Scouting!

[Masquerouge]

I turned atheist around 13. If I stuck with the scouts longer I probobly would've hit that mess.

And mind you when I was 13-15 I was a raving Curt-type atheist.

I realized I was an atheist around 13, but I did not have the guts to actually face people I love until much later. Basically I just let it go.
I also should note that my teenage years were exceptionnally unconflictual.

 

[warpus]

I realized I was an atheist around 13, but I did not have the guts to actually face people I love until much later. Basically I just let it go.
I also should note that my teenage years were exceptionnally unconflictual.

I just can't relate to that.

As soon as I realized that the Christian God doesn't exist, I voiced my beliefs to those close to me. I just couldn't conceive my family not understanding that I do not share some of their beliefs.. the concept is foreign to me.

As for scouts.. I was never officially a part, but when I was in grade 2, I went on a day-trip with the Polish equivalent. We went to the woods, sang songs, etc. We wanted to have a fire, so our fearless leader went around asking people for a lighter.. but nobody would give him one. I thought it was hilarious - and the experience put me off so much that I never went back.

 

[Masquerouge]

I just can't relate to that.

As soon as I realized that the Christian God doesn't exist, I voiced my beliefs to those close to me. I just couldn't conceive my family not understanding that I do not share some of their beliefs.. the concept is foreign to me.

Let's say the prospect of hurting my mom, disappointing my grandparents, and being a jerk and not go to my little brother and sister's religious ceremony was something I might have found too conflictual to do at 13.

I just gradually showed a lack of interest in religious activities, my mom got the point, my grandparents are blissfully ignorant, and my brother and my sister were pretty happy to see me supporting them in Church.

 

[Xanikk999]

I hate the boy scouts.

They are dorky and dont let people join if they dont beileve in some form of a god.

Oh and they kick you out if your gay.

A organization that intends to do good things shouldnt do what i said above.

 

[Perfection]

I realized I was an atheist around 13, but I did not have the guts to actually face people I love until much later. Basically I just let it go.
I also should note that my teenage years were exceptionnally unconflictual.

Well I didn't face some people, but with many people I wa very vocal. I told my parents around 14.

Actually, there are quite a few family members I never told.

 

[skadistic]

Never a scout but I did join a diffrent paramilitary organization.

 

[Sidhe]

I hate the boy scouts.

They are dorky and dont let people join if they dont beileve in some form of a god.

Oh and they kick you out if your gay.

A organization that intends to do good things shouldnt do what i said above.

Really I thought it was just the leaders they kicked out if they were gay and then only if you liked small boys too much

Mah you can't join the forces if your openly gay here? I seem to remember a commodores welcoming speech to the recruits and civies on our induction was to chastise the powers that be for letting gay people join as they ruin your aim or some such, it was funny

 

[GinandTonic]

I went once because they had the only decent football pitch for miles. The whole saluting the flag and singing the anthem thing wirded me out, and they wanted me to get a uniform if I went a second time. Just went back to playing in the street without the wird quasi-military thing.

 

[Perfection]

Really I thought it was just the leaders they kicked out if they were gay and then only if you liked small boys too much

Gay scouts are allowed, gay scout leaders are not.

 

[puglover]

I hate the boy scouts.

They are dorky and dont let people join if they dont beileve in some form of a god.

Oh and they kick you out if your gay.

A organization that intends to do good things shouldnt do what i said above.

Would people shut up about the gay and religious issues in scouting? It's a private organization and they can do whatever they want! And Sidhe and Perf are right, those rules only apply to Scoutmasters, not to scouts, and they are probably not all that enforced anyway. Boy Scouts has done a lot of good in many kids' lives.

Kind of funny how in a country struggling with obesity and/or general laziness all people can see in an organization that gets kids outdoors, keeps them active, and encourages community service is that they don't want gay Scoutmasters.

 

[Xanikk999]

Would people shut up about the gay and religious issues in scouting? It's a private organization and they can do whatever they want! And Sidhe and Perf are right, those rules only apply to Scoutmasters, not to scouts, and they are probably not all that enforced anyway. Boy Scouts has done a lot of good in many kids' lives.

Kind of funny how in a country struggling with obesity and/or general laziness all people can see in an organization that gets kids outdoors, keeps them active, and encourages community service is that they don't want gay Scoutmasters.

No i will not shut up. I feel that whoever runs the scouts is a bigot.

He should allow anyone who wants to do good to join the scouts for a good cause.

They shouldnt have to beileve in god.

 

[Sidhe]

No i will not shut up. I feel that whoever runs the scouts is a bigot.

He should allow anyone who wants to do good to join the scouts for a good cause.

They shouldnt have to beileve in god.

Xanik to be fair it's a club and all clubs have rules, like not allowing women in or gays or hippies or atheists or Satanists, if you don't like it then form your own scout movement

CFC has rules and rulers, if you don't like them you leave.

 

[Xanikk999]

Xanik to be fair it's a club and all clubs have rules, like not allowing women in or gays or hippies, if you don't like it then form your own scout movement

CFC has rules and rulers, if you don't like them you leave.

Doesnt change the fact that they are bigots.

If the whole point for the organization is to do good for the community i dont see why they want to exclude people who sincerely want to do good.

There arent many organizations similar to that for athiests that i can think of.

 

[Sidhe]

Doesnt change the fact that they are bigots.

If the whole point for the organization is to do good for the community i dont see why they want to exclude people who sincerely want to do good.

There arent many organizations similar to that for athiests that i can think of.

I quite agree they are bigots but then so are some clubs in London, they're run by upperclass, arrogant, snobbish bigots, but they are private clubs and as such have inalienable rights to refuse those they see as rif raf or women.

 

[warpus]

Would people shut up about the gay and religious issues in scouting? It's a private organization and they can do whatever they want! And Sidhe and Perf are right, those rules only apply to Scoutmasters, not to scouts, and they are probably not all that enforced anyway. Boy Scouts has done a lot of good in many kids' lives.

Kind of funny how in a country struggling with obesity and/or general laziness all people can see in an organization that gets kids outdoors, keeps them active, and encourages community service is that they don't want gay Scoutmasters.

Hmm.. it does matter if the scoutmasters are being paid. As an employer, you're not allowed to discriminate based on sexual orientation or religion.

 

[Elrohir]

No i will not shut up. I feel that whoever runs the scouts is a bigot.

He should allow anyone who wants to do good to join the scouts for a good cause.

They shouldnt have to beileve in god.

It's a private organization, and if they want to make you read the Bible every day you're camping (They don't) then they can. It's your right to disagree with their rules, certainly - but it's their right to have them, regardless of whether you disagree.

If you don't like a club or organization's rules, then fine, it's not mandatory that you join, but if you want to belong to that organization, you have to follow the rules.

And I would appreciate if you would stop calling scouts bigots. It's very annoying.

 

[Smellincoffee]

It's a private organization, and if they want to make you read the Bible every day you're camping (They don't) then they can.

That I doubt. Sounds like it goes against the freedom of religion we have here. The Bible is a religious text, not a historical one.

 

[Xanikk999]

It's a private organization, and if they want to make you read the Bible every day you're camping (They don't) then they can. It's your right to disagree with their rules, certainly - but it's their right to have them, regardless of whether you disagree.

If you don't like a club or organization's rules, then fine, it's not mandatory that you join, but if you want to belong to that organization, you have to follow the rules.

And I would appreciate if you would stop calling scouts bigots. It's very annoying.

But they are bigots. Not allowing gays as scoutmasters and making you beileve in god as requirements to join makes you a bigot.

And anyone who agrees with it is a bigot.

 

[Elrohir]

That I doubt. Sounds like it goes against the freedom of religion we have here. The Bible is a religious text, not a historical one.

Everyday you're camping with them, they could. At home, they couldn't know, so they couldn't. And the BSA is a religious organization, among other things, so there's no problem with having it's members read a religious text if they so wished. But they wouldn't, as there are many Muslims and Ba'ahists, and a lot of other people of faith in it besides Christians.

 

[Godwynn]

I am an Eagle Scout with a Gold Palm.