Boy Scouts 'a religion'?

The case was brought by self-declared agnostics Lori and Lynn Barnes-Wallace and Michael and Valerie Breen, along with a son of each, in protest of a lease of parkland in Balboa Park and Fiesta Island by the city of San Diego to the Boy Scouts of America.

Famous Boy Scouts

Famous former Scouts include President John F.Kennedy, Henry Fonda, Hank Aaron, James Stewart, astronaut Neil Armstrong, Senator E. Benjamin Nelson, Dem. Nebraska and astronaut /senator John Glenn.

Eagle Scout Paul Siple sailed to Antarctica with Commander Byrd in 1928.

Since 1926, Boy Scouts of Americ honored American adults for noteworthy service to the nation's youth by awarding them the Silver Buffalo, the highest award in scouting. Recepients have included Charles Lindbergh, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Norman Rockwell, Walt Disney, and Ronald Reagan.

Famous (albeit cherry picked) Atheists:

Ted Rall - Cartoonist/Columnist
Ron Reagan Jr. - Talk Host: ". . . he turned to Reagan and asked, 'Do you believe in god?' 'No, I do not,' Ron responded."
Andy Rooney - Columnist/Commentator: "No, of course I don't [believe in God] and anyone who tells you that there is a god who make his or her presence known to him or her is hallucinating or not telling the truth."
Margaret Sanger - American birth control activist, founder of Planned Parenthood: "No Gods, No Masters."
George Soros - Financier/Philanthropist: On 60 minutes: Steve Kroft: Are you a religious man? Soros: No. Kroft: Do you believe in God? Soros: No.
Mao Tse-tung - Chinese Communist leader and theorist
Ted Turner - Media Mogul: "Was Humanist of the Year a few years ago."

The case has drawn national attention because the federal judge's finding that the BSA is "a religion" imperils the future work of not only the Boy Scouts, but all organizations that recognize a transcendent higher authority, including community service organizations like Rotary and Kiwanis, Alcoholics Anonymous, which works directly with the courts and government, and veterans organizations like the American Legion, whose constitutional preamble begins "For God and Country," almost identical to the Boy Scouts Oath.

"If the Boy Scouts are 'a religion,' so are we in the American Legion. Is the ACLU going to sue our 2.7 million wartime veteran members next, claiming we, too, are 'religion'? Are they going to sue to destroy the religious symbols at our veterans' memorials on public property? The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier? Our work in Boys State, Boys Nation, with the government? Our Oratorical Contests with schools?" a Legionnaire asked after Tuesday's court session.

This is getting old, the attacks on scouts and scouting. This is not only a waste of the court's and taxpayers time and money, it is a waste on Boy Scouts of America time and money, better spent on the boys themselves. How arrogant and selfish can people be?

From Constitutional Topic: The Constitution and Religion

The Bill of Rights, however, had no effect on how a state treated its churches. Unlike today, the Bill of Rights applied only to the rules and laws of the federal government. The states were still free to establish churches, to direct church taxes be paid, and to even require attendance in church, all within the bounds of the state's own constitution. As noted, many did.

First, no national religion should be established, in contrast to several European nations of the time (and to this day) which have an official state church. Second, that no one sect of any religion be favored by the government. Third, that all persons should be free to worship in whatever manner they deemed appropriate for them. [emphasis mine]

Let the Boy Scouts be free from stupid people.