It’s been a good year for homosexuals.
They are now openly active in the military. Courts presided over by homosexual judges have overturned legally instituted referendums banning same-sex marriage. A National Basketball Association player has come out. And now, factions within the Boy Scouts of America have been successful in allowing openly homosexual boys into the organization.
The subversion of American institutions continues unabated. Those who want to redefine the family and marriage are winning the day. So, what are Christians to do? How can they rage against the gay “machine?”
They certainly cannot form another military. However, they don’t have to volunteer for service or re-up when their tours of duty are over. Chances are, the military will get the message that our armed forces were never intended to become a homosexual Club Med when enlistment and re-enlistment numbers start declining sharply. Believers can protest by avoiding and leaving the military.
Evangelicals also must be willing to vote with their pocketbooks. For example, in Philadelphia, the professional baseball Phillies now have special nights glorifying homosexuality. Christians who normally attend those games, should instead, boycott the Phillies. Given what God says about homosexuality in His Word—He calls it a sin—there is no way a follower of Jesus Christ should be giving his or her money to support a team that openly honors that which God says is an abomination to Him.
I love the NBA’s Boston Celtics, but my support of them would end if they started offering “Gay Nights At The Garden.” My allegiance to them would cease instantly if they ever sponsor that which I am opposed to and offended by. I certainly have no opposition to homosexuals attending sporting events, but I would never support fan nights that celebrate debauchery.
Homosexual activists are celebrating the Boy Scouts’ capitulation to allow openly gay boys to become members of the organization. This moves them a step closer to their ultimate goal—for all restrictions banning any type of sexual perversion to be removed.
It is really no different than children being subtly introduced to homosexuality as just another acceptable sexual persuasion in public-school “homosexual sensitivity” classes. Christian parents can take care of that problem when they home school their children or enter them into private schools where traditional values are taught and encouraged. The kids will probably receive a better education and their teachers will reinforce the values they are being taught by their parents.
Same goes for the Boy Scouts. Let the homosexuals have the Scouts. Parents who want a B.S.A.-like organization should be willing to start their own non-profit, private organizations to guide boys. They should set strict guidelines about what is acceptable, then refuse to cave when the inevitable social and financial pressures are brought to bear.
The homosexual lobby wants the Boy Scouts? Take them, please. Traditional parents don’t have to play ball with gay activists. Want to file suit? Bring it on. See you in court.
The Boy Scouts have struck a deal with the devil. The Bible says in the New Testament book of 2 Corinthians, “Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, sayeth the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:17). “Born agains” should not disobey their heavenly Father to accommodate that which He condemns.
Isn’t it interesting that there have always been BOY Scouts and GIRL Scouts? They have participated in separate organizations. Why? It has to do with hormones. So, are we now supposed to believe that some young heterosexual Boy Scouts will not be subject to the hormonal urges of a gay Boy Scout? Is that what Christian parents want for their kids? I don’t think so.
Meanwhile, about 70 percent of all local troups are sponsored by religious groups. A number of churches that previously sponsored Boy Scout troops have said they plan to sever ties with the organization because of its reversal of policy.
“I think I can say with pretty strong accuracy that the vast majority of Southern Baptists are very disappointed with the latest change in policy—deeply disappointed,” said Frank Page, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s executive committee.
Page said the S.B.C., the largest Protestant denomination in the United States—would be holding its national meeting in two weeks, after which it would likely recommend that its 47,000 U.S. churches pull away from the Boy Scouts of America. From there, it is up to each Southern Baptist church to decide what to do.
“We don’t hate people,” said Page. “We don’t hate anybody, but we just felt like there’s got to be some objective standard, and we felt they were maintaining that until recently.”
To its shame, the Mormon Church, which sponsors most of the troups, has endorsed the Boy Scouts’ acceptance of openly gay boys. Joining the Mormon Church in selling out, are the National Jewish Committee on Scouting, the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ, the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Metropolitan Community Church.
One of the first religious organizations to denounce the Boy Scouts’ new policy was the Assemblies of God, the world’s largest Pentecostal group, saying in a statement, “We believe that the B.S.A. policy change will lead to a mass exodus from the Boy Scout program, as Assemblies of God and many other churches can no longer support groups that are part of an organization allowing members who are openly homosexual.”
On the other hand, gay rights activists believe the Boy Scouts’ new policy may actually attract additional organizations and individuals who may have been put off by the former practices.
“My prediction is that there will be a small percentage that leaves, like less than 5 percent, but there will be a lot of noise around them leaving and a lot of words like ‘torn apart’ will be used to describe this, but, in the end, the organization will probably come back in a stronger place because it’s more inclusive,” said Ross Murray, director of news and faith initiatives for G.L.A.A.D., a gay rights advocacy group.
Whether the Boy Scouts’ numbers increase or decrease, what they once stood for—moral straightness—is gone. B.S.A., R.I.P.
Ed Baswell pastors The Clarion Church and is the host of Crossfire Radio, weekdays from 7-9 am, on The Promise, 90.7 FM. The show is streamed live worldwide at promisetalkradio.org and at ktbs.com. It can be seen each day on the KTBS 24-hour, digital news channel.
