Following the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America’s decision to lift a longtime ban on gay youth earlier this week, the Mormon Church has released a statement on their website that supports it. Apparently, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “has enjoyed a strong relationship with Boy Scouts of America,” and also believe young gay scouts can magically grow into heterosexual adults.
According to the statement, the Mormon Church accepts abstinent gays. So, children, isn’t that convenient?
For the past 100 years, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has enjoyed a strong relationship with Boy Scouts of America, based on our mutual interest in helping boys and young men understand and live their duty to God and develop upright moral behavior. As the Church moves forward in its association with the Boy Scouts of America, Church leaders will continue to seek the most effective ways to address the diverse needs of young people in the United States and throughout the world.
The Church’s long-established policy for participation in activities is stated in the basic instructional handbook used by lay leaders of the Church: “Young men … who agree to abide by Church standards [are] welcomed warmly and encouraged to participate”. This policy applies to Church-sponsored Scout units. Sexual orientation has not previously been—and is not now—a disqualifying factor for boys who want to join Latter-day Saint Scout troops. Willingness to abide by standards of behavior continues to be our compelling interest.
These standards are outlined in the booklet For the Strength of Youth and include abstinence from sexual relationships. We remain firmly committed to upholding these standards and to protecting and strengthening boys and young men.
The Church appreciates BSA’s reaffirmation of its commitment to “duty to God,” which includes service to others and moral behavior—central principles of our teaching to young men. As in the past, the Church will work with BSA to harmonize what Scouting has to offer with the varying needs of our young men. We trust that BSA will implement and administer the approved policy in an appropriate and effective manner.
Harley
It’s really astonishing the about face the LDS has made on this position. And I can’t argue with the “abstinence from sexual relationships” doctrine. We are talking young boys and teenagers and sexual activity TOO early CAN harm. Plus the friendships formed last a lifetime. I wish I had been able to participate but I was never afforded the opportunity. Good for the BSA. In time, I hope, gay adults will be able to participate. Then again, I’m a half glass full kinda guy.
DirtyOleMan
When I was in the boy scouts, it was a large hot bed of experimental sex.
The LDS has since moved into the Boy scouts with both feet imposing their foolish ideas onto the Boy Scouts. Very sad!
It sure wasn’t that way, back in the olden days. 100 years my arse. This “relationship” is new!
Cam
And once again Queerty without reason uses any excuse to try to post up an article complimentary to the Mormon Church. Just a few days ago you tried to claim that the Mormon church was somehow responsible for the advancement of marriage rights, now you are posting the fact that the Mormon Church agrees with the Boyscouts decision to continue discriminating against gay adults as a good thing.
Additionally, the Mormon Church still declares that ALL homosexual activity is a sin and fully supports the Ex Gay Doctrine.
Queerty, Seriously, you have completely sold out the gay community by accepting money from the LDS church to place articles falsely claiming that they are somehow gay friendly in here.
I know the rational you have made to yourselves, “Well if we take this money from them to try to help their image it’s ok because it allows we at Queerty to continue writing about the gay community”
If Jet Magazine took money from the KKK to write nice articles about them it would taint everything about their magazine no matter WHAT other articles they wrote. You here at Queerty have done the exact same thing. Your payoff from the Mormon church is obvious. You NEVER miss any excuse to write about them in a complimentary way, to plug their anti-gay site disusing itself as an outreach to the gay community or to avoid mentioning that they are responsible for nearly half of NOM’s budget.
Shame on you for selling out the gay community.
1EqualityUSA
Thanks, Cam. It was such a slug-fest on that last ( http://www.queerty.com/how-the-silence-of-the-mormons-is-making-marriage-equality-possible-20130514/ ) Mormon-silence-advancing-equality article, I just didn’t have the strength to take on the counterfeit cult again. Mothers are crazy to allow their little wonders to spend time in a tent with one of these slick huckster, false teachers. I’d rather my kid be with a gay kid than a brain-washed, counterfeit victim of a cult.
manxxxx
@Cam: Amen! @1EqualityUSA: Amen again.
I’m pretty sure that whatever-his-name-…rod will make an appearance soon. I just can’t help but wonder what motives are behind the LDS “apparent” change of heart.
QJ201
Quotations marks or an asterisk in the headline would have made the content of the article clearer:
Mormon Church “Approves” Of Boy Scouts’ New Inclusive Policy For Youth
or
Mormon Church Approves* Of Boy Scouts’ New Inclusive Policy For Youth
*as long as you don’t have sex
DirtyOleMan
Make no mistake: It is the original Evil Empire!. The current LDS church elders were born in the 1920’s and they have that mindset.
The current head of the LDS is Thomas S. Monson, aka Darth Vader, and was born in 1927!
The LDS was persecuted when they started and had to move to Utah to be left alone. However, they seem to remember none of that now.
approves of the inclusive policy…..horse pucky…they are up to something
2eo
@DirtyOleMan: They weren’t persecuted. They were founded by a schizo with a god complex and believe in magic pants.
If it wasn’t for god they’d have been left to rot in an insane asylum [where I would put ALL religious people, but that’s besides the point] until they died.
2eo
I was also hoping we could go a wekk without a mormon blowjob article. We get it Queerty, most of your advertising money comes from companies linked to the mormon church.
We don’t care, we collectively [apart from a few of the shall we say, lesser members] hate the organisation, and we have enough information for your propaganda to be worthless.
2eo
I was also hoping we could go a week without a mormon blowjob article. We get it Queerty, most of your advertising money comes from companies linked to the mormon church.
We don’t care, we collectively [apart from a few of the shall we say, lesser members] hate the organisation, and we have enough information for your propaganda to be worthless.
DirtyOleMan
@2eo: Besides his thing for magic pants, it was because Smith wanted to marry multiple women and that was illegal..mostly
Sweet Boy
Some Mormons are hot…I had my first 3ways with two Mormons missionaries in their early 20’s…those were the days
Cam
@DirtyOleMan:
Actually in addition to him taking and marrying the 14 year old girl, he was attacked and shot by his followers because of a financial scam that ripped them off.
The church today tries to hide that fact so they can pretend that the early Mormons were victims. Just like today they try to pretend that a law against them discriminating and fostering bigotry makes them bigots. They’ve always harmed others and claimed to be the victims.
And these are the folks that Queerty is continually selling out the gay community to shill for.
bobbyjoe
Well, the Mormon church also approved of their own practice of not allowing African-Americans to be leaders of LDS-based Scout troops up until the late 1970s (they suddenly decided to stop that practice when it was clear they were going to be sued back to the stone age). So of course they approve this plan that doesn’t allow gay Scout leaders. They’ve simply swapped one bigotry for another. I guess they always have to have some minority they actively discriminate against.
Vman455
@DirtyOleMan: Thomas S. Monson is Darth Vader? Just wait until he dies–Boyd K. Packer is next in line for the presidency!
Cagnazzo82
Is this the same Mormon church that funded Prop H8?
This is very odd.