The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following statement Monday regarding the Boy Scouts of America resolution for adult leader standards which has lifted the ban on gay leaders:
“As a chartering organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always had the right to select Scout leaders who adhere to moral and religious principles that are consistent with our doctrines and beliefs. Any resolution adopted by the Boy Scouts of America regarding leadership in Scouting must continue to affirm that right.”
As part of the suggestion from BSA President Robert M. Gates to lift this ban, it was also acknowledged that just as the LDS Church has claimed the right to do, chartering organizations with the BSA should be able to continue to set standards for their own leaders.
The BSA resolution was unanimous and the National Executive board will meet on July 27, 2015 to ratify the decision.
Bill SherwoodJuly 19, 2015
Apparently, Chris believes that human sexuality is like a buffet from which one picks and chooses. In which case, he should remember the day he chose to be straight.
CharlieBrown2292July 19, 2015
When Christ was faced with the question about whether or not to stone the adulteress woman, he did not condemn the woman but only invited her to "sin no more". Shouldn't we adopt a similar attitude when dealing with other critical issues related to sexual morality? We should never compromise our standards, but at the same time seek to associate and befriend those whose lifestyles may be significantly different from ours whenever feasible. Along those lines, the right approach for 21st Century Latter-Day Saints may include remaining actively involved with the BSA organization, as long as the organization respects the Church's choices for Scout Leaders.