Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1954, Page 70

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70 Proceedings of the Forty-Third Convention,

‘Sixth Printing, June 1953-——hereafter referred to as Handbook
for Boys — pp. 20, 21), Scouting indicates that there is in its plat-
form a solid, substantial religious plank. By its twelfth law:
“A Scout is reverent. He is faithful in his religious duties and
respects the convictions of others in matters of custom and
religion,” and its explanation that this requires the Scout to pray
to God, to love God, and to serve Him (cf. Handbook for Boys,
p. 39) Souting shows its concern for something that lies far beyond
and above the field of citizenship. When its interpretation of its
slogan, “Do a Good Turn Daily,” states that “these small Good
Turns are the boy’s first steps toward service to others.... By
encouraging the boy to replace Self with Service to others you
aid him in fulfilling his promise ‘to do my duty to God and my
country’” (Handbook for Scoutmasters, Fourth Edition, Sixth
Printing, 1952—hereafter referred to as Handbook for Scout-
masters—p. 20), then it becomes plain that the Scout slogan
has a definite religious implication.

Since these religious features are contained in the mandatory
Scout oath or promise, law, and slogan, which are called the
“rules of Scouting” (Handbook for Boys, p. 17) and which are
stressed at the time of initiation, in the course of activities, and
when promotion is determined, it follows that they are not a rela-
tively unimportant and often-ignored part of Scouting, but will be
brought to bear upon members of the organization heavily and
steadily and serve to give the movement a distinctly religious char-
acter. In fact, one of the main ideas on which the movement rests
is the assumption that Scouting contains what is basic and funda-
mental to all religions and can therefore be of assistance to all
Christian and non-Christian religious bodies in their work, supply-
ing what is common to all and being modified only by the details
the various churches desire to add. “The Boy Scouts of America
maintains that no boy can grow into the best kind of citizenship
without recognizing his obligations to God... . The Boy Scouts
of America therefore recognizes the religious element in the train-
ing of the boy, but it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude
toward that religious training.” (Constitution, Article IV, Prin-
ciples, Section 1.)

Standards for Evaluating These Religious Features of Scoutism

Are these religious features contained in Scoutism objec-
tionable or unobjectionable? Scout authorities maintain that its
program can be adopted by, and will prove beneficial to, any church.
They are, no doubt, sincere in their opinion. But it would be an act
of folly and unfaithfulness if the Church were to surrender blindly
its God-given duty to judge such matters, “to prove all things”
(1 Thess. 5:21) and permit others to decide for it what is objec-
tionable and unobjectionable according to Scripture.

Advocates of Scouting will, in this connection, advance the
argument that there need be no fear of objectionable religious
features in the movement, since Scouting says: “Its policy is that
the organization or institution with which the Boy Scout is con-
nected shall give definite attention to his religious life” (Constitu-
tion, Article IV, Principles, Section 1), and promises: “There is
no Boy Scout authority which supersedes the authority of the local
pastor and the congregation in any phase of the program affecting