Who now can say that Christian organisations are all hidebound and moribund?

[sandyRoe]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/scouts-consider-pledge-welcome-atheists-034103253.html

[Old_Geezer]

I'd be more interested when their pledge doesn't exclude republicans ;-) (or is that already the case ?)

[LazyGun]

Not before time though, Sandy, and not without resistance. I have lobbied the scouts to make changes with a series of letters and emails, as have others, I am sure. The British Humane Society has been trying to get them adapt their pledges and rules for years to allow atheists in, both as scouts and as scout leaders etc with little success.

It is pleasing to see an organisation being willing to make changes in response to the demands of a culture increasingly aware of the need to reflect increasing equality and secularism.

I cannot help but think that, were it not for the adverse publicity generated by a recent story of a prospective scout being refused membership because he was a declared atheist, they would still be refusing to recognise atheists.

And let's not forget that this proposal has not yet been passed - there is a consultation exercise that might still lead to these proposals being amended or even rejected.....

[sandyRoe]

A bit like the Lady Bishop business in the CoE. The backwoodsmen will come out of the woodwork to veto the proposed changes.

[jomifl]

There hasn't been a female pope for quite a while...

[sandyRoe]

Joan was the last one, I think. Came to a sticky end.

[ll_billym]

I was a scout and I didn't believe in God, even back then, I just liked camping and rope bridges - I don't remember my troop being religious at all but then we were out in the sticks of the West Country back in the late 80's, early 90's.

However I do remember I was there when they changed it to allow girls in, now that WAS a good thing...

[seadogg]

I reckon the great B-P was more interested in rope bridges and the like but had to include the other stuff to make Scouting acceptable.

[WaldoMcFroog]

The Scouts isn't a Christian organisation, nor has anyone suggested it's moribund. It's been open to allowing those of other faiths to swear to their own deities for years. It just hasn't catered for atheists.

It's not so much of a problem in the UK, but the the US there are many reports of discriminatory behaviour against children of atheist parents.