11 Year Old Atheist Kid Denied Entry. FFS.

It's been a while, many apologies. Have been busy trying to sort out actual life and other such trivial things. But a few events in recent days have brought me back, keyboard of fury and all.

The first is the story of an atheist kid not being allowed into his Scout troop because he doesn't agree with the promise. It was also published in the Metro.

We've dealt with this before in my emails to the Scouts, but 56% of 18-24 year olds have no religion, and the 2011 Census data shows that religion (especially Christianity) in the UK is in decline. Obviously the current ban on atheists in the Scouts will either a) keep a lot of potential kids from joining or b) force them to lie about their beliefs when they join. Both of these are abhorrent.

But what I find blackly humorous about stories like these is that we're starting to see informed opinion publically going against the Scouts. The inclusion of faith in Scouting is through good natured intentions, yes, but the minority of people who agree with the current stance is shrinking, and public airing of the dirty laundry in this matter can only serve to put further pressure on the Scouts.

This kid is going to miss out on the brilliant things that Scouts can experience in the short few years that they're with us. He's being denied access because he's looked at the world and not found a higher being there, and this is apparently at odds with how Scouts see things. He's not 'fully alive'.

Way to undermine the point of Scouting, guys. But at least now the public think you're wrong too.

Dear the 'Diversity' Team

It's taken me a while to reply; I wanted to phrase this one well. It's just been sent off, and they are generally pretty good at getting back to people, so I'll update when they respond.

Hello,

Firstly I'd like to applaud the statement recently posted to the Scout website about inclusion of gays in British scouting; it was a brave and progressive statement to make, and goes a long way to putting pressure on the BSA to sort themselves out. That post made me infinitely proud to be in Scouting, so thankyou. 

I am currently in the process of becoming an Assistant Leader in my Scout troop, after having been a Junior Leader in the Explorers. I have been in the Worldwide Brotherhood (or is it 'Family' now?) of Scouting since age 6.

It has recently been stated in various news sources (reliable, I would hope) that the Scouts consider faith to be an essential part of leadership, and as such that anyone wanting to obtain a warrant must, during interview, declare belief in something before progressing to the next stages.

I, like 56% of 18-24 year olds (source: YouGov survey for BHA, March 2011) have no belief in religion. There is a wealth of evidence that each generation is becoming steadily more disillusioned with faith, and the Humanist and atheist movements are starting to become the mainstream. This is why I feel that the Scout Association's policy towards atheists is outdated, a barrier to inclusion, and most of all immoral. It is tangential to my experience of Scouting, and has the capacity to be a rare black mark on its history.

This isn't to say that religion should be banned from Scouting; I strongly advocate people having a choice in their own beliefs. But it is for this same reason that the Scouts' policy; belief in a 'higher power' being a requirement for membership, for whatever altruistic reason (I don't believe that the Scouts have any other reason), is wrong.

I realise that the upper echelons of Scouting have decided that a 'spiritual education' is essential to allow children to be 'fully alive'. I take this to mean that I, as a dedicated Scout and aspirational leader, must be at least partially dead. I know many, many people who have no belief in a higher power, and I resent the idea that you consider them to be, effectively, zombies. Spiritual development is not a part of our education system, it's not a part of our legislature, so I see no reason why the Scouts should consider it so important.

Awareness is a different thing. A Scout should respect others and their ability to have beliefs (though I personally feel that mandatory respect of others' beliefs is tantamount to prosecution of thought crime), and it is this respect that will allow a Scout to grow. It is this that should be taught, not faith.

Here is the crux of my argument though; the policy is one of belief enforcement veiled in a shroud of altruism. It should not be for the Scout Association to decide whether or not a child believes in a higher being, that decision rests only with the child. They should be allowed to make their own convictions based on what they feel is right. 

I can see your argument coming: how will they know what is right? Evidence, logic and reason. If a Scout decides that their faith is important, that they can see a god in the design of the world or that prayer is a channel to a higher being, then they should be allowed to do so, and encouraged. But if they decide that the explanation of the world is a rational one and that no god is necessary, then they should bloody well be allowed to do that too.

Your main objection to my being an atheist leader is that I wouldn't be able to help a Scout fulfil their promise. But what about those who do not believe? You have betrayed them. Your stance is that faith is necessary, but many millions of people in this country do not agree. The fact that the Scouts claim to be inclusive while maintaining that a large section of society is wrong, and banning those who do not believe from the Associaton, is laughable.

The policy is outdated, and does not reflect the religious make up of the UK. I have always said the promise including God because the promise means nothing in reality; to a kid Scouting is about mucking around with your mates and doing things that are new and exciting, and that you wouldn't be able to do anywhere else.

It shouldn't be about forcing a set of beliefs on a young child.

I assume you have a stock response for messages such as this; I think that as a long time member of the Scouts I deserve better. I'm open to any arguments you have to support the policy. Please feel free to forward this message on to anyone who you think may be in the best position to answer.

Hopefully I got my message across, let's see what they say.

My first thought is to clarify exactly what my position is. I've heard various things (somebody I was acquainted with was apparently denied a warrant because he was an atheist, but we all knew it was because he was a bit of a paedophile) and it's all been in the media a few times recently.


But I really needed to know where I stood, so I fired off this email to their general purpose contact address:


Hello,

I am currently in the process of becoming an Assistant Leader in my Scout troop, after having been a Junior Leader in the Explorers. I have been in the Worldwide Brotherhood (or is it 'Family' now?) of Scouting since age 6.

It has recently been stated in various news sources (reliable, I would hope) that the Scouts consider faith to be an essential part of leadership, and as such that anyone wanting to obtain a warrant must, during interview, declare belief in something before progressing to the next stages.

It is hard to explain in non-faith based terms, but I am an atheist; because I choose to live my life without a belief in a higher power of any kind, and because I see no evidence to suggest the existence of one in the face of (what I consider to be) insurmountable evidence against the idea.

I would just like to hear from the Scouts what the actual policy is? I have searched for the wording but can't find it, could you please tell me what my position is and how I can go about ensuring that I can carry on doing what I love and being a part of the Scouts, which I consider to be a massive force for good and equality in this country.

In double quick time I received a reply (I wouldn't expect anything less from an organisation which is so prepared) in which they thanked me for my email. Amusingly it was from somebody called Helen Church, and here is the first part of what it said:

We ask that Adult Leaders, and other Adult members of the Association believe in a higher being so that they can help the Young People under their care to fulfil the promise they make as Scouts. For this reason the avowed absence of religious belief is a bar to appointment to a Leadership position. Those who cannot take the promise, such as yourself, can become Associate Members.

This can be read two ways; the right way and the other way which reflects the Scouts' position and is particularly dense. Firstly, they say that I must believe in a higher power in order to facilitate the kid's 'promise', i.e. the bit where they say that they will do their duty to God.

Personally I quite like the wording, if only because a lot of people probably don't feel that they owe any 'duty' to God, so wouldn't be lying. But when you consider that a March 2011 poll by YouGov for the BHA (here) had 56% of 18-24 year olds stating that they had no religion, it's clear that a healthy proportion of young Scouts must be lying when they declare their belief in God through the promise.

That alone makes the Scout Association's claim rather shaky. "But they've promised it, so we have to make sure they receive the requisite amount of indoctrination" seems to be the form. No Scout is going to really bother about what they say in the promise, they couldn't give two fucks about religion, they're much too busy throwing worms at each other.

The other way I read it was that it is essential that I help a Scout to fulfil their promise, as in potential, and it would seem that the Scout Association believes that this can only be done by including faith in the kid's education. I hold a strong belief that any of the benefits afforded by an education that features faith can also be gained by an education that doesn't, and that faith does not have a monopoly on morality.

I'll be saying as much in my reply. But what about this purgatory they mention, that of becoming an 'Associate Member'? Here's what that entails:

Associate members are Adults who support Scouting in the same way as others but they don't have to take their promise. As long as a person is happy to support the fundamentals of Scouting, including the religious policy, they can become Associate Members. They can wear uniform - although they cannot wear the world membership badge. Without being a full member there are barriers to particular roles, for example they can become Sectional Assistants, but not Section Leaders.

I like the promise. I want to take it but disagree with the inclusion of God, so this isn't enough for me. But look at how they mock those without faith; you can't wear a badge, you can only occupy junior positions, you have to agree to their policy on religion? How is this an alternative? It's insulting, frankly, as well as both snide and pathetic.

For an organisation that prides itself on the values of inclusion and equality, this response is blinkered at best, and discriminatory at its worst. It forces kids to lie (itself in direct contravention of multiple parts of the Scout Law) and it approaches the very tricky subject of faith with an undeniable bias. 

The kids should choose, we should at least afford them that amount of respect. And to those who say that they aren't mature enough to make that decision, I present you with the 'Golden Middle Finger' award for gross idiocy and lack of belief in the brilliance of children.

The Beginning

Hi there, I'm the Reasonable Scouter, and I'm a rather annoyed young man.

I love the Scouts. I joined at age 6, and at age 23 I'm now on the path to becoming an Assistant Leader in my Scout troop. There's just one problem; they don't let my kind in.

In my years in the troop, as a Beaver, Cub, Scout, Explorer and Junior Leader, I have seen hundreds of young people growing into the bonkers and brilliant adults that they deserve to be. The unique environment that Scouting provides for kids was one of the greatest influences on me in my formative years; it's a place for them to go to, be with their mates and do stuff that they otherwise wouldn't be able to do.

I've done amazing things, met amazing people and seen some amazing sights, and I've always known that when the time came I would become a leader, in order to try and give generations of kids the same brilliant grounding that I received. So what is it about me that is so undesirable to the Scouts? Last time I checked I don't have leprosy, nor do I enjoy punching children.

No, I am guilty of the grievous mortal sin of not believing in a higher power. I can hear your gasps and furious anger from here. How dare I not believe in God, or gods, or Allah, or Thor, or Baal, or Captain America. You mustn't allow me to come within three miles of your children, else I will spread my gangrenous immorality and baby-eating tendencies.

You're entitled to that opinion obviously, I wouldn't deny you that (though please don't indoctrinate your kids with it, they probably aren't as stupid as you). But here is why I'm annoyed: I fail to see why my non-belief in a superstition should be a barrier to me wanting to volunteer my time and efforts to enrich the lives of children.

I am an atheist. Not agnostic, or deist or whatever other rubbish they've come up with now, but a fully fledged person of disbelief. So clad in my armour of actual reality, and bearing my twin flaming swords of creative ridicule and big swear words (if you'll pardon me some foppery), I am going to fight for this.

I'll document it here; I hope you'll follow along.