Bill Pollock's Modern Scouting

I found this out rather by accident, given a number of manuals by my local District Executive who was pitching the council to me as a former Eagle Scout and a member of a family whose Scouting legacy includes a camp named after my great-grandfather.

Its not because I'm gay that the Scouts won't let me in, its because I won't stand firm in a belief to a all-powerful godhead. [1]

In the glossary of Scouting terms I received was the "Declaration of Religious Principle"[2]. This states that the Scouts do not feel that one is sufficient moral character to lead America's Youth if they do not believe in God as the singular creator of the universe:

When I was growing up I was fairly agnostic, leaning towards atheistic. These were the beliefs of my parents and it is reasonable to expect a young man to develop religious beliefs convergent from core family moral values. This created immediate problems for my own Scout career as though at the time it was well known [4] that fulfillment of several non-secular affirmations was not to be taken lightly.

I discussed the matter of the twelfth point of the Scout Law -- "Reverence" -- and how I should answer whether I had "done my duty to god" as declared in the Scout Oath with my family.

We came up with a wider definition of reverent and personal duty to God than the current Declaration allows, but it is the code I still describe to most.

God speaks to each of us and calls us each to our own commitment to Him. Reverence is recognizing that fact, even if that does not mean you are necessarily in Church every day.

In other words, one's duty to God was subjective and really not up for judgment by the Scouts. The copy of the Scout Handbook I had contained a description of the twelfth point as: "A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others."

One might think that this included those who perhaps did not believe in a One True God, ruler of the universe.

Only persons willing to subscribe to the Declaration of Religious Principle and to the Bylaws of the Boy Scouts of America shall be entitled to certificates of leadership.

Adult Application 28-501R, Modern version from [scouting.org]. Older versions give this considerably stronger emphasis.

Declaration of Religious Principle, Bylaws of Boy Scouts of America, art. IX, 1, cl. 1:
The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law. The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members. No matter what the religious faith of the members may be, this fundamental need of the members should be kept before them. The Boy Scouts of America, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the home and the organization with which the member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life."

[bsalegal.org: "Duty To God]

3) [bsalegal.org: Duty To God]

4) So went urban legend at the time that I was a scout that an Eagle candidate in the district had failed his review board because he declared he was atheistic.

This may, in fact, be confusing the lawsuit raised by Tim Curran who sued my council for expelling him on the grounds that he was a avowed homosexual.