So the Boy Scouts will now let gay scouts stay - but not lead.
Well, it's a step.
What does this have to do with atheism? Simple, really. This came up for discussion by one of our news stations, asking for comments on "Should they let gay scouts in?" There was overwhelming "Yes, it's about time!"
The ones that said no? Other than one or two that said just factually wrong things (like "gays are mentally ill,") and the occasional unexplained one (just "no" basically,) the majority of them said "God said no."
And many of them didn't seem to know anything about what was actually in the bible. One person went so far as to say "It's against the sixth commandment!" Well... go back a few posts and you can read it. Thou shalt not murder (your fellow tribesman.) Nothing there about homosexuality. And of course the same person protested they lived the way god said - but refused to answer questions on if they ate shellfish, kept slaves or the like.
Do we need any greater example of the tie between bigotry and ignorance to religion? "God said so." Well, where does it say scouts need to be Christian? There are atheist scouts. And even on their own pages, they show endorsement and links to Jain, Muslem, Jewish, Buddhist, Eastern Orthodox ("christian" but historically split) and other religions. Imposing the view of one religion on everyone in there is arrogant and wrong.
Not to mention it goes against their own anti-bullying stance, quite bluntly.
It's past time to get religion out of these decisions and organizations, quite frankly. Teach tolerance.
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