What Churches Who Charter Boy Scout Troops Need to Know

Homosexuality, Religious Freedom, ,

There are some potential legal problems churches need to know they could now face if chartering a Boy Scout troop.

Earlier this year the Boy Scouts of America changed their membership policy, choosing to allow openly gay Boy Scouts to participate in scouting. According to a memo circulated by the Alliance Defending Freedom, churches who charter Boy Scout troops could now be at serious risk due to the BSA’s decision.

According to ADF, a church chartering a Boy Scout troop could:

  • See its teaching on sexual morality curtailed. According to ADF, “Under threat of litigation, a church that chooses to maintain ties with BSA could face forfeiting the ability to teach biblical principles of sexual morality to its Scouts and to require them to adhere to those principles.”
  • Find itself unable to speak out against homosexuality in other contexts. According to ADF, “Affirming the ‘good conduct’ and ‘moral straightness’ of youth of any sexual orientation or preference—which is the effect of a church chartering a BSA troop—could limit a church’s ability to make a convincing showing [in court] that its beliefs opposing homosexuality should be constitutionally protected because of the internal inconsistency created by the charter.” This has the potential affect everything from hiring staff to church policies on facility-use.

What Does ADF Recommend?

(more…)

READ MORE

Government Denies Aid to Ministry, But Supports Abortionists

Religious Freedom, ,

A government official in Florida has told an outreach ministry, Christian Service Center (CSC), that serves the poor it can no longer distribute USDA food the government allocates for private charities—unless, of course, the ministry agrees to take down its portraits of Christ, hide its copy of the Ten Commandments, and remove a banner that reads, “Jesus is Lord.” The ministry also has to stop handing out Bibles, quit offering to pray with the needy, and agree not to refer people to its chapel.

Basically, this ministry—which previously had been given USDA food by the government to distribute to the poor—was told in the future it could distribute food only if it did so without mention of religion.

There are two obvious problems here: (more…)

READ MORE