Its high time the boy scouts allowed freethinkers to join.

[lxskllr]

FU.





Okay, that was just a gut reaction from the soul of my being. I got sailing merit badge. We spent more time learning the stupid knots than we did sailing. The actual boats had clips, no knots needed.

:^D

Knowing knots is great though. I keep ~100' of line in my Jeep, and I'm ready for anything. When other people are standing there scratching their heads because they forgot their cam-lock straps, I'm tied down, and ready to go. There's also a lot of cool decorative stuff you can do, but I don't remember them off hand. I have to look in a book for that. It's a good cheap way to pass the time.

Edit:
Here's two knots/knot systems that'll make everyone's life easier. Knowing these two only is all you NEED for life. You could hack the rest together on an as-need basis...

Truckers cinch - Takes the place of stupid ratchet straps. If you notice the underlying principle, you can extend it with Z-drags and such, for pulling very heavy loads. Every additional set you add will double the mechanical pull(minus friction and other variables), but halve the distance you can pull.

Sheet bend(double sheet bend shown) - Use to join different sized rope, with reduced reduction in strength. The double sheet bend is more secure if something will move a lot, especially if tension isn't on it. It also works great for shoelaces, and pretty much any other need for joining rope. Remove one of the wraps for a single sheet bend.

 

[JulesMaximus]

My son was in the cub scouts for 2 years. I basically pretended to be a believer but during the prayer and kumbaya group sessions around the campfire I'd just duck out with my son and go back to the tent to sleep.

 

[Incorruptible]

Its a private organization and private organizations and businesses have the right to discriminate. If this was the government then they cant discriminate.

 

[PrinceofWands]

So accepting God into your life would have made it a lot better, and would also prevent mass murders. That's a very interesting theory.
Imagine how much better your childhood would have been had your parents been wise enough to teach you tolerance.

Except then I'd be an ignorant, worthless pile of fucking shit like every other religious retard.

The problem in this case is on those who are religious, not those who aren't.

 

[raildogg]

Freethinkers? If you use your mind enough, you can think anything. Does that make it good (in the general use of that word)? A freethinker is a person who is thinking about things as they actually are, not what he wishes them to be. This rarely if ever happens. There are no freethinkers.

We are so focused on tiny things that we forget the whole picture. Who cares about gays? Let them join. Why do we have to announce things and put a name on everything? Are we so educated and modern that we have to stamp a label on everything? Anyway, what does it matter to gays? Do they like to wear a gay stamp on themselves to let everyone know?

It seems like the more modern and educated people get, the more freedom they lose. We live in a society of labels and that is how people judge one another. We don't see things for themselves but rather as part of our own agendas. It is just sad. It is only getting worse.

So now that we accept gays in our military we suddenly should jump for joy because we are more broad-minded? How does that change one's mind? Do you really believe people's minds have changed? It is some stupid law that was removed. It does not have any significance other than what you want it to signify.

Sorry to sound erratic but what is real is lost in our culture and everywhere else in the world. If you change how people live and think, then you don't need all these stupid laws banning people and then allowing them, etc. This is so ridiculous. We need laws to prevent people and allow people to do certain things or say certain things? Wow. People have made such progress through their modernism and education.

 

[Leros]

I made it all the through Cub Scouts and a few years into Boy Scouts before people realized I wasn't religious. Only took a few weeks for me to get kicked out. Boy Scouts was a major part of my life. I lost a decent amount, if not the majority, of friends. Kinda sucked.

Except for the fact that we met in a church and that a few of the pledges had a line about God in them, the organization didn't seem religious to me at all. We never prayed, never talked about religion, etc.

 

[Paladin3]

You don't join a religious organization when you're not religious, no mater how fun the activities are. Maybe you can if you are willing to fake it, but definitely not if you have strong feelings against the core principles of the organization.

 

[Leros]

As a kid, I didn't even know it was a religious organization until I got kicked out. Like I said, the only time religion came into play was in a few pledges, which is no different the pledge of the allegiance.

 

[mugs]

Some people are unaware that Anandtech doesn't allow returning banned members to join. DVK916/StatmanD is one of those people. But for some reason the mods let him and his many chins stay.

 

[SparkyJJO]

When I refused to include God in the oath during induction (back about '81 or so) they kicked me out. I had no idea they were a religious organization at the time or I never would have tried to join (was a DEDICATED atheist up until my 30s). Together with all the chaos surrounding the pledge of allegiance (and my precociousness and smart-ass demeanor) it resulted in 6 years of abuse, beatings, ridicule, and ostracizing.

While they're certainly free to do as they please, the problem is that there's really no alternative, except sometimes in very large areas. It's monopoly by demographics. In the end everyone suffers because kids have no other good options, get bent about no 'fitting in', turn inward and come back to shoot up their classmates (or at least don't become as good of citizens because they have no clubs/mentoring).

Rules like these, while within the bounds of law, are utterly immoral and decay societies.

There is nothing "immoral" about them having set rules of who can join. And a non-religious person wanting to force some religious organization to change their rules so they can join is just downright silly :|

 

[Pray To Jesus]

Except then I'd be an ignorant, worthless pile of fucking shit like every other religious retard.

The problem in this case is on those who are religious, not those who aren't.

I think you are mentally challenged. I feel sorry for you. Must be hard to be stupid.

 

[shortylickens]

I love liberals.

"We are the only free-thinkers, if you disagree with us on anything you're a moron and should not be listened to."

 

[Doppel]

I love liberals.

"We are the only free-thinkers, if you disagree with us on anything you're a moron and should not be listened to."

Seems to be with dcal. You should see his crazy batshit views on gun control. People like him are very oppressive. Behind a paper thin guise of tolerance and claimed free thinking they are as damning on others' views as one can be.

 

[Double Trouble]

Except then I'd be an ignorant, worthless pile of fucking shit like every other religious retard.

The problem in this case is on those who are religious, not those who aren't.

Ah yes, an excellent example of complete tolerance of others. With an example like that, how could anyone not agree that the scouts need to be tolerant and inclusive of all viewpoints?

You seem like one of those militant atheists, no better than the religious zealots. Two sides the same coin, but I'm sure you can't see that.

 

[shadow9d9]

Ah yes, an excellent example of complete tolerance of others. With an example like that, how could anyone not agree that the scouts need to be tolerant and inclusive of all viewpoints?

You seem like one of those militant atheists, no better than the religious zealots. Two sides the same coin, but I'm sure you can't see that.

"Militant atheist."... Amazing how people just repeat talking points.

Finish with some false equivalence.. brilliant.

 

[shadow9d9]

I love liberals.

"We are the only free-thinkers, if you disagree with us on anything you're a moron and should not be listened to."

Liberals don't exist in the US, outside of maybe vermont(and in your head).

 

[Kreon]

In a lot of councils, and especially in most non-LDS troops, nobody cares about religion or gay/straight as long as you're not a jerk about it.

 

[darkewaffle]

I was in boy scouts. Trust me, non-members really aren't missing out on much.

 

[JM Aggie08]

Certain organizations cater to certain groups...you can't expect everyone to be as accepting as you and I.

Having been a boy scout for several years, no one is really missing out. It was a complete waste of time, and kept me from focusing 100% on the sports I was competing in.

 

[JM Aggie08]

Except then I'd be an ignorant, worthless pile of fucking shit like every other religious retard.

The problem in this case is on those who are religious, not those who aren't.

You sound like a very pleasant person to be around.

 

[JulesMaximus]

You don't join a religious organization when you're not religious, no mater how fun the activities are. Maybe you can if you are willing to fake it, but definitely not if you have strong feelings against the core principles of the organization.

Honestly, I had no idea it was so religious until my son was involved with it. I thought they had good values and it was a good social and learning experience for my son (although, the uniforms are kinda gay). I knew a couple of the fathers and enjoyed hanging out with them, still do in fact.

 

[Mixolydian]

I love liberals.

Easy there. I'm a "liberal" and think BSA should be able to make their own rules. Don't be so quick to make such broad generalizations.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I love liberals.

"We are the only free-thinkers, if you disagree with us on anything you're a moron and should not be listened to."

And conservatives are any different?

 

[JM Aggie08]

Honestly, I had no idea it was so religious until my son was involved with it. I thought they had good values and it was a good social and learning experience for my son (although, the uniforms are kinda gay). I knew a couple of the fathers and enjoyed hanging out with them, still do in fact.

It's apparently HUGE in the mormon church.

Source: I work with several Mormons.

 

[Oil]

Some people are unaware that Anandtech doesn't allow returning banned members to join. DVK916/StatmanD is one of those people. But for some reason the mods let him and his many chins stay.

You must bow before the chin(s)!