Scout Leader Who Backed Randall Twins Loses His Post : Religion: A Cub den chief in Studio City was relieved of his duties because he is an atheist, officials said, but he blames his letter of support for the brothers.

A Cub Scout leader who provided “moral support” for the Anaheim Hills twins embroiled in a lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America over their refusal to pledge an oath to God was ousted himself because he is an “atheist,” Scout officials said Wednesday.

However, Irwin Spector, who was relieved as the leader of a Webelos den in Studio City, said Scout officials were retaliating against him because he wrote a letter of support to William and Michael Randall, the young brothers who were ejected from their Cub Scout pack because of their agnostic beliefs.

“The truth is that a devious and clever child molester has a better chance of remaining a Scout leader than an honest atheist,” said Spector, 57. “It’s stupid, it’s silly.”

Eugene R. Richey, Scout executive of the Western Los Angeles County Council of the Boy Scouts of America, said that Spector was dismissed because the organization had obtained “information that he was an atheist.”

Richey declined to give the source of that information. He said, however, that Spector’s removal had nothing to do with the Randall twins or their lawsuit, which is scheduled to go to trial Monday in Orange County Superior Court.

“We were totally unaware that he was involved with that case,” Richey said.

The sole reason for the organization’s action against Spector was his beliefs, Richey explained. “Atheism is inconsistent with the duty-to-God principle of Scouting oath and law,” he said.

“How do they know what my religious beliefs are?” Spector countered.

He said he declined to tell Boy Scout officials whether he is an atheist when they asked him to reaffirm an oath to the Scouts’ policies.

“It’s none of their business,” he said.

However, Spector said in an interview that he is an agnostic, despite belonging to a synagogue and sending his children to religious school.

“You can have ethics without all the mumbo-jumbo,” he said. “I don’t know what’s up there and I don’t really care.”

Spector said he plans to sue the Boy Scouts. If he does, he will join several people across the nation challenging the organization’s rules in court. The 80-year-old institution is currently defending its right to deny girls, homosexual Scoutmasters and non-religious youths from joining.

In a case similar to Spector’s, a Tustin Boy Scout troop leader was ousted because officials believed he was an atheist. David Wise, 39, was expelled from the organization in September after testifying at a trial on behalf of a Chicago youth who was fighting the Boy Scouts because he also does not believe in God. Boy Scout officials said Wise’s beliefs made him an unfit leader.

The Boy Scouts’ fight with Spector came to a head Oct. 22 when two Scout officials went to his office in North Hollywood and hand-delivered a three-paragraph letter from Richey stating that his application to renew his den leadership had been denied.

In the letter, Richey ordered Spector to “sever any relations that you may have with the Boy Scouts of America. . . . You should understand that BSA membership registration is a privilege and is not automatically granted to everyone who applies.”

Spector said he believed that Boy Scout officials somehow found out about a letter he had sent to the Randall twins. In that letter, Spector congratulated the twins for having “enough sense to question common beliefs and the courage to stand up for your rights.”

The Randall boys have been excluded from their den because they refuse to pledge an oath to God.

In his letter, Spector also wrote that he, as a den leader in Studio City, did not enforce the religious requirements.

He added that he approved Scouting badges whether or not religious requirements were fulfilled.

“One of these days, the (Boy Scouts of America) will get wind of it and try to throw me out,” he wrote to the boys. “I guess then I’ll need a good lawyer.”

Spector was leader of Webelos Den 3, Pack 445. Webelos is the highest stage of Cub Scouting.

When Spector told his den that he had been relieved as its leader, the members, including his 10-year-old son, asked him why he “just didn’t lie and tell (Scout officials) what they wanted to hear,” he said. “That’s a terrible thing to be teaching these boys.”

Even though he cannot be the leader of his son’s den, he said he still actively participates in the meetings.

“I’m just one of the dads now,” he said.