S'MORES, campfires, God and merit badges: Pick the word that does not belong. If you, gentle readers, chose God, you apparently are more perceptive than the Chief Seattle Council of the Boy Scouts. For most people, the Boy Scouts of America evokes images of knot-tying and pup tents. And that's the way it should be. Lately, however, the Boy Scouts have dug themselves deeper and deeper into a pit of ideological contradiction and unjustified exclusion. The organization should attempt to redeem itself from its current march to an increasingly hostile policy toward those with alternative lifestyles and beliefs.
The most recent case involving the Boy Scouts' efforts to force out members with "values" that contradict those the group claims to uphold comes from Washington state. The Chief Seattle Council has given 19-year-old Eagle Scout Darrell Lambert an ultimatum with a one-week deadline. Why? Lambert is an atheist. According to an Associated Press story, the Council demanded that he rescind his atheism or face expulsion from the Boy Scouts ("Atheist Scout given a week to declare belief," Oct. 31).
If the situation seems puzzling at first consideration, that's because it is. As an atheist, Lambert does not meet the standards of eligibility for membership in the Boy Scouts -- members must confess a belief in some higher power, though not necessarily in a religious aspect. And so far, Lambert has refused to submit to the Council's mandate. Interestingly enough, he disclosed his atheism in an application to become an Eagle Scout last year and still received the distinction. The current disagreement only came about after Lambert got into an argument with a Scout leader at a training seminar over whether atheists should be expelled from the organization. The office of Brad Farmer, the executive of the Chief Seattle Council, then contacted Lambert to discuss his atheism. Of course, it was only prudent that they confront Lambert once things got sticky (oh no, debate!) instead of making any acknowledgement of the possible problem in the past.
Farmer's stance on Lambert's options to stay in the Scouts is extremely troubling. As quoted in the AP story, Farmer said that a belief in a higher power does not inevitably have to involve religion. He stated, "Mother Nature would be acceptable." So let's get this straight. Farmer would rather have Lambert profess an insincere belief in something rather than stick to his true convictions. Sounds like an honorable Scout tenet.
Granted, the Boy Scouts of America is a private organization that has a right to set qualifications for its members. In 2000, the Supreme Court upheld the organization's right to ban gays from its ranks (that's a whole other can of worms, though). Concerning the religious "requirement," the Scouts make it clear on their Web site (www.scouting.org) through the so-called "Scout Law" that a member must "be reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others." Thus, Lambert must have been aware of the precariousness of his situation.
But just because the Scouts have the right to exclude certain people does not mean they have to exercise it to such an extent. The organization claims to support diversity and respect for those with differing beliefs, but then ensures that such a position does not compromise their ability to exclude certain people. Their hypocrisy is evident in a statement entitled "In Support of Values" on its Web site that says, "Respect for others, however, doesn't mean the forced inclusion of people whose values, ethics, or morals are contrary to your own."
Obviously, Lambert's values are contrary to those of the Scouts where, ideally, religion or God should be irrelevant. Emphasizing the organization's strong stance on the necessity of religion, an unsigned speech found on its Web site asserts, "No child can develop to his/her fullest potential without a spiritual element in his/her life." Lambert, however, turned out pretty well despite his apparent lack of spiritual faith. The AP story cited the enormous contribution Lambert has made as a Scout -- 37 merit badges, 1,000-plus hours of community service and a leadership role in a troop in his hometown. In other words, Lambert is a stand-up kid who just happens not to believe in God or any other higher being.
Lambert's participation, in fact, could serve to benefit the organization and the younger children he leads. Perhaps officials unjustly fear that he will seek to "convert" the young, impressionable minds he comes in contact with. In excluding Lambert, the Scouts will continue to make members an even more homogenous group. His differences should be seen as a learning opportunity for children, not a threat. The Scouts shouldn't shelter kids but let them critically think about their own beliefs and those of the people around them. Expelling Lambert will set a bad precedent and confuse the children who are taught diversity with one hand, only to see it taken away with the other.
(Becky Krystal is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. She can be reached at bkrystal@cavalierdaily.com.)
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