QUOTE TO NOTE: Two Bishops on Scouts’ Policy

Two Catholic bishops have weighed in on the Boy Scouts’ policy of including gay youth among their ranks, and these two prelates take distinctly different approaches.  While the first bishop shows himself guided by Catholic principles, the second one is guided by a complete lack of true information about lesbian and gay people.

Bishop David Choby

Bishop David Choby, of Nashville, approved of the Scouts’ decision.  In USA Today,  he stated:

“The policy in its form is not inconsistent with church teaching, which upholds the dignity of each and every human being, regardless of sexual orientation. It does not communicate in any way an approval or support for sexual activity between scouts.”

Indeed, the National Catholic Committee on Scouting took this position in its official response to the policy.

Bishop Edward Slattery, of Tulsa, expressed reservation about the new policy.  The Tulsa World noted Slattery’s opinion:

Bishop Edward Slattery

“ ‘I think the Boy Scouts do wonderful work, and should continue to do so,’ he said. But he said he was not happy about the decision to allow openly gay scouts.

“ ‘What do they mean by openly gay? I assume that means they are sexually active.’ . . . .

“ ‘This culture of ours is crazy, no rules,’ he said.”

Bishop Slattery’s comments reveal a false assumption that I think operates in the minds of many bishops who oppose homosexuality:  ”openly gay” = “sexually active.”   Does he assume that all who are “openly heterosexual” are also all sexually active?

Bishops like Slattery need to dialogue more with lesbian and gay people to understand that acknowledging a homosexual orientation does not indicate one’s participation in any sexual activity.  The need to be known honestly by one’s true identity is most often the reason that someone wants his or her orientation to be known.

Moreover, if Slattery dialogued with lesbian and gay people, he would come to know that they are quite often very ethical people who live by very high moral rules. Clearly, the ignorance of lesbian and gay reality that the bishop’s statements indicate explain why he would be opposed to the new policy.  He does a disservice to lesbian and gay Catholics, the Boy Scouts, himself, and the entire church not to educate himself better on these issues.

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry

 

Another Parish Cuts Scouting Program, While Catholics Organize to Protest Bigotry

Although the National Catholic Committee on Scouting has recommended that Catholic parishes support the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) new inclusive policy of admitting gay scouts, and some bishops have even already announced support for the new measure, some parishes are taking steps to end their relationship with the scouting organization rather than include gay kids.  Last week, we reported on the first known parish to sever ties with the BSA, which was in Bremerton, Washington.  Over the weekend, a pastor in a Chicago-area parish also announced that he would be closing down the parish’s scouting programs rather than admit gay scouts.

Father Brian Grady

The Chicago Tribune reported on Fr. Brian Grady’s decision for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Crystal Lake, Illinois.  Fr. Grady’s reasoning as reported in the paper seems based on myths and stereotypes and clearly inaccurate knowledge of homosexuality and youth:

” ‘For a young boy to (have to) share a tent or be exposed to other boys who are openly homosexual is not only unjust, but immoral,’ Grady wrote. ‘As a former Boy Scout, I know how uncomfortable it would have been to have to be in close proximity with boys that would perhaps be looking at me as more than just a friend.’

“Grady said he was saddened to be ‘forced to make this decision.’ In an interview, he said: ‘We welcome those individuals … but we also recognize certain actions are not to be encouraged.’ “

His reasoning makes it sound like he is placing his own anxieties about sexuality onto both the gay and straight youth who would be involved in scouting.

Charlie Payseur

The leaders of  the scouting program are of the opposite opinion of the pastor.  According to The Tribune:

‘Troop 550 Scoutmaster Charlie Payseur said he and his assistant leaders were “livid” about the move. Grady has been very hospitable, Payseur said, but had not discussed the issue with them.

” ‘It has never been an issue, nor would I turn a Scout away,’ Payseur said. ‘I treat everyone the same. It’s bothering me that people can’t just accept people for who they are.’ “

The Crystal Lake Patch offers even stronger comments from the scoutmaster:

” ‘I am fuming,’ Charlie Payseur said. ‘We’ve been affiliated with that church for over five years, and to not even tell the people who founded the pack? It would have been common courtesy (for Grady) to tell us himself.’ “

In response to the ban on scouts by the Bremerton, Washington, pastor, Fr. Derek Lappe, on which we reported last week, Catholics United, a political organizing group, has launched a petition campaign for Seattle’s Archbishop Peter Sartain to condemn the bigoted behavior of the pastor.  The petition text reads:

Archbishop Sartain,

As Catholics and people of faith, we know that Jesus instructs us to be a loving and inclusive community. These values are shared by the Boy Scouts.

We ask that you publicly remind the priests of your diocese that Catholic social teaching prohibits discrimination against gay people.

When religious leaders like Fr. Lappe promote discrimination, it only hurts the Church.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer quotes James Salt, executive director of Catholics United, as to what they hope the petition will accomplish:

“The Catholic Church has long held that individuals with same-sex attractions should be respected and protected from discrimination. Catholics United calls on Fr. Lappe’s superiors to condemn this kind of bullying from a man who is supposed to be a witness of Christian love and acceptance.”

The Post-Intelligencer quotes from Fr. Lappe’s letter explaining his decision, in which he displays an amazing lack of accurate knowledge on homosexuality:

“The letter sought to refute the generally accepted genetic origin of same-sex attraction. Lappe listed other ‘groups’ including:  ’Mother was overprotective (boys).’   ‘Mother was needy and demanding (boys).’ ‘Lack of rough and tumble play (boys).’ ‘Dislike of team sports (boys).’ ‘Sexual abuse or rape.’ ‘Extreme shyness.’ ‘Parental loss through death or divorce.’

“As well, said Lappe, the parish’s programs ‘are well equipped to help cultivate authentically masculine and feminine identities.’ “

The statements by Fr. Grady and Fr. Lappe reveal they are not in possession of accurate knowledge about homosexuality.    Let’s hope that other pastors have a better understanding than these two do.  It would be a shame if Catholic parishes ended their relationships with scouting programs, particularly when the National Catholic Committee on Scouting is encouraging Catholic parishes to support the new policy.

The examples of these two parishes illustrate not only why pastors need better education about homosexuality, but also why lay people need to be involved in the decision-making processes of Catholic life.

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry

Related articles:

June 3, 2013:  Religious groups who supported gay Scout ban now are okay with changing it. Why?, The Washington Post

June 3, 2013:  The Boy Scouts, Gay Youth and Catholic Teaching ,  Huffington Post

June 4, 2013:  The church’s Boy Scout dilemma: Should they stay or should they go? , U.S. Catholic

 

National Catholic Committee on Scouting Supports Boy Scouts’ Inclusive Policy

The National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS) has announced that it will support the Boy Scouts of America’s new policy to allow gay youth to become scouts.

Religion News Service (RNS)  reports on a letter that NCCS Chairman Edward P. Martin sent to Catholic scout leaders in which he said that his committee found no contradiction between the Scouts’ new policy and church teaching:

“ ‘We should be encouraged that the change in BSA’s youth membership standard is not in conflict with Catholic teaching,’ Martin said, asking that ‘Catholic Scouters and chartered organization heads not rush to judgment.’ ”

RNS also described a bit of the process that NCCS went through to arrive at this conclusion:

“Martin said that in the week following the vote, he and his colleagues consulted with the BSA, with other faith-based Scouting groups and with Catholic experts, and weighed feedback on social media before declaring themselves satisfied that the new policy would not conflict with Catholic teaching.

“One of the experts Martin cited was Edward Peters, a canon lawyer popular with church conservatives who wrote that while he disliked the new policy it was not contrary to church doctrine.”

Bondings 2.0 readers may remember that Peters was involved with Detroit Archbishops Vigneron’s statement that Catholics who support marriage equality should not present themselves for communion.

The NCCS letter details their understanding of what the new policy means

 

• “A youth will not be prevented from receiving a rank award or religious emblem simply for being gay.
• “A youth will not need to hide the fact that he is gay if he doesn’t want to.
• “A youth thinking or knowing he is gay should not be afraid that he will be bullied or expelled by the Scouting community by disclosing his sexual orientation.”

There had already been some discussion about whether Catholic dioceses would support the new policy, with different statements made by different places.  One pastor in Bremerton, Washington. had already announced that it would cancel Scouting programs in the parish.

The NCCS’s support is not binding on local bishops who can decide on their own policy.  Accoring to RNS:

“Each bishop can decide whether the new membership policy is acceptable. Guglielmone has written to every U.S. bishop, and Martin said the NCCS would develop a plan to ensure ‘a consistent message is delivered to dioceses, parishes, Catholic Scouters and the media’ on the church’s views about allowing gay Scouts.”

New Ways Ministry applauds the NCCS statement of support, and particularly the fact that they were able to elicit endorsement from one of the country’s most conservative canon law scholars.  We urge all Catholic dioceses to support the Boy Scouts’ new policy, and we hope and pray that very soon the Scouting organization will also allow gay men to be scout leaders, which the new policy did not cover.

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry

Related posts:

May 30, 2013: Anti-Gay Letter from Catholic Priest Is Inadequate Response for Boy Scouts

May 24, 2013: National Committee and Local Dioceses Begin to React Boy Scouts’ Decision

May 24, 2013: Catholic Bishops Should Go At Least As Far As Mormons Have on Gay Scouting Policy

May 23, 2013: Why the U.S. Catholic Bishops Should Support Gay Boy Scouts

May 18, 2013: Boy Scouts’ Proposed Change Finds Catholics on Both Sides of the Debate

 

Anti-Gay Letter from Catholic Priest Is Inadequate Response for Boy Scouts

Fr. Derek Lappe

A Catholic pastor in Bremerton, Washington, has closed the parish’s scouting program in the wake of the Boy Scouts of America’s decision to accept gay youth.  His decision, which he announced in a searing letter to parishioners, contradicts much of the Catholic hierarchy’s response so far.

Fr. Derek Lappe released the charged letter last Sunday to explain his actions and offer a  his views on homosexuality. He accuses the Boy Scouts of conceding to political correctness, strangely refers to the organization as the “New Boy Scouts,” and lists debunked pseudo-science to explain LGBT sexuality including a “Dislike of team sports” or “Lack of hand/eye coordination.”

Relying heavily on writings of the anti-gay Catholic Medical Association, Lappe’s screed continues in an emotional and disparate manner until it ends with this:

“To me it is cruel, and abusive and absolutely contrary to the Gospel to in any way confirm a teenager in the confusion of same-sex attraction, which is what the New Boy Scout policy will do.

And so, we are going to redouble our efforts to create a community that is supportive of happy, healthy, holy marriages. In our marriage preparation we are going to try to get women to stop marrying such loser men who will never be capable of being good dads and husbands, and vice versa…

“We are going to provide youth activities for any and all youth…Our current Fraternus andFidelis programs are well equipped to help cultivate authentically masculine and feminine identities.”

Reporting on Fr. Lappe’s letter, Seattle Post-Intelligencer notes that this letter “is the most hard-line anti-gay statement to come from anywhere in Washington’s three Catholic diocese over the past year,” which included anti-marriage equality campaigning last year before that state’s referendum.

KING 5 reports that a local chapter of Scouts For Equality will help relocate every scout in the Our Lady Star of the Sea parish’s troop to continue with the Boy Scouts, if they choose to do so.

Positive reactions from Catholics is more common than Fr. Lappe’s homophobic one. Dioceses and parishes in Grand Forks, Madison, Rochester and elsewhere are either welcoming the continuation of Catholic scouting or delaying comment until they can consider it further. The National Catholic Committee on Scouting released a statement that it will study the Boy Scouts’ decision, and nothing from the USCCB has been released yet.

The pastor’s letter is retrograde, perpetuating myths about LGBT people and promoting intolerance among youth in those very moments in life where love and affirmation are needed most. Fr. Lappe must apologize in good faith for the harmful act he undertook writing this anti-gay letter, and work now to foster a welcoming community for all his parishioners.

–Bob Shine, New Ways Ministry

National Committee and Local Dioceses Begin to React Boy Scouts’ Decision

The National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS) has announced that it plans to study the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) new policy of including gay scout members before it makes any response about how Catholic institutions will respond.

The National Catholic Reporter announced the NCCS’ decision:

“A statement from the NCCS said that since the policy change does not take effect until next January 2014, the committee will have ‘adequate time to study its effects.”

” ‘The NCCS will determine how it may impact Catholic chartered Scout units and activities. In doing so, we will work within the teachings of our Catholic faith and with the various local bishops and their diocesan Scouting committees,’ the Catholic organization said in a statement.”

Interestingly,  local dioceses have already responded to the BSA’s policy change, with various reactions.

According to The Washington Post,  two neighboring dioceses had different responses to the decision: 

“Bishop Paul Loverde, the leader of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, issued a statement saying the vote would likely force the diocese to reconsider sponsoring troops in about 50 of its parishes, while the Rev. William Byrne, secretary for pastoral ministry of the Archdiocese of Washington, said the new policy is not in conflict with Catholic teaching.”

The Archdiocese of Denver also saw no problem with the new decision, according to The Denver Post:

“The Archdiocese of Denver stated it will continue to allow parish-chartered Scouting organizations, but would be ‘steadfast in articulating a Christian understanding of human dignity and sexuality.’ “

Such a statement makes one wonder if they had not been “steadfast” in doing so in the past.  Perhaps if they had been steadfast in promoting human dignity, the exclusionary policy of the BSA might have been changed much earlier.

Another unusual Catholic response came from Allentown, Pennsylvania.  The Morning Call reports:

“Although an Allentown Catholic Diocese spokesman said local church leaders would take direction from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops regarding the change, an expert on Catholic doctrine said the Scouts’ new policy meshes well with church practices.

” ‘We stand for the inherent dignity of every young person while also standing opposed to the acceptance of homosexual behavior as something morally or culturally good,’ said the Rev. Thomas Dailey, a professor of theology at DeSales University in Center Valley.

“Dailey said that allowing youth members without regard to their sexual orientation but barring role models to young Scouts who are gay reflects those Catholic values.”

Why is it dangerous for a young gay scout to have a well-integrated gay scout leader as a role model?  For that matter, why is it dangerous for any scout to have such a model?   A positive gay role model in a leadership position would help both gay and heterosexual scouts realize that gay people can lead happy and productive lives.  Why is that idea so dangerous?

The Diocese of Fargo, North Dakota, also announced that it would take a wait-and-see attitude, according to The Grand Forks Herald:

“Tanya Watterud, interim director of communications for the Catholic Diocese of Fargo, said the local diocese did not have a statement on the matter.

“Watterud said she expected the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops would take a stance on the mater.

“ ‘We would follow their statement,’ Watterud said.”

Bondings 2.0 will continue to update Catholic responses to the new Boy Scouts’ policy, as relevant ones become public.

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry

 

 

Catholic Bishops Should Go At Least As Far As Mormons Have on Gay Scouting Policy

Congratulations to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for voting to allow openly gay scouts in their troops!  Let’s continue to pray that this experience will pave the way for also allowing openly gay scout leaders to be accepted by the organization.  The same Catholic principles of justice and human dignity apply in both cases.

So far there has been no official Catholic response to the Boy Scouts’ decision.  Last week, the National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS) said that it was taking a wait and see approach to the decision, and would issue a statement after the vote.  Bishop Robert Guglielmone, the U.S. bishops’  liaison to the NCCS offered a more hopeful statement this week, noting:

“With regard to a possible BSA membership change, we will continue to uphold the truths of the Church’s teaching and strive to maintain our ties with the BSA.”

Noted Catholic author Father James Martin, SJ, posted the following reaction on his Facebook page:

“As a former Cub Scout and Webelo I support the Boy Scouts’ welcoming everyone into the Scouts. As a Catholic I support the recognition of the fundamental human dignity of every person..”

Interestingly, the conservative Mormon church had already expressed support for including gay scouts, even before the vote.  According to The New York Times,

“The Mormon Church has declared its support for the Boy Scouts of America’s proposal to end a longstanding ban on openly gay youths, while continuing to bar gay adult leaders.”

The Times story links to the Mormon Church’s statement in support of gay scouts, which reads in part:

“The current BSA proposal constructively addresses a number of important issues that have been part of the on-going dialogue including consistent standards for all BSA partners, recognition that Scouting exists to serve and benefit youth rather than Scout leaders, a single standard of moral purity for youth in the program, and a renewed emphasis for Scouts to honor their duty to God.

“We are grateful to BSA for their careful consideration of these issues. We appreciate the positive things contained in this current proposal that will help build and strengthen the moral character and leadership skills of youth as we work together in the future.”

According to USA Today:

“About 70% of all Scout troops are run by faith-based organizations, according to the Boy Scouts of America. About 37% are Mormon, 10% Methodist and 8% Catholic.”

Kevin Kloosterman, a Mormon bishop from Illinois, reflected on his church’s support of inclusion:

“I look forward to a day when our LGBT sisters and brothers will be judged not by orientation or gender identity but on the content of their character.  We still have not come to that day yet, but I do see progress.  I hope my faith community and the BSA will continue to make progress towards inclusion and acceptance of our gay neighbors and loved ones, and that scouting will return to its honored tradition of developing leadership and values in all of our youth and the ban against gay leaders will be lifted.”

Wouldn’t it be great if our Catholic bishops followed the same course as the Mormons, not only tolerating the Boy Scouts’ decision, but welcoming it, and look forward to the day when Gospel justice is an active principle for all in society, including gay Boy Scouts’ leaders.

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry

 

 

 

Why the U.S. Catholic Bishops Should Support Gay Boy Scouts

Delegates at a national Boy Scouts of America (BSA) meeting will vote today on whether local troops may allow gay scouts.  The issue is controversial in the Catholic community, which serves as the third largest host of all scout troops nationwide, with some people using their faith to urge inclusion and some using faith to urge exclusion.

Though the National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS) issued a neutral statement on the topic last week, this week a more positive statement was issued.  Bishop Robert Guglielmone, of Charleston, South Carolina, who is the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ liaison to the NCCS, made public a letter about the topic in which he stated:

“With regard to a possible BSA membership change, we will continue to uphold the truths of the Church’s teaching and strive to maintain our ties with the BSA.”

He also stated:

‘The Catholic Church in the United States has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with the BSA, and I hope that relationship can continue.”

Richard Galliardetz

A passionate plea for a gay-inclusive policy came from Catholic theologian Richard Galliardetz, in a National Catholic Reporter commentary this week.   Galliardetz, the father of four scouting sons offered personal experience of the discriminatory exclusionary policy the Scouts currently employ:

“My own family has been deeply involved in scouting for years. I have four sons, three of whom are Eagle Scouts and the fourth soon will be. My son Andrew is not only an Eagle Scout; he served as senior patrol leader of his Catholic troop. He also spent three summers as a leader at a Boy Scout summer camp where he shared responsibility for the daily operation of the camp. Because of his reputation for relating well to the younger scouts, whenever boys became homesick or there was a disciplinary issue, more often than not they were sent to Andrew for counseling and support. Unfortunately, because of current Boy Scout policy, that is a role he can no longer play. During his freshman year of college Andrew publicly acknowledged his same-sex orientation and was therefore no longer allowed to serve as a scout leader.”

Galliardetz argues for inclusion based on Catholic principles:

“The official position of the Boy Scouts of America is irreconcilable with the Catholic teaching on the dignity of gay and lesbian persons and its careful distinction between sexual orientation and sexual behavior. Allowing gay youth to join the Boy Scouts and allowing gay and lesbian adults to serve as leaders is not condoning homosexual behavior; it is a matter of recognizing the fundamental dignity of gays and lesbians and their right not to be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. Catholic teaching insists, as [Cardinal] Dolan reiterated, that homosexual persons are created in the image and likeness of God and are deserving of our love and respect.”

What is needed, he argues, is for Catholic bishops to speak out for an inclusive policy:

‘The Boy Scouts of America are in the midst of a reconsideration of their longstanding opposition to gays as scouts and scout leaders. Consequently, a public statement by Catholic bishops supporting a change in scouting policy would go a long way toward demonstrating that church teaching does not justify discrimination against gays and lesbians.’

Galliardetz is right.  A statement from the Catholic bishops supporting inclusion would be very powerful.  Moreover it would be an example of finally putting some action behind their oft-stated anthem that they care about the dignity of lesbian and gay people, and oppose unjust discrimination in their regard.  Though they often employ that statement, without any real enactment of it, it ends up sounding like an empty line.

Let’s keep the delegates to the Boy Scouts’ meeting in our prayers today, and let’s hope that they act for dignity, respect, and inclusion.

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry

Boy Scouts’ Proposed Change Finds Catholics on Both Sides of the Debate

As the Boy Scouts of America deliberate about accepting gay members, with a decision looming next week, Catholics involved with scouting are lining up on both sides of the debate.

An article in USA Today reports on the upcoming decision facing BSA:

“The proposal, which would allow gay Scouts but continue to exclude gay adults as leaders, has the unanimous support of Boy Scouts’ top officials, and will be voted on by the group’s 1,400-member national council on May 23…

“Already suffering a long-term membership decline, the Scouts’ proposal is an effort to appeal to younger parents who increasingly support gay rights. But the current two-pronged ban has strong support among existing members and volunteers, many of whom believe accepting gay members will clash with their religious convictions.”

Strong opposition comes from faith-based groups, responsible for over 70% of scouting troops nationally, and among these are Catholics conflicted by the proposal. The National Catholic Council on Scouting released a vague statement affirming the hierarchy’s understanding of gay issues and promising to respond once the proposal is voted on.

At the grassroots level, USA Today reports some Catholic scout leaders are already threatening resignation, and some pastors plan to sever ties with BSA if openly gay scouts are allowed. Yet other Catholic leaders are hoping that gay scouts will be accepted:

“At St. Raymond of Penafort Catholic Church in Springfield, Va., the Rev. John De Celles announced in his church bulletin that the parish troop would end its relationship with the Boy Scouts if membership standards change…

“As many as a quarter of the 273,000 Boy Scouts connected to Catholic-run troops could leave, some leaders estimate. Still, many Catholic parishes welcome the move to allow openly gay scouts into their troops.

“‘If it changes, that’s fine with us. In fact, I’m hoping they do change it,’ said Monsignor Donald Romito of St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Irvine, Calif. ‘We’re welcoming to everybody, and everybody’s welcome to join the Scouts. It wouldn’t impact our relationship with the troop at all.’”

For its part, the BSA leadership is advocating strongly for the national council, which meets May 22-24, to allow gay scouts and has worked to address the concerns of Catholics and other faith-based participants:

“We believe that this policy remains true to the virtues, the core principles of scouting, not of any one religion, but of Scouting,” said BSA executive committee member Nathan Rosenberg, in a webcast urging support for the plan.”

Like one’s faith and one’s sexuality, involvement in scouting is a large influence on a young person’s identity. Catholics involved in scouting must encourage youth to openly embrace every part of who they are during formative years. It is time for Catholic leadership to echo Monsignor Romito’s call to welcome every youth who wishes to participate in BSA troops and end a discriminatory practice that forces scouts to remain closeted.

–Bob Shine, New Ways Ministry

Boy Scouts Inclusivity Could Signal End of Catholic Scouting

Recent speculation over a Boy Scouts of America (BSA) proposal to end the blanket ban on gay scouts and leaders have led some observers to wonder about the future of Catholic scouting programs.

The Washington Blade reported on a statement released by the Boy Scouts of America about their consideration of ending a policy excluding gay individuals from joining the organization. There is currently a period of public comment so nothing has been approved yet, but the statement speaks to likely changes:

“Possibly in anticipation of strong opposition by conservative and religious groups, the BSA emphasized in its own statement that the change would allow local units to decide whether or not to admit gays.

“‘The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a policy to units, members, or parents…Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization’s mission, principles or religious beliefs.’

“The BSA website says more than 100,000 scouting units are owned and operated by independent chartered organizations.”

Among these 100,000 units, nearly seventy percent are sponsored by faith-based organizations, including ten percent by the Catholic Church.

The American bishops supported the BSA’s decision to affirm the anti-gay policy last year, but no statement has been released by them  in this recent controversy. The Huffington Post covered comments by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ spokesperson, Sr. Mary Ann Walsh, who said:

“The bishops hope the Boy Scouts will continue to work under the Judeo-Christian principles upon which they were founded and under which they have served youth well.”

David Gibson of Religion News Service questions the viability of Catholic involvement in the BSA if gay scouts and adult leaders gain broad acceptance. While no official statement by Catholic leaders lays out their position, past actions in scouting controversies do not inspire hope. Gibson is not positive in his assessment when coupled with recent actions of the bishops against the Girl Scouts as well:

“[Ending the ban on gay scouts] would effectively put an end to Catholic-sponsored scout troops…

“The Girl Scouts are already in the Catholic dock over charges (or an “urban legend,” some say) that their cookies support contraception and abortion programs. (Catholics make up a quarter of the nation’s 3 million Girl Scouts.)

“Is this the end of Catholic scouting? Or are there alternatives?”

Not all view a pro-LGBT decision by the BSA as the end to church-based scouting, with  blogger Tim MacGeorge questioning “Which Catholic parish will be first to welcome Gay Scouts?” on his site, Image and Likeness. where he ponders what parishes will do if the Scouts lift their ban:

“. . . I pray that there will be one Catholic parish somewhere in these United States that will have the faith, the courage, and the decency to do the right thing.  I pray that there will be one courageous pastor who will lead his parish in making a decision that puts them ‘on the right side of history,’ and allows the scout troop under their auspices to accept openly gay scouts and leaders.

“Hopefully Sister Mary Ann and the bishops for whom she works will one day learn that exclusion of people because of who they are as God made them to be is not really a ‘Judeo-Christian principle.’”

With this issue so unknown, we want to know what Bondings 2.0 readers think. Will the Boy Scouts allow openly gay scouts and leaders? If they do, will this signal an end to Catholic scouting or open a new chapter of inclusiveness? Leave a comment below.

-Bob Shine, New Ways Ministry

Gay Boy Scout Denied Eagle Rank Sparks Reflection on Catholic Teaching

The case of a Boy Scout being denied Eagle rank because he is gay has made one Commonweal blogger wonder why Catholic  leaders have not spoken out against this injustice.

 

Ryan Andresen

NBCNews.com earlier this month reported the case of Ryan Andreson, a 17-year old Scout from Moraga, California, had completed his Eagle Scout requirements, but his Scoutmaster refused to sign his form:

“. . . the Boy Scouts of America said in a statement that because of Andresen’s sexual orientation and that he did not agree to Scouting’s principle of ‘Duty to God,’ ‘he is no longer eligible for membership in Scouting.’ But the family on Friday disputed that, saying the only reason Andresen was denied the rank is ‘because the Boy Scouts of America has a problem with Ryan being gay.’ “

Commonweal  blogger Lisa Fullam has questioned why Catholic leadership have not spoken out on this case of blatant discrimination.    Since Catholic teaching on homosexuality defends human dignity, Catholic leaders should be forthright on this matter:

“Official Catholic teaching, unlike that of many right-wing evangelical churches, draws a distinction between sexual inclination/desire (the official teaching tends not to use the word “orientation,”) and sexual acts. Homosexual acts are condemned, while homosexual desire is not. I suspect the BSA does not encourage sexual activity for any of its members, but rather encourages them to remain sexually abstinent, at least until marriage or responsible adulthood. (A quick googling didn’t answer this question for me. My searches yielded reports about sex abuse and poor responses to sex abuse within this all-heterosexual group.) Why wouldn’t the Catholic Church want to encourage all interested kids to join groups calling for responsible chastity? Not to mention the fact that scouting might help them find the kind of solid friends that Church teaching says is helpful for gays in dealing with homosexual desire? Catholic magisterial teaching says that no unjust discrimination of any kind should be practiced against LGB people–wouldn’t involvement in a group that helps form responsible and thoughtful men be a good thing for gay kids? (Since I am talking about a response by Catholic leadership here, I am not calling into question the Church’s teaching on same-sex relationships here. There’s no need to change Catholic teaching in order for Church leaders to support scouting for gay kids.)”

Fullam cites another reason that Catholic leaders should speak out on cases like this, and it has to do with a topic that has occupied their minds greatly of late–religious liberty:

“We’ve heard a lot about religious liberty from Catholic leadership this year. Many Christian denominations and other religious groups are supportive of LGBT people and (when appropriate) same-sex relationships. It may well be the case for Ryan–and it is undoubtedly the case for many scouts–that Duty to God as they understand God REQUIRES them to be open and affirming of LGBT people. In their own well-formed consciences, such scouts are put in a difficult position of having to decide whether their membership in a group that excludes gays is in conflict with their promise within that very group to be reverent and to serve God. Wouldn’t a call for an inclusive stance point to the bishops’ sense of the urgency of protecting religious freedom for all and the importance of obeying conscience?”

Fullam’s case is a solid one.  Catholic bishops and other leaders have been shamefully silent on the epidemic of bullying in recent years, and the Andresen case is, at bottom, a case of institutional bullying.  I suspect that Catholic leaders’ obsession with not supporting marriage equality initiatives has made them gun-shy about supporting any initiative that supports LGBT people.  That is not only shameful, but, as Fullam’s argument illustrates, it is a denial of the Catholic Church’s clear teaching on anti-discrimination and religious liberty.   Our youth, and our entire church, deserve better from our leaders.

Ryan’s mother, Karen Andersen, so clearly reflects Catholic principles in the defense of her son quoted by NBCNews.com:

“ ‘I want everyone to know that [the Eagle award] should be based on accomplishment, not your sexual orientation. Ryan entered Scouts when he was six years old and in no way knew what he was,’ said Karen Andresen, 49, a stay-at-home mother of three. ‘I think right now the Scoutmaster is sending Ryan the message that he’s not a valued human being and I want Ryan to know that he is valued … and that people care about him.’ “

Catholic people in the pews can show their support for Ryan Andresen and LGBT youth like him by signing a petition that his mother has organized to secure  his Eagle ranking.

–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry