The thing is, fathers, were the shoe on the other foot, and I am assuming that many posting here in support of the BSA are Christian, and an organization were operating inside of the public school system that excluded Christians from membership, you would be as fighting mad as I.

The fundemental principle of the Scouting movement is serving others:

“On my Honor I will do my best, to do my duty to God and and to obey the Scout Law; to ; to keep myself physically fit, mentally awake and morally straight.”

On top of that both the Star and Life Ranks require:

“While a Star (or First Class) Scout, take part in service projects totaling at least six hours of work. These projects must be approved by your Scoutmaster.”

The Boy Scouts of America has created a morally stable environment for boys to grow up in. It keeps them off the streets, it teaches them to make smart decisions about life, and most of all: it teaches them to help other people.

Let me pose a question: When was the last time you had a boy, aged 10-17, help you in anyway and not ask for compensation?

Anybody that wishes to have a negative opinion of the BSA is welcome to that opinion, but before making baseless accusations, research a bit more on what impact Scouting has had on America in the last 100 years.

Scouting only requires it’s members to a belief in a Supreme Being..
sounds reasonable to me.

also consider…

How about the sale of War Bonds, sold by the Boy Scouts, during WW I and WWII?

They sold over I BILLION DOLLARS of War Bonds to pay for your right to complain about them!!!

With over 50 million Scouts in this country, over the past 100 years, and with 26 astronauts as Eagle Scouts, ( who by the way, paved the way for your to enjoy the technology of your computer right now)- lighten up, and start recognizing Scouting for the Billions of dollars they have given to you, before you were even born.

This seems to violate the First Amendment.

As does this:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/boyscouts.html

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Congress is now passing laws respecting the establishment of religion in public schools.

I agree that the Boy Scouts should be entitled to a larger share of the profit for the usage of their name and likeness. But still: where’s my cut?

So why should the United States government support such a bigoted and discriminatory organization? Let them get their operating funds elsewhere.

To me it indicates not that they fervently believe there is no God, but that they fervently believe they are individually and collectively more important. They aren’t. They proselytize their fervent disbelief at every perceived slight, hoping that someone cares. I don’t. However, I do support their right to their own (albeitly strange) religion.

Maybe they do enough good in the world to merit a coin of their own.

This is simply an act commemorating the founding of scouting and acknowledging the good that organization has done in our country. Those “outraged” by this are clearly more upset about scouts than about “misappropriation of tax dollars.”

The Constitution allows freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion.

Religion is simply a belief system in which the adherents use faith to support items that may or may not be supported by facts of truth.

Some of the most influential religions today are those who believe in Global Warming, Human Rights, Gay Privilege, and Evolution all these religions make ME the god of their religion.

The only religions that are not allowed to be worshiped are those whose God created the world, created a better way, created freedom and created this country.

It is clear that a coin is not the issue. It is an issue of people not wanting to submit themselves to something greater than themselves.

I’m an Eagle Scout and an adult volunteer and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished in my life and the opportunities for the kids I’ve worked with to do things they never would have had the opportunity to do. And Tim, and “Corvette-bearing Scoutmaster” would be financially savvy on his or her own as those adult volunteers are just that, they don’t get paid for the hours they spend working with the kids. Their reward is seeing the youth grow into adulthood and become productive members of scociety. Some of the kids have money to burn growing up and some don’t have two nickles to rub together, bu through Scouting they can both have opportunityes to learn and succeed. Some of them turn out great, and some fail misserably, but the Boy Scouts are there to offer them the chance to learn and grow.

As for the coin, I’m looking to buy a few, but I’m happy to hear that the BSA won’t see anything in profit until the Mint covers it’s cost. That’s the only fair way to do it, and I’m certain there are enough people out there that feel like I do and will ensure the that government isn’t “out” anything.

I am a coin collector but not a commemorative coin collector. I don’t know if I will collect this coin. But if I do, I have no reservations with this coin.

As for the design, the British issued a great design for a 50 pence commemorative for the 100 anniversary of the surrounding the founding of Scouting last year.

With respect to religious beliefs, the only bottom line requirement is that one cannot be an atheist. You do not have to be a Christian, you can be a Pantheist for example; someone who believes that the universe and nature are one.

One of the requirements to be an Eagle Scout, the top award in the Boy Scout program, is that you do a community service project. And the project cannot directly benefit scouting. The exact requirement reads as:

“While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, school, or community. (The project should benefit an organization other than Boy Scouting.) The project idea must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your Scoutmaster and troop committee and the council or district before you start. You must use the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook, BSA publication No. 18-927, in meeting this requirement.”

As the requirements state, the scout has to use leadership skills. Not only are others benefiting but the boy is also benefiting from learning and using leadership skills. This and the outdoor experience is what scouting is all about. For the boys and leaders, scouting is mostly about fun.

Promoting positive ideals can only benefit society and this is what Boy Scout is for the boys.