Recent Decision of the Boy Scouts

Why is the Recent Decision of the Boy Scouts Sad?

I recently expressed on twitter my dismay over the recent decision of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to allow girls who identify as boys to join the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts.  As an Eagle Scout myself who comes from a family of rich scouting history, I am very familiar with what the goals of scouting are, and I believe this decision is a step backwards in the Mission & Vision of the BSA as outlined in the Scout Oath and Law.  I repeated this oath and law by memory at weekly troop meetings in Rogers, Arkansas for seven years, and I have thought about its content quite often.  This recent decision will not contribute to the goal of fostering what is necessary for young men to become the responsible citizens and leaders they are meant to be.  This is confusing to me just as it would be confusing if the BSA were to suddenly become apathetic regarding physical fitness.  It doesn’t promote the goals of the organization. This is my evaluation, and I have expressed it to the BSA as a concerned Eagle Scout who values the foundational aim of scouting in America.  I will also be removing the link to the BSA website from www.dillardfamily.com.  My view regarding the BSA transgender decision comes with a heavy heart, and is not to speak out against the LGBT community who wish to exercise their rights under the law, but rather, it is to communicate my concern to an organization whose decisions are not validating its traditional goals.

I also feel it is important for people (especially some of my followers on Twitter) to recognize that some discrimination is good and it’s a vital part of a healthy society.  To “discriminate” simply means to make a distinction.  That is why it is important to discriminate, or make a distinction, between that which falls under the umbrella of “discrimination” and that discrimination which needs to be further clarified with certain conditions.  That’s exactly what our civil rights laws do when they include “…on the basis of….” Employers discriminate based on qualifications and merit in their hiring process.  Bars serve alcohol while discriminating based on age.  Bathrooms discriminate based on sex.  And the BSA, if they wanted to, has the right under the law to discriminate based on sexual orientation under certain conditions.  So, discrimination is all around us, and in this country we should only treat as illegal that discrimination which is against the rule of law of the United States.  If you don’t like those laws please don’t bully people or organizations that wish to exercise their rights.  A church also functions according to its standards, found in the Holy Word of God, the Bible.  And a church, as a private, not-for-profit organization, also has the freedom in this country to uphold and practice all of the standards of a biblical, New Testament church without any fear of recourse from the government.  This is the reason we have the separation of church and state.  Freedom is a wonderful thing and we need to be diligent to not only protect it, but also make progress as we have in the last century through advancements such as women’s suffrage and racial civil rights.  With advancements in science and technology we can attain the education necessary to both improve quality of life as well as make fewer mistakes out of ignorance.  And possibly the biggest mistake came 44 years ago when the slaughter of unborn babies became legal.  Ideally, if our education increases while our moral and ethical code remain intact, we should be making corrective action so that we don’t continue to make the same destructive mistakes of our more ignorant past.  It’s called progress.

With regard to rights, I believe everyone should be treated fairly under the law.  I respect this freedom of all people under the law.  Freedom is the wonderful thing about America and one of the reasons I truly believe this is the greatest nation on Earth.

In response to inaccurate judgments made by some people who follow my social media, I do want to write specifically to those who may not be familiar with accurate Christian teaching.  Sin is a really, really bad thing.  Sin is the reason why there is death and suffering in the world.  It’s so bad that Jesus Christ lived a perfect life, died a criminal’s death, and was raised from the dead so that anyonecould be freed from slavery to sin, including its eternal consequences.  Jesus died to save all people, and by His grace He intervenes in our lives while we are still spiritually dead because of our sin.  We then have a choice.  Are we going to accept this free gift of salvation and turn over control of our lives to Jesus or will we continue in the lives we want for ourselves, rejecting this gift?  If we truly surrender to Christ, He promises the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives, to help lead, guide, and direct us.  For me, that radical change in orientation happened in August 1998.

As a true Christian, we cannot accept the free gift of salvation that Jesus offers and still be at peace with sin in our lives.  In the book of Galatians, the apostle Paul bears witness to this dichotomy that exists within the life of a Christian, that constant battle within because of the presence of the Spirit of God that directly confronts the sinful flesh, which is our nature by birth.  However, if there is no “war within you” between the sinful desires of the flesh and the righteous desires of the Holy Spirit (i.e. if you are comfortable with sin in your life), then I would question whether the Spirit of God is actually present in your life and whether you are truly saved.

If you are truly a Christian, then you cannot accept homosexuality, adultery, covetousness, lust, hate, stealing, or anything else the Bible calls sin in your life.  The Bible is the absolute standard of life and it alone gets to determine what is sin and what is not.  It was never Jesus’ goal for people to be accepting of the sinful part of their nature, but rather, to be transformed by the renewing of the mind.  When speaking of Christ’s mercy, the account in the book of John, chapter 8 of the woman caught in adultery is often cited, as Jesus speaks to the woman’s accusers “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”  However, those who refer to this account often fail to also include the words Jesus spoke to the woman, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”  Yes, this is an awesome example of how Christians ought to relate to people, as it is an example of how God relates to us.  We all deserve punishment because of our sin, but God in his infinite mercy, stepped into our lives by way of the God-man Jesus Christ, so that we would not be condemned and so that we would have the freedom from the slavery of sin.  What would Jesus say to all of us who are Christians?  I believe He would say, “I died for your freedom; now go, and sin no more.”  None of us will be perfect until we get to heaven, but we ought to be constantly striving to yield more to the Holy Spirit of God and less to our flesh.  This is the will of God, not according to me, but according to the Holy Word of the one true God, the Bible.

Here is my statement of equal opportunity:

My aim in Biblical, Gospel-centered ministry as well as in my personal life as a Christian is to not discriminate in my judgment of people’s need for Jesus Christ on the basis of age, race, national origin, disability, gender identity, color, creed, sex, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, ancestry, military service, genetic information, or other protected status.

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