Press Release
Creed Trumps Deed for Boy Scouts
For Immediate Release - November 2, 2002
Tony Hileman, (202) 238-9088
(Washington, DC) The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) this week gave one
of their
top ranked Eagle Scouts an ultimatum: affirm a belief in a higher power
or
quit the Boy Scouts. “This is the kind of lesson the Boy Scout
leadership is
teaching young men: despite devotion to a cause, despite dedication
to
others, despite accomplished service, if supernatural beliefs differ,
then
loyalty is cast aside. Creed clearly trumps deed,” points out Tony
Hileman,
executive director of the American Humanist Association (AHA).
Darrel Lambert earned the rank of Eagle Scout after ten years of dedication
to the organization and community. If Lambert followed BSA’s advice
and
professed belief in a supreme being, it would be a lie. "I wouldn't
be a
good Scout then, would I?" he asked.
The Bedrock of Scouting Values, a BSA publication asserts, “Our
commitment
is that no child can develop to his/her fullest potential without a
spiritual element.” Derek Sweetman, a Humanist Eagle Scout asks,
“Why doesn’
t performance alone prove worthiness? If the dedication and service
is
there, how is the person’s attitude toward religion relevant?”
“Lambert is a prime example that a failure to believe in God does
not equate
to a failure of good citizenship,” said Hileman.
The BSA is teaching youth to ignore accomplishments in favor of a
declaration, sincere or not. By attempting to force a statement from
Mr.
Lambert the Boy Scouts of America are trivializing the meaning of belief.
Hileman declared, “Its time for the BSA to live up to its own standards
and
end this practice of exclusion.”
# # #
The American Humanist Association (www.americanhumanist.org) is the
oldest
and largest Humanist organization in the nation. The AHA is dedicated
to
ensuring a voice for those with a positive outlook, based on reason
and
experience, which embraces all of humanity.
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