Boy Scouts and Belief in God

My applause to Cal Thomas regarding his column on the Boy Scouts of America.

As a believer in a Supreme Being, my family has had to suffer numerable hardships and persecution. Hardships financially since we have been forced to pursue a private education that is not hostile to our beliefs and provides us a place for freedom of our speech, i.e. prayer and the absence of profanity. Hardships in the loss of time, convenience and safety by having to commute many miles, at times in very inclement weather, to reach that source of compatible education. And hardships socially because friends from school may live many miles from our home. Not to mention the programs most private schools don’t have funds for: e.g., school lunches, music, physical education, band, computers or bus transportation.

If Paul Trout is committed to his beliefs, which The Times has praised him for, where is his creativity to develop programs compatible to his own beliefs?

The Boy Scouts of America organization is the product of 75 years of work creativity and incredible energy by “believers” for their children. If atheists or others are offended by established organizations intended for “believers” and are really “standing up for their beliefs,” where is their creativity in raising and educating their children?

Where is their sacrifice financially? Where is the social sacrifice? Why have they not struggled to develop their own programs to reinforce their beliefs if that is indeed their intention?

Or are they merely intent on destroying our beliefs and all our labors? I’m inclined to believe the latter.

KAREN BROWN

Arcadia