Church releases statement on BSA's decision to allow trans-genders

[Col. Flagg]

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SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement Tuesday following the Boy Scouts of America’s decision to allow transgender children into the organization.

The LDS Church said in the statement that it is “studying the announcement,” but that Boy Scouts of America has informed all religious organizations that they “will be able to organize their troops in a way fully consistent with their religious beliefs.”

The church maintained that it will continue to look at the programs its youth are involved in and will continue to “look for ways to better serve its families and young people worldwide.”

On Monday, the Boy Scouts of America said it would no longer base a child’s gender off of a birth certificate, but would allow enrollment into the organization based on the gender a parent lists on the application to become a Scout. The Scouts added that its birth certificate approach “is no longer sufficient as communities and state laws are interpreting gender identity differently, and these laws vary widely from state to state.”

In 2013, the Boys Scouts opened up to boys who identified as gay; however, gay leaders would not be able to volunteer in the organization. The Boys Scouts later lifted its ban on adult leaders who identified as gay in July 2015.

The LDS Church later said that it was “troubled” by the 2015 decision and would re-examine its relationship with the organization. A month later, the church said it would remain with the Scouting program and that it wanted to see the Boy Scouts “succeed in its historic mission to instill leadership skills and high moral standards in youth of all faiths and circumstances.”

LDS Church spokesman Eric Hawkins said in 2015 that the church “has always welcomed all boys to its Scouting units regardless of sexual orientation.”

At that time, church officials said the church would “go forward” in chartering with the boy scouts and would continue to “appoint Scout leaders and volunteers who uphold and exemplify Church doctrine, values and standards.”

Thoughts?

[jsk]

I have hated Scouts since I was a kid...just not my thing.

My gut instinct is that the Church will continue with Scouting so long as local troops are able to make their own decisions on these kinds of issues.

Personally...I wish the Church would take the positive elements of Scouting and incorporate it into the Duty to God Program or something like that. Probably a pipe dream.

[bbsion]

I think the Church should just cut ties with the BSA entirely. There are other similar organizations who actually still believe in being "morally straight". The BSA has been another cowardly organization kowtowing to the elites agenda being pushed by the LGBT. The quoted statement in the OP has no depth and is very generic of the Church, but it's still early. Technically they are still "studying" the BSA's most recent statement.

[skmo]

I understand the church wants to say "The BSA started with good goals, so we want to remain part of the organization so we can help direct the group back to righteous ways."

However, watching what scouts are becoming, it seems to be little different than if I went to the strip club and saying "These girls started out kind and innocent, I want to remain here to help remind them of that fact." Meanwhile, I'm having to buy $4 watered down cokes.

[Melissa]

The pattern is that the church will stay with it. As long as we have our own units within the church that can be upheld to church standards, they will likely remain using the program.

I think that at some point they will need to weigh the perceived benefit vs the downfall of what it will stand for and dismiss the historical aspect of what it used to be.

It may not matter anymore that our young men receive the awards and eventually the eagle scout. It may not be a "good" thing to have our standard so different than the scout standards and try to use it as a "good" merit for our young men. It may become confusing to those who would like to question the morals of christians.

Hope that made sense

[seekhisface]

Do you affiliate with any group or individual whose teachings or practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or do you sympathize with the precepts of any such group or individual?

[h_p]

Does anyone think the BSA will defend the church's position if some gay activist tries to sign their tranny kid up into an LDS troop, and they get turned down? I can already see the headlines.

[Robin Hood]

Although the Scouting movement started and is headquartered here in the UK, the Church has no ties with it here at all.
We just run the Young Men/Duty to God programme here and it works fine.

I dislike the Scouts, but probably because I used to be in the Boy's Brigade. The BB is more militaristic. We learned to march and salute, we had a cool uniform, we played sports and went camping; and we thought the Scouts were a bunch of sissy's.