Scouts’ honour (From York Press)
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Scouts’ honour
10:07am Tuesday 30th October 2012 in Letters By Reader's letter
MR HENDERSON in criticising Scouting (Letters October 25) overlooks the fact that the Scout movement was set up expressly to teach boys and girls to do their duty to God, to their country and to others; that is to think of the needs of others, not only of their own.
Baden-Powell sought to combine that principle with energetic exercise, fun and teamwork. For him God was, as for most believers, the source of justice and compassion, and required those who believe to put the application of those qualities above satisfying the needs of the self.
For Scouting, a belief in God indicates a way of thinking. What agency in contemporary society other than religion has as its prime purpose formally to teach youngsters that considerate, ethical behaviour is a duty, regardless of whether it benefits the self?
Maurice Vassie, Deighton, York.
Comments(3)
PinzaC55
says...
8:55pm Tue 30 Oct 12
To believe in an Invisible Man In The Sky and his Zombie Son? A Talking Snake and a worldwide flood for which there is no evidence?
With this kind of thinking thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster (blessings on his Noodley Goodness) that Vassie is an ex councillor.
ShunGokuSatsu
says...
2:35pm Fri 2 Nov 12
For Scouting, a belief in God indicates a way of thinking. What agency in contemporary society other than religion has as its prime purpose formally to teach youngsters that considerate, ethical behaviour is a duty, regardless of whether it benefits the self?
Can you even begin to comprehend what a slap in the face this statement is to every secular parent and school in the country? Religion hardly has a monopoly on ethics; compassion is a human duty, not a religious one. I don't think I've ever read a letter in the Press that made me angrier than this one.
Zetkin says...
11:16am Tue 30 Oct 12
Mr Vassie would do well to address the racists, sexists and homophobes within the Anglican church before casting stones at the likes of Mr henderson.