The Atheist Pig

As most of you already know the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have decided to allow gay scouts to join their ranks. There seems to be no strings attached (like working for your mandatory Heterosexuality Pride merit badge, for example) at the national level for these boys, even though I’m sure they will meet quite a bit of resistance from the Straight and Moral crowd at the local level. A predictable effect from this new policy is that many conservative churches are no longer supporting local groups, and moving to form their own Christ-based indoctrination group (my spoof – Dominionist Cadet Corps). Overall, these are positive steps. The BSA is making a move towards not being dominated by a narrow Christian worldview, and the hardcore religious loons are being forced back into their safe havens of bigotry.

But.

And I wouldn’t be writing this if there wasn’t a but.

The BSA needs  to feel pressure that it’s unacceptable to have policies that discriminate against the godless (kids, teens,adults,) and prevents adult gay men from being involved in the organization.  The Scout’s corporate sponsors need to feel pressure that supporting a bigoted organization will cost them their reputation as well as their bottom line. We shouldn’t feel lucky that the BSA took this half-step, half measure towards equality. We shouldn’t be grateful that  an organization who has the President of the United States as it’s honorary leader is less toxic to our society. Unconditional acceptance of atheists and all gays in the BSA is the only outcome that is  fair and just.

It’s not going to happen on its own.

I’ve been writing about the BSA off and on for a few years. Every time I post there is an undercurrent attitude among readers that Hey, this whole mess will settle itself out.  This point of view  is seemingly validated by the recent move of the BSA to allow gay scouts. After all, it’s only a matter of time before atheists are let in. We can just sit back and wait. Another common attitude about the Scouts is that atheists should continue to work with the organization. Whatever we do, do not take a confrontational position! Many local dens allow atheist members, and just being around us will eventually cause a change of attitude and policy.

Those ideas simply don’t  hold up under scrutiny.

The real reason why the Boy Scouts of America have changed their policy is due to corporate donors stopping their support. In 2012 Merck stopped giving money to the scouts. They were simply following a trend.

Following in the footsteps of Intel and UPS, the Merck Foundation announced it would suspend all funding to the Boy Scouts until the ban on gay scouts and scout leaders is lifted. – Huffington Post

The reason why these corporations stopped supporting the BSA is because the gay community weren’t simply waiting patiently and wishing the scouts were going to do the right thing.

When a representative from BSA met with Frank Page, president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, to discuss the proposed change, Page was told that BSA is “wilting under pressure from some of their corporate sponsors …,” Page explained in a statement to The Christian Post.

The Human Rights Campaign, a pro-gay rights advocacy organization, told BSA’s corporate sponsors that it would downgrade their “non-discrimination ratings” if they continued to give money to BSA, according to NBC News. – The Christian Post

Ron Lindsay of CFI (Center for Inquiry) wrote in January 2013 that Unfortunately, the BSA will continue to exclude atheists, and I predict the organization will continue to do this for some time. The sentiment of that post strikes me as Sorry, atheists, wait for another generation or two.

I’m sorry. I expect better.

Tweet CFI , American Atheists and any other godless group and  let them know you want a real plan on how they are going to put pressure on corporate donors of the BSA.  If you are lucky enough to have a local group, talk to them. The more people who speak out to our leadership, the better chance of the BSA to change its policy towards atheists.

This is a winnable fight.

We just need to push.

This is my second favorite Fight Club and atheism meme.

I decided to go with Mr Durden at the end of this post.

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    As most of you already know the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have decided to allow gay scouts to join their ranks. There seems to be no strings...

The brave island country of Freedonia.

Blefuscu, Freedonia Prime Minister Alfred Kannard stated that Freedonia would stand ‘absolutely resolute’ in the face of unscrupulous individuals committing violent crimes, and besmirching the otherwise peaceful philosophy known as Piracy.  The statement comes on the heels of a brazen raid on the capital where the Dread Pirate Fishbeard ransacked ships in port, looted local businesses, and spread promotional fliers for the upcoming Rihanna/Chris Brown tour.

Fishbeard’s flag of peace

“It was a horrific attack,” stated Kannard. “Windows have been broken, laundered money from multi-national corporations stolen from banks, and worst of all, once I have to explain to my children why Rihanna and Chris Brown are still together.”

The Prime Minister refuted claims that Fishbeard represented the purest form of theological Piracy. “Piracy is a peaceful. All around our great nation children don the eye patch and share hearty ‘Aaaaaaaarghs!’ Fishbeard does not reflect the true nature of  the free booting ethos.’”

Rufus Firefly, Professor of Tautology at Freedonia University, disagrees with this assessment, and points out these verses from the holy book of pirates, the Holy Buccaneer’an.

When the LORD inspired the angels (saying): I am with you. So make those who believe stand firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger.  Chapter 8 verse 12

And know that whatever ye take as spoils of war, lo! a fifth thereof is for the LORD, and for the messenger and his kinsman… Chapter 8 verse 41

Videos shot by onlookers show that the pirates were shouting out Buccaneer’an slogans like “We swear by almighty LORD we will never stop fighting you until we have taken everything we want and every seat of the Blefuscu Performing Arts Center has been sold for the upcoming concert.“  Professor Firefly has commented that the hard economic times  have hit the pirates hard, and they must have resorted to leef letting  in order to make up for the lost revenue.

Prominent local pirate radical leader Dread Pirate Choudary released this statement, “Oh, yeah, I know those guys. As soon as the rest of you convert, we can go about doing this to some other country.”

Freedonian police are currently on alert. There is a real chance of reprisal attacks against practicing Pirates as well as those who were born Pirates, but no longer follow the aberrant code. Unfortunately, many of those who no longer practice the faith can not officially leave because the punishment for for apostasy is death.

*Yes this is a Poe.

Yes, this isn’t the best picture of me, but in my defense I had been drinking a lot of gin.

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  Blefuscu, Freedonia Prime Minister Alfred Kannard stated that Freedonia would stand ‘absolutely resolute’ in the face of unscrupulous individuals committing violent crimes, and besmirching the otherwise peaceful philosophy known as Piracy.  The...