Religious Duty in the Boy Scouts of America

To understand the role of religious duty in the Boy Scouts of America, the best place to begin is with how these characteristics of a Scout are explained in the Boy Scout Handbook with reference to the respective phrases of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

Scout Oath: "To do my duty to God"

The current edition (11th edition, 1998, 5th printing) of the Handbook explains the meaning of this promise as follows:

"Your family and religious leaders teach you about God and the ways you can serve. You do your duty to God by following the wisdom of those teachings every day and by respecting and defending the rights of others to practice their own beliefs." (p. 45)

Scout Law: "A Scout is Reverent"

Likewise the Handbook offers an explanation of this principle of a Scout's conduct, beginning with words that echo the interpretation given to the "duty to God" in the Scout Oath:

" A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.

"Wonders all around us remind us of our faith in God. We find it in the tiny secrets of creation and in the great mysteries of the universe. It exists in the kindness of people and in the teachings of our families and religious leaders. We show our reverence by living our lives according to the ideals of our beliefs.

"Throughout your life you will encounter people expressing their reverence in many different ways. The Constitution of the United States guarantees each of us the freedom to believe and worship as we wish without government interference. It is your duty to respect and defend others' rights to their religious beliefs even when they differ from your own." (p. 54)

Exploring the Implications of These Values of Religious Devotion and Tolerance

Reflecting on these interpretations of religious duty as expressed within the Scout Oath and the Scout Law, it is clear that they express two important values: religious devotion in one's personal life and a deep tolerance of the religious beliefs of others. Because it is recognized that each Scout is to look to his own "family and religious leaders" to teach them about their particular religious devotion, the concern in this project is primarily on religious tolerance in a diverse society and a diverse movement like Scouting. "Tolerance," of course, can have a wide range of meanings -- from learning to put up with things that cannot be changed to a recognition that there is value in something one would not choose for one's self. That Scouts are "to respect and defend others' rights to their religious beliefs even when they differ from your own" underscores that it is that latter form of tolerance that is goal of Scouting.

Yet as we become more aware of just how diverse are the religious beliefs of others and that indeed sometimes some religious beliefs are at odds with others, then it becomes clear that fulfilling these aspects of the Scout's "duty to God" can present real challenges at the practical level. It is a fairly easy thing for Scouts to affirm, in words of the American civil religion expressed in the Declaration of Independence, that all people are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." It can be more difficult to both "respect and defend" others' beliefs when their understandings of what constitutes gifts of the Creator are in fundamental opposition to one's own. For example, some religions characterize homosexuality as "a sin against nature and nature's God," while others see it as means of fulfillment and happiness given by God to people "created with a homosexual orientation."

This challenge of deep tolerance that both "respects and defends" religious beliefs vastly different than one's own is important not only to the future of Scouting in what is one of the most religiously diverse societies ever to exist on this planet, but it is important to the future well-being of this society and our increasingly shrinking "global village" as well. The links from this page provide some tools for understanding and meeting this challenge within the context of the Scouting movement.

Copyright © 2005 Scouting and Religious Diversity
Last modified: 10/10/05