Confessions of a Straight as an Order of the Arrow Boy Scout

I was a Boy Scout.  Despite what my grandmother seemed to think, that was no merit badge of masculine heterosexuality in the circles in which I moved, despite those magnificent khaki green knee socks held up with red garters that made up the lower half of the summer uniform.  If it were the babe magnet she claimed, the young women that I knew showed great restraint, never letting me see their weak knees or anything else for that matter, a failure that would not have been shared around a campfire.

Adolescent guys talk about sex. A lot. Even Boy Scouts.  Even if we knew very little about it.  Maybe because we knew very little about it.

It seems weird to hear the big controversy about gay scouts.  I don't know which of my fellow scouts were  gay, but I would imagine some were. That fact made absolutely no difference in my scouting experience, which  may have been the best one ever thanks to one of the two best scoutmasters ever, Roy Wheat, of Oneonta's Troop 160. (The other best scoutmaster was my Uncle Ralph, scoutmaster in Talladega.  All those guys called him Uncle Ralph.  But he really was my Uncle Ralph).  But I digress, perhaps because a hard confession is coming up.

.I guess I am making excuses now.  More like confessing.   Calling each other fags and queers was commonplace at meetings and while hiking and camping, but certainly not meant to single anyone out.  I'm pretty sure that description was directed at each of us at some point or another. We couldn't be expected to be clever with our juvenile  repartee all the time.   Yes it was awful. Maybe it isn't a good excuse that we were just adolescents crazed with racing hormones.  But it was certainly not meant to be as hurtful as calling someone a virgin. . We could not be certain of everyone's sexual preference, but we were Boy Scouts, after all, and pretty certain everyone was truly a virgin, despite what was claimed around the campfire.  And the truth hurts.

Anyway, I am sorry I didn't speak out and say the right thing at the time.  But I would have just been called more clever names. I guess I was just scared.  I don't remember of what.   Don't act like you didn't do the same thing. That's another thing about adolescent guys.  We were scared of a lot of things.  But mostly scared that someone would find out we were scared.  So, I never said a word.

 I  seriously regret all that.  Because now I realize that some of my friends, who were just children at the time,  were probably truly hurt and isolated by the words that were tossed around so casually and derisively.  There is nothing I can do about that now, except try to do better.

But back to my point.  Percentages and common sense tell me that my scouting experience included friends who were gay.  And my scouting experience was great.  So what's this fuss all about now?  Does anyone really believe that scouting has not been inclusive of gays since its inception?  Does anyone really believe this is something that has come up all of a sudden?   What's this all about?

Two things it is not about.

It is not about the scouts.

And it is not about Jesus.

The Boy Scouts of America recently announced that the organization would accept openly gay children and youth as scouts.

Consequently, a couple of churches in the Birmingham area have decided it would no longer let the Boy Scouts use its facilities because to continue to provide such assistance would be a repudiation of the churches' belief that being gay is a sin, and gay people are unrepentant sinners.

Jesus, kneeling on the steps of the church, with His arms wide open, saying,

"Let the children come to me, do not keep them away .  .  . unless they may not be certain of their sexuality, or, heaven forbid, they are sure they are gay, in which case, send those little **** and ****** somewhere else, those perverted children have no place in my house, certainly not on my knee."

Sorry. I just couldn't let Jesus say the hateful  words that we used as youthful scouts, even my fictitious Jesus.  Even without those words spelled out, I know the image is rough. Perhaps heretical.  I agree. . The thought of it makes me want to cry.  Seriously.  Because there is no reason that gay scouts, gay children, who used to meet in those churches, would believe anything else about Jesus.  After all, it was His body, the church, who forbids them to come. Because they are evil, lost sinners. Forbid to show up in church in the name of Jesus.  

First, let me say, I do not believe that being gay is a sin.  Comment if you wish.

But the truth is, it doesn't matter what I name as someone else's sin.   And it doesn't matter what you name as someone else's sin..  Not only does it not matter, the act of defining the sin of others was not something you wanted to do around Jesus.  It never ended well for the accuser, who always ended up with a plank in the eye, or a pile of stones untossed.

But these churches are saying that they must preserve their integrity, must stand up for what they believe to be the desires of God in a world that is going to hell.  If you don't stand for something you stand for nothing.  And that is right.  Churches should try to do that.

So, as long as there are hungry, homeless, and poor people in the Birmingham area, and people drive up to the church on Sunday morning in cars that cost tens of thousands of dollars, after being on vacations that cost thousands,  after leaving homes that cost hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars, those churches should be nearly empty.

Because Jesus talked a lot about the sins of greed, selfishness, and love of material wealth.  And about giving all to the poor.  And taking care of the homeless, the poor, the widows and the orphans.

And the children.

So, as long as we refuse to give up our wealth, renting larger and larger storehouses to keep it all in,  and fail to take care of the least, last and lost, we are sinning.  We are sinners.

And we shouldn't be allowed in church.

The weird thing, Jesus talked about that a lot.  A whole lot.  You know what he never talked about?

Being gay.

We are all sinners.  And we all belong in church.

 Jesus himself said the Scout motto on at least one occasion.

Be prepared.

Cause no one knows when or where He will show up.

Or as who.

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