Boy Scouts

Re Jan. 13 letters concerning atheism and the Boy Scouts: Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts, once stated emphatically in response to the question of religion, a quotation of the philosopher Carlyle. “The religion of a man is not the creed he professes, but his life--what he acts upon and knows of life, and his duty in it. A bad man who believes in a creed is no more religious than a good man who does not.” Lord Baden-Powell’s father was a professor and a great friend and admirer of Charles Darwin, and at one time had been reported to the bishop of London for heretical preaching, and so he was acutely aware of the tyranny of religious zealots.

I would point out that most Nazi troops in World War II were Lutherans or Roman Catholics and very probably none were atheistic Boy Scouts!

ALEX SHEPPARD

Reseda