Sylvia Thompson
In defense of the new Scouts' stance on identity confusion in boys
By Sylvia Thompson
I have read a few skeptical comments on the new Scouts (now called Trail Life USA), regarding their position to admit boys who are experiencing same-sex attraction or identity confusion. This decision gives some battle-worn conservatives pause. It is clear, however that the new organization will not tolerate the acting out of homosexual behavior. Trail Life USA has removed the vagueness of the old organization's standards and made the new standards clearly Bible-oriented. www.traillifeusa.com
If a boy joins the organization, the assumption must be that the boy and his parents are open to the influences of the Judeo-Christian, biblical view of sex. Those influences are exactly what the child needs to assist him in steering clear of a homosexual lifestyle. Christ, after all, called sinners to himself because he could give them the needed strength to stop practicing sin, whatever sinful behavior it might be. Contrary to what you may hear in some churches, Christ requires repentance; that is, at least making an effort to stop behavior that God condemns.
If, on the other hand, a boy, along with his parents, intends only to infiltrate the organization so as to pollute its standards, as was done with the Boy Scouts of America, he can immediately be removed. The Supreme Court has ruled that no private organization must ignore its tenets to accept or retain a member. Such a family will not be accepted, given the effort that it took to challenge the old Scouts and eventually break away completely. I do not think that progressives and homosexual activists will easily be able to take down Trail Life USA.
Different reasons account for why some people experience what is described as "identity confusion," but molestation is a prevalent cause. In an article in the September 2013 edition of Whistleblower magazine (published by WND.com, Inc.), Matt Barber (attorney and VP of Liberty Counsel Action) pointed out that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that homosexual men are three times more likely to report childhood sexual abuse than heterosexual men. To bring it closer to home, a male relative of mine was gang raped by a group of homosexuals at age fourteen. He chose the homosexual lifestyle and eventually died of complications resulting from AIDS, in his forties.
Because our culture has become so rotted and degenerate, more and more children are being exposed to aberrant sexual behavior. Consequently, more will become confused about who and what they are. All teens go through a period of confusion about matters of sexuality, but most experience wholesome development with the help of adults (family, religious leaders, other positive influences), who can guide them through these growth periods. Most turn out fine. Others need help. And those are the boys that Trail Life USA has wisely, in my opinion, chosen not to exclude.
That is what Scriptures require of Christian leadership: to help sinners stop practicing sin. Not to placate them. Not to identify with them, as fellow sinners, but to give them guidance. I recall the Apostle Paul's statement to the Corinthians where he listed a number of sins that they had practiced, which they no longer practiced because of Christ (1 Corinthians 6: 9-11). Homosexual behavior was one of those sins. The gist of Paul's message was that through Christ's teachings and with his help, people can turn their lives around. But they must be taught. What better time to start that teaching than with the young who are literally at the mercy of depraved adults around them.
We will, of course, have to wait and see how the new organization's leaders fare over time and if they will indeed hold fast to their principles despite the evil swirling around them. But today, my bet is with Trail Life.
© Sylvia Thompson
September 23, 2013
I have read a few skeptical comments on the new Scouts (now called Trail Life USA), regarding their position to admit boys who are experiencing same-sex attraction or identity confusion. This decision gives some battle-worn conservatives pause. It is clear, however that the new organization will not tolerate the acting out of homosexual behavior. Trail Life USA has removed the vagueness of the old organization's standards and made the new standards clearly Bible-oriented. www.traillifeusa.com
If a boy joins the organization, the assumption must be that the boy and his parents are open to the influences of the Judeo-Christian, biblical view of sex. Those influences are exactly what the child needs to assist him in steering clear of a homosexual lifestyle. Christ, after all, called sinners to himself because he could give them the needed strength to stop practicing sin, whatever sinful behavior it might be. Contrary to what you may hear in some churches, Christ requires repentance; that is, at least making an effort to stop behavior that God condemns.
If, on the other hand, a boy, along with his parents, intends only to infiltrate the organization so as to pollute its standards, as was done with the Boy Scouts of America, he can immediately be removed. The Supreme Court has ruled that no private organization must ignore its tenets to accept or retain a member. Such a family will not be accepted, given the effort that it took to challenge the old Scouts and eventually break away completely. I do not think that progressives and homosexual activists will easily be able to take down Trail Life USA.
Different reasons account for why some people experience what is described as "identity confusion," but molestation is a prevalent cause. In an article in the September 2013 edition of Whistleblower magazine (published by WND.com, Inc.), Matt Barber (attorney and VP of Liberty Counsel Action) pointed out that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that homosexual men are three times more likely to report childhood sexual abuse than heterosexual men. To bring it closer to home, a male relative of mine was gang raped by a group of homosexuals at age fourteen. He chose the homosexual lifestyle and eventually died of complications resulting from AIDS, in his forties.
Because our culture has become so rotted and degenerate, more and more children are being exposed to aberrant sexual behavior. Consequently, more will become confused about who and what they are. All teens go through a period of confusion about matters of sexuality, but most experience wholesome development with the help of adults (family, religious leaders, other positive influences), who can guide them through these growth periods. Most turn out fine. Others need help. And those are the boys that Trail Life USA has wisely, in my opinion, chosen not to exclude.
That is what Scriptures require of Christian leadership: to help sinners stop practicing sin. Not to placate them. Not to identify with them, as fellow sinners, but to give them guidance. I recall the Apostle Paul's statement to the Corinthians where he listed a number of sins that they had practiced, which they no longer practiced because of Christ (1 Corinthians 6: 9-11). Homosexual behavior was one of those sins. The gist of Paul's message was that through Christ's teachings and with his help, people can turn their lives around. But they must be taught. What better time to start that teaching than with the young who are literally at the mercy of depraved adults around them.
We will, of course, have to wait and see how the new organization's leaders fare over time and if they will indeed hold fast to their principles despite the evil swirling around them. But today, my bet is with Trail Life.
© Sylvia Thompson
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