Mormons severing all ties with Boy Scouts, ending long bond

[DonViejo]

Source: Associated Press




SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Mormon church said Tuesday it will sever all ties with the Boy Scouts of America at the end of next year and place its remaining 425,000 boys into a gospel-focused youth program it is developing. The move ends a nearly century-old relationship that was based on their shared values.

The announcement by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Boy Scouts didn’t come as a complete surprise after the religion last year removed 185,000 boys between the ages of 14 and 18, signaling that an end to the long-time alliance was near.

Joining the Boy Scouts is practically automatic among Mormon boys, and the religion has long been the biggest sponsor of Boy Scout troops in the United States. The Mormon boys who will be leaving represent about 18.5 percent of the 2.3 million youth in the organization.

The Mormon church said in a statement that the move is about creating its own youth program that it can use for its increasingly global membership, but the two organizations’ values clearly have been diverging in recent years.

Read more: https://www.apnews.com/28cb9f543e45457988e452967830426b?utm_medium=APWestRegion&utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow

[Funtatlaguy]

1. If I were to say what I think of the Mormon church

I would be banned.
Let’s just say, not a fan.

[left-of-center2012]

19. yep

[dalton99a]

23. +1. Exhibit A: Willard Romney

[Dave Starsky]

2. I grew up in Mormon country.

The Mormons handed out Eagle Scout awards like they were paper napkins. EVERY Mormon boy was a scout.

[d_r]

4. yes

it was their official church program for boys, it was required that all boys be members.

[Dave Starsky]

8. I believe it prepared them to be missionaries.

It also discouraged them from masturbating. If there's anything Mormons hate more than homosexuals, it's masturbation.

[left-of-center2012]

20. Oh, I disagree

As a teenager, nothing discouraged me.

(back in the day)

[Dave Starsky]

21. I had a lot of Mormon friends...

And I assure you that they weren't very persuaded by what their bishops told them, either.

[still_one]

3. They want to create their own brain washing program

[lastlib]

16. THIS!!

They are a cult, pure and simple!

As a Scout leader myself with a more secular perspective, I say GOOD RIDDANCE!! My experience with LDS/Mormon Scouting program has not been enjoyable.

[bullwinkle428]

5. Oh, Mormons - don't EVER stop discriminating!

[Girard442]

6. I imagine there's been a similar waning of support for Scouts from other religious groups.

Ultimately, the Scouts had to decide whether or not to be a secular, inclusive, tolerant organization or not. Sounds like the Mormons cast their votes for "not." Probably others are too.

[zipplewrath]

27. Yup

I can't remember the name, but there was a born again at our company that was deeply involved in some Scout kind of program that existed because they couldn't deal with the Boy Scouts. I'd hazard a guess that there is more than one church with that attitude. For all I know there's more than one scouting type organization because they can't agree with each other. In the end, including this break with the Mormons, it's all about control.

[FailureToCommunicate]

7. Don't trip over your merit badges on the way out...

[Freethinker65]

9. So the Church makes the decision of what activities member's kids can be involved in? Odd

[paleotn]

10. Religious cults are like that.

[Freethinker65]

12. Yep. I get that as a non-believer, but...

But I do not personally know many that adhere 100% to their religious leaders' teachings.

Sure, in predominately Mormon areas, the proposed alternative Mormon indoctrination/scouting program may be viable. In smaller less concentrated communities many Mormon kids will eventually hang out with other groups of non-Mormon kids and prefer non-LDS exclusive affiliated activities.

[lagomorph777]

11. What will they do with all the left over khaki-colored magic underwear?

[lastlib]

14. probably try to sell it back to the BSA.........

[dembotoz]

15. to totally encapsulate you flock in dogma is expensive and hard work...boy scouts was an ave to sub

it out....

troops run by the church
sponsored by the church

but with no taint of hitler youth or young pioneers

guess in the land of trump youth right wing militias are ok

[DownriverDem]

17. Well Mormons

Bye Bye! What about the Catholics?

[Gothmog]

18. This does not surprise me

[jmowreader]

22. A gospel-focused youth program doesn't look like it'd be any fun

Maybe it’ll be like Trail Life (google it) and not just sitting around talking about the Bible.

[3Hotdogs]

24. Now, if anyone really thought there were solid gold tablets, hidden somewhere in western New York,

western N.Y. farmers would not have to till their soil every spring. There would be hundreds of thousands of people digging their asses off, looking for those tablets.

They should be worth a couple'a hundred thousand in metal value alone. If they are autographed first editions, they are worth a few hundred thousand bit coins.

[jberryhill]

26. Oh come now....

Pretty much the whole Whitmer family done said they seen 'em.

[dalton99a]

28. The gold tablets have special properties

They're invisible

[highmindedhavi]

25. Will boys take away cookie sales from girls?

I assume they will be able to sell the cookies as well.

[Wellstone ruled]

29. So let me guess what the so called new program will look like.

Caucasian's between the ages of 6-18 years of age. Brown Uniform's with Black and Red Sashes . Paramilitary Summer Camp near Treemonton,Utah. Or near Kanab,Utah.

[Gothmog]

30. Good Riddance

I am not sorry to see the LDS scouts leave

[Rabrrrrrr]

31. When you have a religion based in oppression, suppression, and suspicion of women

of course it would sever ties with an organization that is admitting that females are capable of stuff on an equal footing with males.

[Throck]

32. Bunch of morans.