Swearing an oath to God - and interesting extension of remarks

[The Straight Story]

Snippet:

I would remind my colleagues that Boy Scouts are not the only people who swear an oath to God. The fact is that our own service men and women take a similar oath before God at the beginning of their service,

Full Text

RECOGNIZING THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA FOR PUBLIC SERVICES PERFORMED ACROSS THE UNITED STATES -- (Extensions of Remarks - November 24, 2004)

GPO's PDF

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SPEECH OF
HON. JO ANN DAVIS
OF VIRGINIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2004

* Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 853, which expresses the Sense of Congress that the Department of Defense should continue to exercise its authority to support the activities of the Boy Scouts of America.

* I am appalled that the Department of Defense agreed to warn its military bases worldwide not to sponsor Boy Scout Troops--just because the ACLU is upset that they require their members to swear an oath to God. I wholeheartedly disagree with this decision, and I think the Pentagon should reconsider this short-sighted settlement.

* Over the last 30 years, the Department of Defense has been specifically authorized to host Scouts on its installations and to provide equipment, transportation, and other services for both national and international events such as the Boy Scout Jamboree. Furthermore, United States Code Title 10, Sections 4682, 7541, and 9682 authorizes the Department of Defense to sell and donate (in certain cases) obsolete or excess material to the Boy Scouts of America to support its activities.

* In the First District of Virginia, the Boy Scout Jamboree is hosted at Fort A.P. Hill every four years. The success of this event is directly attributable to the strong relationship that the

GPO's PDF

Boy Scouts and the Department of Defense have built over the years.

* The Boy Scouts and the Department of Defense have enjoyed a unique relationship with many former Scouts joining the ranks of our nation's military. The Pentagon's recent agreement threatens this unique relationship of two organizations dedicated to one important objective: service to God and country.

* I would remind my colleagues that Boy Scouts are not the only people who swear an oath to God. The fact is that our own service men and women take a similar oath before God at the beginning of their service, and I will not support any action or agreement which attempts to endanger a partnership which clearly benefits both organizations. I urge the Pentagon to reconsider its decision and to continue to support the Boy Scouts of America.

[damntexdem]

1. The Boy Scouts discriminate:

expel or refuse to admit those who do not avow that they believe in God, as well as gays. If they want to be a religiously-discriminatory organization, that is their right -- to be a religious organization. That should also disqualify them from government sponsorship. Their discrimination against gays is also a right: the right to freely associate -- as discrimination, it should likewise disqualify them from government sponsorship.

[The Straight Story]

2. Oddly enough

From the sounds of these remarks, they work the same way as the military. God, Country, don't ask don't tell.

[pelagius]

3. The Boy Scout "God" is less "God" than your average 12-Step Groups "God"

You're not require to pray to it, ask forgiveness for your faults from it, commit your life to it, etc.

In fact, the "God" of BSA is so vague that anyone who has any sort of feeling about there being a greater order or "something bigger than me" can probably slip in. Carl Sagan's "God as the sum total of all scientific laws" is A-OK by the BSA. If you say, "I do not believe God exists, but I could be mistaken," you'll pass muster.

Only a "militant" atheist -- one who flatly rejects any sort of God-concept would be barred from membership.

My contention is that the BSA "God" concept is so ephemeral that they should just dispense with it altogether. It's a relic from a time where a "civil" religion was the norm and doesn't apply much to believers or non-believers today.

And, certainly, the BSA or any other group can set its requirements for membership and leadership, but they shouldn't expect government sponsorship if they exclude on the basis of religious opinion or sexual orientation.

As a lifelong Scout volunteer (until very recently), I am very sorry to see the BSA in the hands of Texas Republicans with a specific political agenda.