Boy Scouts Again.... But This Time A Bit Different Twist
This one is worth reading the full story to see all the twists and turns discrimination takes, and how much it can harm. How parents can teach their children how to be intolerant is something beyond me. Here were two boys, minding their own business, acting like Boy Scouts should, when someone asks everyone what religion they are. The boys were honest. Because they were Wiccan, it was thought that the boys could not live up to the oath to do one's duty for god and one's country. Why? Because Wiccans have a Goddess too?
Fortunately, the decision to kick the boys out was overturned by a much more progressive district of the United Methodist Church (you know, the guys who promote tolerance on TV). Unfortunately, some parents took it upon themselves to remove their kids from the troop as soon as those "Wiccan children" who had been best buddies with everyone before, returned to the group. The "feared their sons would be preached at by the Wiccan boys." Hello?
A few twists to this tale of stupidity are worth note. One is that their father was an Eagle Scout and is a Captain in the Army serving his country. The guy who first kicked the kids out said that they could have stayed if they had just lied about their faith (gee, a great moral lesson, eh?). The kids' mother decided the whole affair was just too silly to deal with, so she has applied to Spiral Scouts to run a troop. Spiral Scouts is Wiccan based but open to all faiths (including no faith), all genders, and all beliefs. Go Spiral Scouts!
The Town Talk - www.thetowntalk.com - Alexandria-Pineville, Louisiana:
ANACOCO -- The camp is going well so far. Boy Scouts have gathered from around the area in khaki button-ups and red scarves, eager to earn their God and Country badge.
The leader in a room of about 20 Scouts decides to break the ice by showing how religiously diverse the gathering is.
By a showing of hands, he asks who belongs to the Baptist Church, the Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, continuing on until two boys are left who have not raised their hands.
One of the brothers is called out to tell the group what church he attends. He replies, "I'm Wiccan."
Little did 12-year-old Cody Brown realize how much that answer would affect his life.
During the past six weeks, Cody and his 15-year-old brother, Justin, have waited with their parents to see how the controversy sparked by Cody's answer would play out.
Within 48 hours of Cody's confession, the troop committee of Holly Grove United Methodist Church in Anacoco was meeting to discuss the implications.