Tuesday, June 15, 2010

The New Intolerance: The Bullying of the Boy Scouts in the Bastion of Brotherly Love

If there was any doubt about the intolerance of the gay rights agenda (and, just so you know, there wasn't any), just check out the treatment the Boy Scouts are receiving in Philadelphia at the hands of the city, which wants to end its $1 per year lease of a building to the Scouts because the group insists on having its own beliefs on such things.

The Boy Scout's Scout Oath ...
***We interrupt this blog message with an important poem by Phylis McGinley:***
The Angry Man

The other day I chanced to meet
An angry man upon the street —
A man of wrath, a man of war,
A man who truculently bore
Over his shoulder, like a lance,
A banner labeled “Tolerance.”

And when I asked him why he strode
Thus scowling down the human road,
Scowling, he answered, “I am he
Who champions total liberty —
Intolerance being, ma’am, a state
No tolerant man can tolerate.

“When I meet rogues,” he cried, “who choose
To cherish oppositional views,
Lady, like this, and in this manner,
I lay about me with my banner
Till they cry mercy, ma’am.” His blows
Rained proudly on prospective foes.

Fearful, I turned and left him there
Still muttering, as he thrashed the air,
“Let the Intolerant beware!”

***Now, back to your regularly scheduled blogging.***
... calls on scouts to be "morally straight," by which its means, strangely, morally straight. But the champions of tolerance in city government in Philadelphia are having none of it and are intent on forcing the group to accept its definition of tolerance, whether it wants to or not.

Intolerance being, ma’am, a state/No tolerant man can tolerate.

By the way, if we pass anti-bullying legislation, will it apply to city governments that intimidate groups that don't tow the official government morality?

Oh, and did we mention that Philadelphia is the cradle of liberty?

13 comments:

KyCobb said...

I always find it pretty rich when the intolerant complain about their intolerance not being tolerated. If the Scouts want to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, that's their business, but they can't expect to be subsidized by the government while doing so.

Martin Cothran said...

"Let the intolerant beware!"

KyCobb said...

Martin,

Being intolerant yourself, shouldn't you support Philadelphia's intolerance of intolerance?

Lee said...

Should everything be tolerated?

KyCobb said...

Lee,

No.

Martin Cothran said...

KyCobb,

Give what you have said in response to Lee's question, and given that you basically define any moral position someone else wished to hold to that you disagree with as "intolerance," what is it that you are intolerant of and why is your intolerance less objectionable and more worthy of approval than anyone elses?

Anonymous said...

Just don't take the money or $1/yr lease and feel free to discriminate against anyone you wish.

KyCobb said...

Martin,

In my view, the government should not discriminate between people unless it has a rational, secular basis for doing so and its not impinging on fundamental rights. I think people have the right to choose who they associate with in their private lives, but not in regards to operating public accomodations. When the government subsidizes a homophobic organization, its spending homosexual citizens' money to discriminate against them for no rational, secular purpose. The government cannot have a religious purpose because our government was set up to serve all the people, and not favor one set of religious beliefs over another. I don't have a problem with the Scouts choosing to ban homosexuals-they're a private organization and that's their right. But they can't expect to receive public money when doing so.

Martin Cothran said...

KyCobb,

In my view, the government should not discriminate between people unless it has a rational, secular basis for doing so and its not impinging on fundamental rights.

"Discrimination" means you treat one person or group differently from another. Do you approve of the government treating a group whose beliefs include strictures against homosexuality differently than it treats a groups that encourages it?

KyCobb said...

Martin,

If a group prohibits membership on the basis of sexual orientation, whether or not it is discriminating against either straight or gay people, I don't think that it should receive government support.

Martin Cothran said...

KyCobb,

So there isn't a consistent principle behind your position at all: you just don't think anyone who disagrees with you can benefit from government benevolence.

Got it.

KyCobb said...

Martin,

I'm not sure how you got there, since I said I was opposed to discrimination against either straight or gay people.

KyCobb said...

Martin,

I would also add that anti-homosexual activists are already heavily subsidized by tax deductible donations to churches. For example, the Hawaiian Catholic Diocese is lobbying Gov. Lingle to veto a bill which would grant unmarried couples (same-sex and heterosexual) entering into civil unions the same protections as married couples.