For most of his life, Catholic Bishop David Kagan of Bismarck, North Dakota, has been proud of his association with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). But he is now heartbroken after the organisation's leadership agreed to lift the ban on gay scouts leaders, prompting the bishop to order his diocese to cut ties with the institution he once proudly supported.
"I'm very disappointed with this whole turn of events. I just can't express that adequately enough," Bishop Kagan told the Catholic News Agency.
He believes that the new BSA policy faces a lot of risks and lawsuits, especially for troops who are sponsored by a parish or a parish school. As religious institutions, parishes need the scouts' leaders and volunteers to uphold moral standards, said Kagan.
When the BSA adopted a non-discrimination policy allowing homosexuals to be scout leaders and volunteers last month, the organisation's leadership inserted a provision allowing churches that object to homosexual behaviour to set their own standards for affiliated organisations.
However, Kagan wrote in a letter to the Catholics of the Diocese of Bismarck in an Aug. 3 letter that even though the BSA placed a religious exemption for local troops, he does not think this would provide sufficient protection for any of the diocese's parishes and schools that sponsor troops.
Considering all the factors involved, Kagan said he has decided to instruct parishes, schools and other institutions under his jurisdiction to formally disaffiliate themselves from the BSA.
"I regret my decision but, in conscience as the chief shepherd of the Diocese of Bismarck, I cannot permit our Catholic institutions to accept and participate directly or indirectly in any organisation, which has policies and methods, which contradict the authoritative moral teachings of the Catholic Church," he wrote.
Kagan said he understood why the BSA decided to lift the ban on gay leaders, considering the advances made in society by the gay movement as evidenced by the Supreme Court decision to allow same-sex marriage everywhere in the US.
"Knowing how our judicial system is tracking these days, the Boy Scouts of America would have no chance defending their legitimate protocols in a civil court," he told CNA.
At the same time, the bishop criticised those who advocated the policy change in the BSA.
"It's about a particular ideological movement," he said. "In a certain sense, this movement's advocates want to redefine what is acceptable and unacceptable in society, and impose their version of acceptability on the rest of society. That's never worked."
The bishop said the new BSA policy will "cause more confusion among Catholic people" and among non-Catholics who regard the Church highly.
He said this "places before the Church an unnecessary and an unwelcome and an unwanted problem."
Kagan said there are alternatives to the Boy Scouts which Christians can support. These are the Federation of North American Explorers, the Columbian Squires, and Trail Life USA. There are also alternatives to the Girl Scouts, he said. These are American Heritage Girls, Little Flowers' Girls Clubs, and the Federation of North American Explorers, he said.
