US columnist: If it allows gay members the Boy Scouts will ‘indoctrinate’ children into ‘hedonism’

A US Christian columnist has taken aim a the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), saying that it should not change its policy to allow gay  members, because straight boy scouts will be branded “bigots” if they do not succumb to the “sexual advances” of gay members.

The Boy Scouts of America recently announced it would propose to members of its National Council at a meeting in Texas later this month lifting the ban on gay youth scouts, but maintaining a ban on gay adult leaders.

Alan Keyes, a long time opponent to gay rights, wrote in his column for WorldNetDaily, that the BSA should not alter its policy, and accused advocates of equality of “deploying” and “exploiting” children, in the same way that “strategists of terror” do.

“Do the top leaders of the BSA naïvely believe that the emotionally charged, personally confrontational situations their proposal will inevitably foment will not be exploited as part of this campaign? Obviously, the policy being proposed will produce situations the powerful elitist forces pushing for the normalization of homosexuality will portray in the worst possible light.”

He goes on to say that children will be “indoctrinated” into “hedonistic” lifestyles, and that the BSA might “go under”, saying it will cease to exist under the financial pressure of civil and criminal lawsuits made against its leaders.

“What is most disturbing is that it uses the young participants in the Scouting movement as cannon fodder in the battle against the natural family,” he continued. “In the realm of moral contention, this deployment of, and against, children reminds me of the way the strategists of terror exploit kids in their perpetration of deadly acts of physical violence.”

Continuing, he claims that straight boy scouts will be accused of “bigotry”, if they refuse the “sexual advances” of gay children.

“Some youngsters will be positioned to draw other youngsters into situations where, because they react against sexual advances according to the moral precepts of the faith of their fathers, they will be viciously accused of unrighteous bigotry.”

In July 2012, after a two year review, the Boy Scouts of America announced it would retain its ban on gay members, volunteers and staff.

The Boy Scouts of America is currently embroiled in a debate over whether to lift its ban on gay volunteers, members and staff. In February, it delayed a vote on whether or not to lift the ban until May “due to the complexity of the issue”.

A poll released in February found that a majority of US voters thought the Boy Scouts of America should drop its ban on gay scouts, volunteers and staff.

US Christian radio host Linda Harvey last week asked what the “monster” Boy Scouts of America’s leaders will “say to Jesus when the meet him”, if they allow gay members.

In his column, Keyes previously made unfounded claims that equal rights are leading the US towards legalising incest, paedophilia and rape. He also said gay-inclusive television, music and films were all parts of the Devil’s plan for the “destruction” of America, and said that equal marriage would mean a Communist government in the US, which would kill its own citizens. 

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