Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1954, Page 71

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Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America, 1954 71

the spiritual welfare of Lutheran men and boys in Scouting.” But
even though the religious elements of Scouting are employed and
applied according to the beliefs of the various churches, the fact
remains that religious features are being applied. Before we are
willing to apply them, we will have to be sure that they pass the
test, the acid test of the Word. They will be found wanting, not
only if they are false as can be, but also if they are only slightly
adulterated. Anything less than pure religion and undefiled is
unacceptable.

And we should not be too ready to accept such religious
features on the grounds that they have their origin in natural
knowledge of God and His Law and lie in the field of civic
righteousness. In the first place, civic righteousness can hardly
be stretched so wide that it covers things like regular worship,
faithfulness to Almighty God’s Commandments, prayer, love to
God, all of which are, according to Scouting itself, included in its
oath or promise, law, and slogan. And secondly, not all religious
elements born of natural knowledge of God and His Law will be
unobjectionable. This natural knowledge of God and His Law is
a gift of the Creator and serves a good purpose, as Paul clearly
teaches in Romans 1 and 2. But at the same time it is to be remem-
bered that this gift is constantly ‘being perverted by sinful man,
as Paul also clearly teaches in Romans 1 and 2. The Church will
thank God for this gift and make good use of it when it can,
but it will also testify with Paul frankly and fearlessly regarding
the limits of natural knowledge of God and of His Law and against
any human perversion of the same. These are points to be remem-
bered when the religious features of the Scout movement are
being judged.

Evaluation of the Religious Features of Scoutism

To which “God” does Scouting refer when it in its handbook
speaks about “God,” “duty to God,” “worship of God”? Obviously
not to the true God, for it offers its “God” also to non-Trinitarian
churches. We know that Scouting, operating with natural knowl-
edge, will not be able to ascertain the truth regarding the loving,
saving Triune God revealed in Christ Jesus. But we will, as con-
fessors, point out this deficiency and term such recognition of
a “God” not identical with the Triune God a sin in the light of the
First Commandment and the Savior’s word: “He that honoreth
not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent Him” (John
5:23). A report that excuses Scouting because it “does not demand
a deistic concept of God” (Syn. Conf. Proceedings, 1952, p. 46) is
evading the issue. The question is not whether a deistic concept
of God is better or worse than any other false one. We are to main-
tain the truth that failure to confess the Triune God and transfer
of His honor to another is sin.

Scouting requires the boy to say, “On my honor I will do
my best ... to do my duty to God,” and in describing this duty
instructs him: “Above all you are to be faithful to Almighty God’s
Commandments” (Handbook for Boys, p.20). “It is something to
be good, but it is far better to do good” (Handbook for Boys, p. 23).
Thereby Scouting is attempting to foster a fulfillment of the Law,
a righteousness that it is man’s duty to offer to God and that, in
the case of the non-Christian, will and must be self-righteousness.