Judge sentences juvenile offenders to time in the Boy Scouts

Story here

Not sure what I think about this yet. It's still percolating around in my brain. (very scary place)

I am pretty much totally anti everything about the American Boy Scouts. Their open discrimination policies against atheists and gays are abhorrent to me. The fact that so many right whingers find that just peachy for them is equally distasteful. (and they call themselves Christian)

Now before anyone goes postal on me. I believe that as a private institution they can be as bigotted as they like. That said however, as a private organization that does choose to employ prejudicial membership regulations they are not entitled to federal tax dollars, either directly or indirectly.

Now, with regard to these judicial sentences I wonder how the Boy Scouts will react when one of their new young charges confesses to be either atheist or gay and I wonder if the judge considered that when handing down his sentence. You know it's gonna come up sooner or later.

Just a thought.

Oh, and another thing ... there is an odd line at the end of the article that confuses me. While it is entirely possible that a positive scouting experience may have changed a life for the better, for someone who happens to be acceptable according to the prejudicial scouting requirements. I don't quite get how the OATH changed his life. The experience maybe but the OATH? Sounds like propaganda to me.

IA