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.