In some people’s minds the Boy Scouts capitulated to economic pressure and severely compromised their long-held values on morality. Left-leaning newspapers around the country and locally could be accused of gloating – an in your face attitude – when they chose to dedicate most of the front page to this news breaking decision. Really, in the long run what difference does it make? All the Boy Scouts of America did was remove from their statutes the opportunity for someone to harass and eject suspect gay kids from their midst. The real issue here is the concept of civility.
When I was 17 and 18 I was fortunate to have worked two summers at the YMCA summer camp in Hunt, Texas. Those were the best two summers I ever had in my life. There were about 40 guys all within a few years of each other in age. Of that number there were about five or six guys who had those distinguishing mannerisms that made them different. They walked and talked differently. The seemingly odd thing is that we all hung out together with never any incidents of name calling or malicious teasing. I give great credit to camp director Jerry Morse for his wise judgment of character before hiring the staff each summer. I never heard about any sexual overtures from any members of that group (there were no self-separations) towards anyone of the hetero persuasion or vice versa. The whole key to the situation was a mere concept called civility. We were conscious of feelings and inherently no one wanted to make anyone else feel uncomfortable. All together we had so much fun and laughter it wasn’t uncommon for someone to pass food through his nose.
So I’m sure it’s the same for the Boy Scouts. They are trained to be gentlemen and all the BSA organization did is remove sanctioned teasing.
But did they change their minds about the morality of homosexuality? I don’t think so. More than one hundred years ago its beginnings were Christian-based but open to boys of any religion. There were moral standards common to all. Homosexuality except in rare cases is not a chosen bent. It’s present at birth. The choice to act on it is the important issue. Some people are born alcoholics and they know if they lose control or give themselves into this predisposition they seriously harm themselves and others. The same is true for homosexuality. A bigger problem arises when society begins to believe that there’s nothing wrong with it (Jerry Seinfeld, in a panic voice said,“We’re not gay. We’re not gay! Not that there’s anything wrong with it!”) and actually encourages acting out. Christians know Romans 1: 24-32 with emphasis on v.32. They are obliged to never stop fighting the sins mentioned in these verses. And they can never say they are normal and okay. Furthermore, Christians’ obligation is to treat these people with civility because it is not up to us to judge. The scriptures do the judging (Hebrews 4:12). Those who ignore this guide to eternal life do so at risk, moving towards their own perdition – Christians’ job is to not accuse but instead have compassion for these people (isn’t that what Jesus did?) and first take the plank from their own eyes before complaining of the mote in someone else’s eye. After all, judgment is coming for all.
And let’s remember that civility is a two way street.
