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Girl Scouts Under Scrutiny From Catholic Bishops

Long a lightning rod for conservative criticism, the Girl Scouts of the USA are now facing their highest-level challenge yet: An official inquiry by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

At issue are concerns about program materials that some Catholics find offensive, as well as assertions that the Scouts associate with other groups espousing stances that conflict with church teaching. The Scouts, who have numerous parish-sponsored troops, deny many of the claims and defend their alliances.

The inquiry coincides with the Scouts' 100th anniversary celebrations and follows a chain of other controversies.

Earlier this year, legislators in Indiana and Alaska publicly called the Scouts into question, and the organization was berated in a series aired by a Catholic broadcast network. Last year, the Scouts angered some conservatives by accepting into a Colorado troop a 7-year-old transgender child who was born a boy but was being raised as a girl.

Some of the concerns raised by Catholic critics are recycled complaints that have been denied by the Girl Scouts' head office repeatedly and categorically. It says it has no partnership with Planned Parenthood, and does not take positions on sexuality, birth control and abortion.

Continue reading at www.csmonitor.com
 
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  • Chris

    Why don't these jerks stay with little boys and stop harassing the Girl Scouts.

    The Roman catholic Church is a worthless pain in the butt.

    • Prayerful

      Chris, we will pray for you – obviously, you desperately need prayer to heal your heart and your soul.

      • KnowTheTruthToday

        Chris has some deep seated problems, but he keeps showing up on these forums, and we all hope he will keep on so that he can get some info that will do him good.

    • Ralph De La Huerta`

      So says an aetheistic piece of crap..

    • USMC,DAV.

      Chris, you are a real jackass, like your mascot of the almighty one in the whte house. You want trangenders in your scout group, take them in along with your savior, oguana.Wake up kid.

    • http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22306708/Jn6.37.png Despeville

      Many Roman priests are monstrous criminals to be sure but they are not of what you run from…

      "It is so hard to believe because it is so hard to obey." ~ Soren Kierkegaard

  • Uncle Pat

    Young girls are very gullible. One can only hope that the bishops get to the bottom of any associations between the Girl Scouts and any unsavory organizations.

  • Curve-Bar Scout

    Juliet Gordon Lowe must be reeling her grave. The GS have become such a horribly infiltrated group. They USED to be fabulous, but with the liberal/left-wing protagonists/progressives ruining our values and culture, I would never allow my child to join any of these groups. So sad, the GS used to be fantastic. Had spent many years of joy with them, as had my mother.

    • Christina

      My sentiments exactly!

    • "Haylinn"

      Thank you! Someone understands! I am a Girl Scout who wishes that things could go back to the way they were supposed to be! If I had the option to do this for my Gold Award Project, I would disassociate GS with ANY and ALL of these associations!

    • Anita

      I'm with you on this.

  • Evermyrtle

    I understand, that many Christian people have abandoned the "Girl Scouts' and have started another organization which girls who are aware of the evils being taught by the Girl Scout, and choose to avoid contact with them. Than GOD for ever diligent people of GOD

    • keyboardshark

      Yes, there is another organization that offers a more wholesome alternative to the sadly infiltrated GSA. It is called Frontier Girls:

      "Frontier Girls is a scout like club for girls ages 3-18 that we offer as an alternative to the Girl Scout program. We focus on patriotism, traditional values, community service and a love of learning. Patriotism is a character trait we take very seriously in Frontier Girls.

      All meetings begin with a formal flag ceremony and girls are taught a proper respect for both flag and country. We are also a strong supporter of our military personnel and veterans. Frontier Girls Clubs dedicates an entire section of its program to teaching the girls good character traits such as honesty, responsibility, modesty, and joy, and encouraging them not only to participate in community service projects, but to organize their own.

      Frontier Girls Clubs offers over 1200 individual badges. With the invention of the Internet, most families, even in rural communities, have access to unlimited information, if not in their own homes, then at least through the public libraries. Because of this access to information, we are able to offer badges on virtually any subject a girl wishes to learn about.

      Girls today have more opportunities than at any other time in our history. Their interests vary from basic home skills and crafts to cutting edge science and technology. Whether a girl wants to learn about dairying and farming, or about aviation and rocketry, we offer badges for just about anything."
      http://www.frontiergirls.com/alternativetogirlsco

      "Frontier Girls celebrates the American spirit that makes us great. Our country was built upon a strong faith in God, strong family values, and the acceptance of those who are different than ourselves. We are a people of loyalty, of faith, of innovation. We pride ourselves on our resourcefulness and our freedoms.

      These are the traits our country was built on, but they are slowly being eroded away in a culture of instant gratification and irresponsibility. The Frontier Girl program seeks to restore a focus on good moral character, patriotism, community service, and a love of learning that is being lost."
      http://frontiergirlsclubs.com/about-us/who-are-we

      • Evermyrtle

        Wonderful and many thanks for you report.

  • aldotoo

    what are the evils and how have they been infiltrated? It is easy to make allegations but offer no concrete facts.
    It is a known fact that many Catholic priests are pedophiles with altar boys. WHy do you think they have paid out millions after trying to deny everything?

    • 21st Century Patriot

      The Girl Scouts had published a book called MEdia that had a link to the liberal biased, conservative hating, 2nd Amendment hating, Christian hating Media Matters For America web site. They have since removed the link but the damage is done and I took my daughter out of the GS and she is doing more with the youth ministry of our church. Here is an article regarding the incident.
      http://www.theblaze.com/stories/girl-scouts-book-

    • IAmBrianBoru

      Did you know the percentage of child sexual abuse is much greater in our public schools than in the Church?

    • Stephen

      The Girl Scouts have been infiltrated by radical feminists, lesbians and liberals. I would never let my daughter be involved with the Girl Scouts. Unlike the Boy Scouts who have remained true to their mission to raise strong, moral young men, the Girl Scouts have caved to the perverted culture that we live in.

    • http://www.sargee5.blogspot.com The Watchman

      You are either an Atheist or a Progressive, I'm not sure which. It seems to me, that like most Liberals your answer to a serious problem, is to point out the faults of some other entity. This comparison of a few Catholic Priests being pedophiles and the Girls Scouts accepting the fictitious "transgendered 7 year old", is ludacris at best. Are you arguing for the Girl Scouts, or is your peeve against the Catholic Church? I'm not sure you know yourself! Either way, your argument and statement make little sense. Your logic is similar to president Obama's logic. As president I am destroying the country, but it is always George Bush's fault that I'm doing it. Progressives, have absolutely no basis for their belief, as Progressivism, was never successful in any country or among any civilized nation.

    • Bert

      I find these comments to be interesting. Yes, I know that this person is most likely just a troll but notice that not only is the charge levied wrong ("many" Catholic Priests) but the wrong cause of the offences is identified (pedofilia rather than the TRUE cause – homosexuality). If the real cause of the offences was pedofelia, the majority of the victims would be girls since all Priests are male, but to point a finger at homosexuality are the root cause is politically incorrect these days.

      • Evermyrtle

        What conservative wants to be politically correct??? None that I know of!!

  • msjallen

    Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Brownies are religious based organizations; not Christian. It is an ecumentalism organization that teaches social justice; not Christianity. We would not allow our children to join and we made sure as a family to teach them how they should live according to the Word of God as well as taking them camping, fishing, hunting and vacationing to historical places teaching patriotism, respect for authority, helping others and a good work ethic, etc. In turn, they are teaching their children.
    Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old (mature), he will not depart from it.

  • Blue

    This is why I pulled my daughter out of GIRL scouts and don't support them anymore. No more boxes of girl scout cookies in this home!

  • aceituna

    Local leaders often have a large say about what is emphasized in the local organization. Check out what they are teaching.

  • http://www.miamifloridahomesecurity.com Ray

    This is a very tough one. Because on the one hand we are called to love everyone on this planet but on the other hand we are to obey Gods commands

    • petroskhan1262

      Loving someone as a fellow human, and a creature of God, does not mean that you have to approve of every decision and action that person makes.

      It is possible to love someone, and hate the decisions that that person might make. Ask any parent…

  • Evermyrtle

    There is nothing in GOD'S commandments that promote anything that is not love. People read into them what they want there and make themselves liars.

    • petroskhan1262

      Psalm 5:5, "The boastful shall not stand before Thine eyes; Thou dost hate all who do iniquity,"
      Psalm 11:5, "The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates."
      Lev. 20:23, "Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I shall drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them."
      Prov. 6:16-19, "There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers."
      Hosea 9:15, "All their evil is at Gilgal; indeed, I came to hate them there! Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house! I will love them no more; All their princes are rebels."

  • Buck

    The girl scouts , under the thumb of the radical progressive feminists have been guided to be pro-abortion , in direct opposition to the Catholic church and other pro life religions and organizations for more than TEN years now . It is a little late to be concerned about . The only recourse these organizations have at this point is to hold all support from the girl scouts until they agree that abortion is murder .

  • CJM

    The GIRL Scouts should reject the acceptance of boys desiring to joing the organzation–they do have the BOY Scouts for that gender. Forcing a BOY onto the GIRLS' organization is just plain insanity. As for planned parenthood, abortion issues, the girl scouts are no place for this aspect of society….perhaps if parents taught their children responsibility for their actions and taught the boys to keep their pants zipped and the girls to keep their panites on, there wouldn;t be such a need for planned parenthood and pro-life organizations. Unfortunately, children today have learned to blame anyone and everyone else for their actions—and that is the fault of the parents regardless if the home is run by a single parent or two parents. As for same gender "parents," you don't have a home, you have an amoral situation that is unhealthy for children.

  • keyboardshark

    The liberals are ruining the Girl Scouts, just like they ruin everything they touch.

    "For decades the Girl Scout organization, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, has helped millions of young girls develop skills, build character, and become leaders. However, over the years, the organization has made a seismic shift. The questions and facts on this site expose changes within the Girl Scout organization which are increasingly connecting young girls to radical feminism, the promotion of sexual rights, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) issues, and the abortion rights movement.

    Many of these changes have not yet trickled down to all Girl Scout councils and troops, and your family may be participating in a troop that is unaware of or not yet affected by these developments. However, the evidence presented on this site will show that Girl Scout materials and programs are increasingly connecting girls to inappropriate and controversial issues and activities and that Girl Scout headquarters is using funds contributed by Girl Scout families to promote these controversial issues.

    While this website will expose disturbing direct connections between the Girl Scouts and many issues that run counter to the values of many Girl Scout families, it will also expose many indirect connections between the Girl Scouts and these issues. The sheer quantity of the indirect connections (over 100) when taken together, paint an overall picture that is difficult to dismiss as just simple coincidence. As you patiently read through all the facts and questions in each section exposing all of these direct and indirect connections, the picture of what is happening to the Girl Scout organization will become clear."
    http://www.100questionsforthegirlscouts.org/100/

    A FEW SAMPLE QUESTIONS:

    Question 2: Are Girl Scout families aware that a substantial number of Girl Scout councils have admitted on a survey that they partner with Planned Parenthood?

    Question 4: Are parents of Girl Scouts aware that Planned Parenthood promotes teaching children by the time they are five that "it's normal to touch one's sex organs for pleasure" and among other things that their website promotes masturbation, teaches youth they can have "safer sex" using "sex toys," and that safe sex can include "cybersex" and "phone sex?"

    Question 5: Are parents aware that if their Girl Scout council partners with Planned Parenthood their daughters may be exposed to sexually graphic booklets like, "It's Perfectly Normal," which was distributed to 700 Girl Scouts in Texas? This booklet condones masturbation and contains explicit cartoons of couples having sex and a boy putting on a condom.

    Question 8: Why does GSUSA as part of a badge requirement send girls to kidshealth.org, a website that refers girls to Planned Parenthood in their teen section here?

    New Question: Are parents aware that many GSUSA staff and board members are involved in controversial advocacy efforts or hold leadership positions with organizations that promote inappropriate material to children? Click here to see a summary of the backgrounds of many of the top leaders at GSUSA."
    http://www.100questionsforthegirlscouts.org/100/d

    http://www.100questionsforthegirlscouts.org/100/

  • Pete

    I would not buy their cookies. Who knows where they have been?

    • keyboardshark

      I don't want to know.

  • MontieR

    I am soooo glad I never let any of my daughters join this subversive bunch.

  • http://www.sargee5.blogspot.com The Watchman

    A 7 year old "transgendered boy". Is there really such a thing? I don't think that a 7 year old boy gives a hoot about gender. The entire thing is his mother wanted a girl, and she doesn't care what psychological damage she does to her son, she has every intention of raising him as a girl. To justify this, she enrolls him in the girl scouts, and those lame brains accept him. What they should be doing is charging the mother with a sever case of mental child abuse. Where are the authorities on this? I would certainly be investigating his mother's sanity. Little boys and little girls at the age of 7, aren't aware of gender differences, or gender needs, unless of course some idiot perverted parent instills it in their little sponge like minds. I feel sorry for the lad. One more thing, if a person is "transgendered" can that person be a "transgendered" boy or girl? To label someone as "transgendered", is to label them a freak. Parents who wish to change the natural gender of their children, do not understand the true blessing that God has entrusted them with. God help them.

    • Wayne

      You are so exactly on target with your comment. May God help that little boy and his mother.

  • OldSchoolAmerican

    Like these Child molesting creeps have any room to talk. The Catholic Bishops need to heed their bible and "Take thy beam out of thine own eye, before they go pointing fingers. Losers!!! Yes, I was a Boy Scout, and it made me a God Loving, All American man that was willing to die for Old Glory during the Nam War. God Bless the USA and the BSA and GSA of America.

    • Wayne

      Like you have any right to talk! You hold yourself up as an example of what is right with Boy Scouts and pridefully announce your greatness in that you are a veteran…. Well JOIN THE CROWD! As far as veterans are concerned, I have seen every kind of good and bad in humanity represented by military active duty, guard, and veterans. Does not matter what branch of service, the war they fought in, or if they were even involved during wartime. There are honorable men and women, pedophiles, LGBT, rapists and murderers in the military just as in civilian populations. Being a veteran does not put a crown on your head. None of us are perfected. Than you denounce an organization that arguably has done more to help mankind than any other organization in history through their benevolence in the form of food kitchens, schools, hospitals, missions, Knights of Columbus, even cemeteries. Sure they have problems, mankind has problems, everywhere you go, you will find problems, look inside yourself and myself and we will find problems. Do not put down the Catholic Church to raise yourself as a model of greatness. Makes me want to puke.

  • petroskhan1262

    I find this whole topic laughable.

    We have the catholic church (satan's greatest tool for corrupting true Christianity), making moralistic statements about the Girl Scouts, a once-great organization, now reduced to being a factory producing radical feminists, left-wing nutjobs, and "tolerance" for every sort of perversion.

    In a fight like this, does anyone REALLY care? I mean…this is like two demons in hell arguing over which one smells worse.

    • http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22306708/Jn6.37.png Despeville

      Great comment.

      • petroskhan1262

        Thanks.

        I call 'em like I see 'em.