But we can neglect the larger picture, which is this: America has changed in such a way as to make the traditional culture, practices, and values of Scouting undesirable. The contemporary world (particularly in the West) has turned its back on the civilization that founded the BSA and made it possible. It was a world that praised honor and chivalry—a religiously intoned might-for-right mentality summarized in the Birkenhead drill: “Women and children first.”
That’s not egalitarian. It’s not inclusive. It makes distinctions, lays down obligations, affirms hierarchies, and submits to a Reality. It is dangerous, and the military-adjacent nature of traditional Scouting affirmed this—it’s a fallen world, and God wants good, brave men to play their part in it. Of course, following the world wars, these sorts of things were increasingly frowned upon. At the same time, we’ve become profoundly confused about sex itself, where traditional expectations and morality inherited from centuries of human experience and preached in God’s Word were tossed out in favor of the Sexual Revolution, its radical forms of feminism and gender confusion, and a rejection of meaning. Do we see boyhood and manhood as unique, noble, and good? Do we find value in male-only and male-dominated spaces? Are you kidding?
I have a hunch: if you’re the kind of guy who says, “Scouting made me the man I am today,” you also probably have a big problem with the radical sea-change in morals and society today. In fact, you might be one of the reasons that people think the Boy Scouts needed to be neutralized. What do you do now? Lament. Cry out for repentance.
And build.
Read more at WORLD Opinions.
St. Jude's Anglican Church
We are a parish of the Reformed Episcopal Church. We have been worshiping together in the greater Richmond area for over a decade. We’d love to have you join us for Christian worship in the rich Anglican tradition.
