Opinion: Why I Will No Longer Support Girl Scouts
It's time for Catholics to carefully and prayerfully consider whether Girl Scouts still fits in the framework of authentically living our faith in the world.
I'll miss the cookies, but my daughters' hearts and minds are more important.
PrintI don't say this lightly and I mean no disrespect to the moms and girls around the country who are part of vibrant, positive and generous troops who serve their communities with pride. However, it's time to seriously examine the leadership of Girl Scouts on a national level and honestly evaluate their message and agenda. I believe it's time to make a painful break for the sake of our daughters.
What I've learned over the last year tells me that the Girl Scouts organization has taken a very liberal feminist and pro-homosexual turn, and more disturbing, a sharp turn away from acknowledging God. For example, since 1993 the Girl Scouts USA curriculum now reads, "Girl Scouts of the USA makes no attempt to define or interpret the word "God" in the Girl Scout Promise. It looks to individual members to establish for themselves the nature of their spiritual beliefs. When making the Girl Scout promise, individuals may substitute wording appropriate to their own beliefs for the word "God."
While many will argue that Girl Scouts is simply respecting the beliefs or non-beliefs of its members, who come from varied backgrounds, this "tolerant" oath denies the One True God, allowing a girl to swear her oath to a tree or an animal or anything else she chooses to substitute for the word "God."
I'm also disturbed by the treatment of our nation's flag at the 2008 Girl Scout National Council Session and Convention. The traditional flag ceremony was trashed, as was the playing of our National Anthem. Flags of all nations were brought in bunched together to Chicago and Earth, Wind and Fire tunes. That just doesn't' sit well with this Army wife.
My greatest concern lies with the Girl Scouts curriculum called "Journeys." This new program steadily leads the girls down a path of moral relativism toward the New Age. (An excellent review of "Journeys" can be read here.) Having read through the highlights on the Girl Scouts website, I'm left with the distinct impression I've just joined a Zen-yoga, environmental, defeat global warming, free choice, girl-power, modern feminist think-tank. There's lots of talk about "women's issues", environmental issues, empowerment, and the new "globalism", but no mention of God and very little of country.
By the time the girls reach grades nine and ten, they are introduced to "Girltopia." This book emphasizes the disparity between the sexes, particularly when it comes to jobs and wages, and asks, "How could everyone create a Girltopia?" The text then praises three different books on the subject of utopias, including, "The Gate to Women's Country," by feminist author Sheri S. Tepper, who also happens to be the Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood.
In grades 11 and 12, the curriculum is called "Your Voice, Your World: The Power of Advocacy." The most disturbing part is that at the bottom of each page is a "Voice for Good" featuring women meant to be role models for the girls to follow. More than 50 women are named, and only 3 are women of faith, including Mother Teresa.
Mainly, these "role models" are feminists, lesbians, existentialists, communists, and Marxists. Here are just a few examples:
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn: labor leader, activist, feminist, founding member of the ACLU and chairwoman of the American Communist Party.
Simone de Beauvoir: existentialist, French author of feminist books including The Second Sex, key player in France's women's liberation movement.
Billie Jean King: retired tennis champion, sued for palimony by lesbian girlfriend while she was still married, first prominent professional athlete to come out as homosexual.
Betty Friedman: feminist writer on Girl Scouts' board of directors best remembered for 1963 book, The Feminine Mystique, primary founder and first president of the National Organization for Women (NOW), founder of the National Women's Political Caucus, strong opponent of abortion laws, founder of the National Abortion Rights Action league, or NARAL, active in Marxist circles, spoke in favor of "homosexual rights."
Excepting, of course, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, these are not women I want held up as role ...
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This is why after being raised Cathlolic I no longer support Catholicism.
How dare any one say who the "one True God" is.
This idea has gotten humanity more wars than I can count.
I do not believe Jesus or any other Spiritual Master would endorse what these religions that espouse "one true God, one true way". How ludicrous.
Thank Goddesd and God some people use their intelligence to think for themselves and see through the controlling and manipulation a of Religions such as Catholiscim. I pray we all find "the one true God" within our own hearts and learn what it means to be a whole person, no dogma or indoctrination from Patriarchal Religions necessary.
How people worship the lord is their business. I don't think that being Catholic has anything to do with it. I love God and he cares how you treat others now how many bibles verses you know. A lot of their money goes to good causes. God loves all of his children and shunning one group is wrong to do. I'm sorry you can no longer support Girl Scouts based on these things you have listed. While it was informative I believe it was hateful. I will continue to support Girl Scouts because of the good they do in the world. I really mean no disrespect here but I think a lot of your reasons are wrong. Again, God loves all of his children.
I have been a Girl Scout leader for 8 yrs. I am a single mom of 3 girls and a Girl Scout leader of 3 troops. I do not promote anti guys. I do not tolerate people who have not done their research and talk about things they have no idea about. We say God in our Pledge of Allegiance, Girl Scout Promise , and Girl Scout Law we say at every meeting. All 3 of my troops have earned their religious award for every level they have been to. Our dues and money does not go to Planned Parenthood nor are we a partner to them. Unfortunately the young lady they are referring to was used as an example and a reference. Girl Scouts is now pulling those and any to do with other things also. We sell cookies so that the girls can go on trips and have new learning experiences to give them courage, confidence, and character. Sometimes its the courage and confidence they need to do zip line at night. We feed ice cream to the elderly, make sack lunches for our local food pantries, collect coats& mittens& hats for the needy, collect food for the hungry by knocking on doors, sing Christmas carols to the elderly in nursing homes, send cookies overseas to the troops, & a lot more. I just got done taking 2 of my troops scuba diving in Nebraska! Go to this website and it will answer some of your questions. http://girlscoutsnebraska.org/sitepdfs/whatwestandfor/Social-Issues-FAQs.pdf
www.gs-top.org/questions-and-answers-concerning-girl-scouts
I think there is good and bad in every organization. My daughter has been part of girl scouts for eight years and it has been a wonderful experience. We do a flag ceremony, we say the oath, INCLUDING to serve God ..., we pray before snacks and meals. She has had a fabulous, married leader who's only agenda is to provide a positive experience for the girls while teaching them life skills. Our girls are good young ladies who graciously serve the community through various food drives and service projects. As our girls do not directly interact with the higher ups of the organization we are not ready to pull them out of such a good experience; we do, however, supervise what they are exposed to. Any organization's leadership can be bad or have counter views--look at the priests who molest. Did unfortunate incidents by those few who made poor choices lead you to leave the church? Give praise for the good leaders who truly have the girls' interests at heart.
Hello, It makes me sad to hear and read these things. Girls Scout is a great group, and i think they are try to reach all girls and to empower them all. Girls Scout has all way been open to all faiths. They try to teach girls that you can have your faith but still respect people that have a diff. faith and that we can all get alone. I think as Catholics we have big issue than the girls scouts and what they are try to teach.
It is alleged that the GSA is at least tacitly promoting birth control, abortion, and feminism. That is a very serious charge. If this is confirmed, the GSA is teaching and working against magisterial Catholic moral standards, and membership should be barred for Catholic girls. At the least, these charges should be fully investigated by a representative appointed by the USCCB, and a formal finding made and action taken. In the meantime, it is the responsibility of each parish pastor to take a look at the GSA in his parish and make his own determination as to whether or not he should bar the GSA from his parish. As I understand it, this is exactly what is going on, and it is right and proper.
As an educated Catholic, I find that we are yet again wasting our time and resources trying to burn the witches at the steak. Put your faith into practice and help those who truly need help and stop getting in the way of those that are making a difference. This does not look good to others when we sit up on our throne and look down our noses to judge people, when at the same time we have our own issues that we continue to sweep under the carpet and pray that it just goes away.
There is so much I would like to say in response to this misled column.....but I will first point out a very important fact:
Girl Scout cookie money does NOT go to GSUSA - not a penny. It is all kept in your own local Girl Scout Council and used for camps and volunteer training, except for the portion that is kept by the individual troop.
I know many fine Catholics who are not homophobic nor are they opposed to such wild and crazy ideas as opposing global warming (have you heard of God expecting us to be stewards of the Earth?). God gave us this planet and we should take care of it, which means being aware of the damage being done by climate change and teaching our girls (and boys) to reduce, reuse and recycle, to ride their bikes and walk places instead of driving expensive gas guzzlers....what could be wrong with that?
We teach our children their religious beliefs at home and in our religious institutions. My children have learned about God from me and from our church family. Allowing each Girl Scout to use her own name for God when saying the promise just allows her to honor what her family has taught her. My children are not confusing God with a tree!
I am proud of the Girl Scouts for being as inclusive as they are. I want to raise my three girls to be independent thinkers who know that they 'have a voice' in this world. I want them to love and accept all people, gay and straight, to learn to take care of their world and the people in it. I want them to honor the religions of others and to learn about other people and their contributions to society. The Girl Scouts offers all of this and does not conflict with Christian beliefs, nor the beliefs of other religions as far as I know.
The one thing I have gained from reading this opinion piece is that the Girl Scouts do not have the problems of bigotry and homophobia that the Boy Scouts have been accused of. That makes me proud. The columnist and most of the people commenting seem to be parents. If you are intolerant of people who are gay, what will you do if one of your own children turns out to be gay? People don't 'choose' to be gay, any more than I chose to be straight - straight is how God made me. A culture of intolerance of people who are different than we are has resulted in a high suicide rate for gay teens, in families who are estranged from one another, in gay people turning away from God and the church with the misperception that God is not for them. Intolerance toward gay people has no place in the Girl Scouts or any other organization that we trust with our children.
Although some of the stuff in here sounds good I would have to do further research to come to my own thoughts. My daughter is a girl scout and it has been a wonderful experience and one I really hope she sticks with. I agree that there are girls from all over and it is my belief all should be given a common Courtesy to respect the rights and beliefs of others. It doesn't mean you have to agree or be part of it. I am a Christian, a women of God and as a Christian I know the bible has taught me that it is not our place to JUDGE, doing so is just as wrong and the things you mention. My final statement is, it's all these crazy ideas and groups that people come up with that make our world worse. That in itself is a judgement one I should not make but I found something evil in the things that were said to our "girls" this cookie season about anti girl scouts, banning the girl scouts, etc. "One Nation under God" In this does it specify what God? Hmmm, curious because as most of know God means different things to different people. They all deserve the same respect as humans.
Sincerely,
Debbie
Keller, Tx
If, like many, you are unhappy with the current Girl Scout program and are looking for other clubs for girls, you may wish to check out a new youth program for girls called Frontier Girls Clubs. They offer more than 1200 individual badges at all age levels from preschool through high school. You can find them at www.frontiergirlsclubs.com.
Another alternative that many Girl Scouts have turned to is Quest Clubs. They have hundreds of badges offered as educational incentives that can be used to supplement the current Girl Scout program. Check them out at www.questclubs.com.