lappe, pastor of the Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Bremerton, Washington, has already made up his mind. “I do not feel that it is possible for us to live out, and to teach, the authentic truth about human sexuality within the confines of the Boy Scout’s new policy,” said Lappe. The priest told CNN affiliate FOX16 that his parish will part ways with the Scouts and develop its own programs. There may soon be an alternative to the Scouts for social conservatives like Lappe. John Stemberger, founder of On My Honor, a group that opposed the Scouts’ change in policy, plans to convene conservatives in Louisville, Kentucky, in June to consider forming a new Scout-like group, which could be up and running by the end of 2013. “Churches and Scoutmasters are looking for leadership and direction,” said Stemberg, an attorney in Orlando, Florida. A number of conservative religious denominations already sponsor their own groups. For instance, the Southern Baptists have the Royal Ambassadors, an explicitly Christian program founded in 1908 for boys in first through sixth grade. (A similar group called Challengers equips older boys in “mission education.”) The name comes from the New Testament, in which the Apostle Paul tells Christians to be “ambassadors for Christ.” The estimated 31,000 Royal Ambassadors pledge “ to become a well-informed, responsible follower of Christ; to have a Christlike concern for all people; to learn how to carry the message of Christ around the world; to work with others in sharing Christ; and to keep myself clean and healthy in mind and body." While not as outdoorsy as the Boy Scouts, Ambassadors do camp and play sports, said Land, who was a member of the group during the 1950s. But instead of merit badges for archery and bird study, young Ambassadors earn patches for memorizing Bible verses and mission work. Southern Baptists said they are preparing for a surge of interest in the Royal Ambassadors at their upcoming convention in Houston. “We really have an opportunity here to strengthen our RA programs,” the Rev. Ernest Easley, chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, said in a sermon last Sunday, “and to get the boys in a program where they’re going to be protected, where there’s a high moral standard and where they will have an opportunity to learn about camping, missions, evangelism in the local church.” soundoff (10,821 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 Next » |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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To ask the boy scouts to leave the Baptist Church will be the best thing in the world for the scouts, now if their parents and family would leave it would be great.
Right on!!!!! This proves that the Bible is written by man and not God. God would never make this big of a mistake by saying People have a choice. If you have been close to the situation, and really read your bible, you would know that people do not have a choice. But maybe that was differen't in the time that people re-wrote the bible sooooooooooooooooo many times, in THE NAME of GOD.
I keep reading in blogs like this about how wrong it is to be gay,does that mean it's wrong to associate with them too?How cruel humans are in their beliefs.I've yet to hear exactly where in the bible it states don't associate with gays.If I touch them will I be gay?Does god look down and say you're gay so you're no good?Maybe he looks at all these hypocrits and says "let he who is without sin cast the first stone.OH holier than thou while you're screwing one of your parisioners behind your wifes back.In my many dealings with christians I have been cheated out of my money,ripped off in my inheritance all by these holier than thou religious people.Only god is the judge and he will most likely smack these hypocrites with the jawbone of an ass.
Oh, I'm sorry, HeavenSent, but that's not a reasonable answer. Let me check with the judges. Wait....
Oh, no, they are are shaking their heads. Sorry, HeavenSent.
That's basically all that HeavenSent does; copy and paste bible quotes. You don't see any original well-written posts from her.
Scott, it's your ego that needs to be kept in moderation. LOL.
Scouting will continue without the Baptists IF other people who are not affiliated with any church do not drop out. What are the plans of those without a faith connection? The Scouts might want to find that out.
Any branches that wither from the Boy Scout's tree should be welcomed – they'll be all the stronger for it.
Well, dang! There go the baptists. I guess the Boy Scouts will also lose all of their KKK, Skinhead, Neo-Nazi, and Tea Party support, too. What WILL they do? Maybe they ought to celebrate.
Yeah, no kidding. Those mouth-breathing reprobates need to get into the 21st Century, for God's sake!
ISLAM FOUNDATION OF AMERICAN CONSTI TUTION
Who wants to associate with a hindu gay, filthy hind loving secular, self centered, none other than a hindu secular, filthy self centered, follower of hindu Lucifer, filthy secular, self centered of all, as his god.
=================
I'm saving your comment for my collection. I believe the Belief Blog brings all of the really crazy ones out of the woodwork. Your comment supports my thesis.
But then lol?? subscribes to the "screw them after their born" outlook on life. Just look for its strong condemnation of the Shaible's treatment of their children. And keep looking, because it's not there.
Lol?? Loves little children...to death.
lol??
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Pikers. Planned Parenthood gets a lot of moolah from the muslims. It's cost effective.
The culture is moving forward toward more tolerance and soon these people will run out of people and organizations to boycott and will be unto themselves behind the closed doors of their churches an anathema to modern society
Well put.
God's word says you should remove the log from your own eye before trying to remove the speck from your brother's eye. This isn't love, it's judgement and self-righteousness, and that is the sin here.
The trunk is where the sun does not shine !
By the way faith evolution gave you the brain............OK and se-x was needed back then .
Hey all creationists ...........chadie too....the truth below !
The fairy in the sky DID NOT create US !
Ancient life...............3.5 billion years ago.............NO god(s) or horn-y red devil (666 the beast) never has been
Disappearance of Stromatolites, Earliest Visible Manifestation of Life: Ancient Enigma Solved?
May 28, 2013 — The widespread disappearance of stromatolites, the earliest visible manifestation of life on Earth, may have been driven by single-celled organisms called foraminifera.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130528143756.htm
+
The University of Sydney.........................geology..............the dirt guys.
Precious opal veinlets in a sandstone from central Australia.
News
Answer to opal mystery shows Red Centre's links to Red Planet
31 May 2013
The dramatic geological events that created opal, Australia's national gemstone, have been described for the first time by a University of Sydney researcher.
http://sydney.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=11678
+ the damn fossils ..............works better than the BIBLE !
Scientists Recover Wooly Mammoth Blood ..................cloning could happen maybe
Posted by Soulskill on Wednesday May 29, 2013 @01:52PM
from the wooly-mammoth-vampires-very-excited dept.
http://science.slashdot.org/story/13/05/29/1712242/scientists-recover-wooly-mammoth-blood
New study restores famed fossil to "bird" branch
Wednesday May 29, 2013 | Alicia Chang for The Associated Press
http://www.newsdaily.com/article/04243837283ffd8f533a0cf41d35cd27/new-study-restores-famed-fossil-to-bird-branch
AND chadie has a link on Bing
Quarterback's next play: Going long with the Bible – CNN Belief ...
religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/01/quarterbacks-next-play-going...
Feb 01, 2013 · Since we've got Chad buybull ... Jurassic Park came out. Now that it has been found, ... You have nothing but a 2000 year old stone age book written ...
AND
All creationists...............a turtle.............but is it to old to have come from the ark ?
Or chad crawled into his shell on the ark and finally found his way out .............you know chad ?
The mystery of how the turtle got its shell has finally been solved by scientists studying a 260-million-year-old fossil.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-have-figured-out-how-the-turtle-got-its-unique-hard-shell-2013-5#ixzz2UspYoTOm
Prehistoric Park : T-Rex Returns – Episode 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFcoGAMsQfE
Remember chad........... the talking donkey you like so much might of chewed on that BONE.............that created eve.
Chomp Chomp.............make sure to look up creationists for the next big chondrite and
Crickets at the swamp............. are gone this time of year ............but the ticks are out.
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/paying-for-college/compare-financial-aid-and-college-cost/?utm_source=turner&utm_medium=adcouncil_banner&utm_campaign=pfc_graphs
Taking a stand isn't judging.
Heck no Christians do not judge people. Everyone is equal under God. Now you wonder why Americans are losing its' religion? It is actions by the churches themselves ... they are their own worst enemy.
God is suppose to love everyone, now what is going to happen to the units that can no longer be in operation with out the funds provided to them by the church ? Is that what god want ?
The units do not normally get funds from their chartered organization. They raise money through popcorn sales and other fund raisers. The chartered organization (the church in this case) only provides a meeting space for the pack or troop
yep
Christians do love everyone, thing is that the bible teaches us to be equally yoked. Sin is forgiven, but it still holds consequences. The bible is the word of God and when lame brain humans tell Christians that it's okay to do this and okay to do that, we can't take their word as gospel because it simply isn't. We do what God says is okay. It has nothing to do about hate, but has everything to do about obedience.
It's during these times that I'm proud to be a Unitarian Universalist.
thumbs up
The United States of America have exhibited, perhaps, the first example of governments erected on the simple principles of nature; and if men are now sufficiently enlightened to disabuse themselves of artifice, imposture, hypocrisy, and superstition, they will consider this event as an era in their history. It will never be pretended that any persons employed in that service had interviews with the gods, or were in any degree under the influence of Heaven, more than those at work upon ships or houses, or laboring in merchandise or agriculture; it will forever be acknowledged that these governments were contrived merely by the use of reason and the senses.
Thirteen governments [of the original states] thus founded on the natural authority of the people alone, without a pretence of miracle or mystery, and which are destined to spread over the northern part of that whole quarter of the globe, are a great point gained in favor of the rights of mankind.
(from A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America (1787-1788))
lol??
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Western branch of Islam.
Never been to a Baptist church – but I agree 100% with their decision..
If you don't agree - don't go there -and don't send your kids to any of their kids programs..
Yeah, and if I don't agree, I'm also going to protest against their willful ignorance and refusal to acknowledge basic human rights.
Baptists are ignorant...so you would fit in well with them.
I agree too, dougie, but for a different reason. It'll vastly improve the BSA by not having those religious nitwits involved.
They just dont want to risk their kids being exposed to some freak scout leader that wants to do gross things to the boys...whats wrong with that?? It's the men in the boyscouts that are the problem, teaching these young men to do things they should not be doing with and to other boys. SInce you cant tell which scout leader is which, why test it with your child?
There are many different kinds of Baptist churches.
Rob you don't have a human right to be in scouts.... Thats total BS
for instance, those that belong to Assoc. of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists. For instance, at the protests at the beginning of gay marriage arguments outside the Supreme Court, there were Baptists identified as such protesting the Westboro group.
(protesting against the Westboro group)
Now whats going to happen with the Baptist Association starts another Scouting program.... Gays are going to scream discrimination because they aren't allowed in.... ROFL Why don't boys demand to be let in the girl scouts? Its totally ridiculous.
There is a principal to it.... Everyone knew there were gays in the military before DADT was abolished. Same with scouts.. But those people had to conform and keep it to themselves back then.
Ask yourself this.... Why are boys not allowed in the girl scouts? Why are men and womens locker rooms separate? Its the same difference with gays. They should start their own gay scouts rather than ruining the boy scouts.... And there is an exodus coming over this. Gays and other minorities are overplaying their hand right now, with the current PC climate, and it is going to come back to bite them.
Wow. That might fall under the "dumbest thing I've heard today" headline..
Mike I noticed you couldn't answer the question within. What does a liberal do when he can't meet facts with facts? attack the messenger.
lol??
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Libs are too old to remember hormones.
Love thy neighbor as thyself. Hate the sin, love the sinner. Judge not lest ye be judged. Thou art thy brother's keeper. Just another example of Xtians picking and choosing WHICH parts of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus apply to THEM, and which can be ignored because they don't fit in their narrow, hateful lives. Way to go folks. If there IS a heaven (and I do not believe there is), these people will find the gates locked when they get there.
I could tell in your first sentence that you are a non believer. But Michele how would you feel with men in the same public bathroom as you? Or how would you feel about men sharing a shower or locker room with you at your local gym? Tell me what the difference is here.... people have the right to separate into groups of like individuals, and there is a reason for it... you would find NO opposition to gays forming their own scouts.
lol??
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Are you an XX?
Why should the Boy Scouts be associated with backwoods religious bigots like the Baptists anyway? Seems like a win for the Boy Scouts and a loss for the Baptists.
It's funding...now with the loss of that group they lose money...probably wont affect them anyways tho.
There's absolutely NO WAY I would let my child go sleep in the woods with men I don't know anyway, religion has nothing to do with it for me. Too many Sanduskys out there. He can learn boyscout stuff from his militarily trained father... ESPECIALLY THESE DAYS..
Funny how one group with one set of ideals screams foul and intolerance when another group decides to stick to its moral values. What hipocrasy. If you claim love and tolerance then show it by allowing the BSA to follow its own moral compass without interfering. Just because it doesn't conform to your own take on morality doesn't mean you should try to impose your morals. If you don't like it, don't join. Talk about bigotry.
On the rare occasions when I get in a discussion about religion or the lack of; here's what I tell people :
1. The Golden Rule-do unto others as you would have them do to you
2. Do better–everyday
That's all you need to know about conducting your life.
Right on ... let's leave this place at least a little better than what we came into.
lol??
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Reader's Digest has an offer for you.
Just another step in making Christianity obsolete. How can the church justify banishing the BSA simply by allowing gay scouts? So a 12 year old that feels different should be ostracized and pushed out rather than given guidance and love? This just goes to show what I have always felt to be true... as long as you walk the walk they want you to your okay, but deviate a little bit and the churches have no use for you and throw you out...very Christian like thing to do. Guess thats why I don't follow them anymore.
and you know it's an interesting thing it's a crazy feedback loop...the more extreme they become, the more rational members they drive off, and the more extreme they become. They're going to implode quickly.
Only love and accept help from people who are perfect, certainly do not teach sinners about being helpful to everyone. This is the word of the Lord as written in the special Bible Southern Baptists read. (Me! I was quite a stinker in that version.)
Prophesy? Ha! Just noting what history has shown about good ole human nature. Hatred consumes itself.
lol??
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M, prophesy Much??
The true guilt here is this Christian church has a different opinion than you all do. How dare they have a mind of their own? How dare they stand up for what they believe? How dare they follow what is in the Bible? How dare they try to follow the word of God? How dare they make a decision to do this with their place to worship God? It sounds like they should be bowing to your power. Instead, they are letting what breaks God's heart break their heart. You believe the Scouts should have a right to make their choice, but you do not believe this church should be allowed to make theirs. It is time for Christians to stand up for God. Yes, we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, but first we are to love God with all of our mind, heart and soul. It is amazing how closed minded the liberal minded really are. This church MUST stand for what they believe the Bible is telling them. If you don't agree with them, get over it.
No, hatred must never be given quarter, anywhere, anytime. We saw that effect in Germany not too long ago.
And would you accept discrimination against women based on a person's genuine, heart felt and honest reading of the Bible? Such a notion has significantly more support than discrinination against gays.
M you idiot it is not hatred. Just beliefs. I am sure they wish them no harm/ You moron
This is hatred, not faith.
Agreed. People tend to pick and choose when it's admirable to stand up for what someone believes. If it doesn't agree with your own philosophy then the labels start coming out.
Judge not, lest ye be judged.
Pretty sure that's in the bible too. Vengeance is mine, sayeth the lord. Love the sinner, but hate the sin. All of these are in that very same bible you want to beat the rest of us over the head with.
Show me how the Baptists abandoning the BSA meets ANY of these 3 statements, and I'll happily shut up. But no...The Baptists ARE judging the BSA based on the possibility that a troop MIGHT have a gay member. They are punishing even the straight boy scouts (by far the majority) for the decision of the BSA leadership, so vengeance seems to be being taken here by the baptists too. And all of this adds up to hating the sinner as well as the sin. so oh-for-three as far as I can tell.
As usual, the bible is treated like a buffet...pick and choose the parts you like, ignore the parts that you don't.
The Greatest Commandment
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. [a] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ [b] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [c] There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31 NIV
It's amazing how hate is extolled from their bible. I'm not familiar with the book, but didn't Jesus preach that we should love everyone? Their ignorance is suffocating.
Not quite everone. He was OK with beating slaves – “And that slave who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be severely beaten. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of a severe beating, shall be beaten only lightly. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” (Luke 12:47-48)
As the Rock People said, "We see what we wanna see, and we hear what we wanna hear."
Hate is misused word to over emphasize your strong beliefs. I dont hate eating spinach, but i dont care to eat it.
The purpose of the first part of the bible, the parts stolen from Judaism, is to define sin and set up a system of laws that the second part of the bible, more recently made up, says people can't possibly live up to. There was a human sacrifice and if you approve of it and practice regular ritual cannibalism you aren't held accountable to the law. The alternative is eternal torment in a place of everlasting fire.
Archie Bunker lol??, chauvinism is passé. If you are an example of the XY, and I know that you most certainly are NOT, turn in your misogyny card at the nearest garbage dump, along with your antiquidated ideas.
Westboro, much?
Austin – that the beating inflicted on a slave should be directly proportional to his or her culpability.
Colin, I don't think Austin will understand your answer. Too many big words for him.
lol??
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TDM, Westboro's are attorneys and Democrats.
lol??
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Are you an XX?
religion is the problem