i was only 2 badges away from eagle when i left the scouts.  altho i was only 14 at the time, id been in scouts since i was old enough to be a cub scout and i held the top position (junior assistant scoutmaster? sorry, ive forgotten) available to a non-adult leader.  there were several reasons i got out, the most important of which was a different sort of discrimination: against black kids rather than gay kids (altho noone with any sense woulda admitted to being gay)  my troop was in an all white suburb and the adult leaders routinely told racist jokes and made disparaging remarks about black people. 

it wasnt til about 5 years later that i came across what seems to be irrefutable evidence that baden-powell was very much in denial about his own bisexuality (altho he enaged in sex with men when not on british soil) as well as his on-the-record obsession with adolescent male sexuality  (he was obsessed with the dangers of masturbation...unless the scout handbook has been radically revised, a quick check of the 'a scout is clean' section will evidence the truth of that contention.

there are disturbing hints of similarity between baden-powell's kinks and those of the founders of early 20th century germany's wandervogel which matured into the brownshirted sa headed by roehm (which is not to say the scouts as an organization are at all similar...just an interesting historical footnote connecting each group's founders).

in any event, while the scouts certainly have the right (as a private organization) to require members to adhere to their standards, they limit their appeal by requiring any commitment from a kid of that age to a spiritual belief system that may contradict that of his family. furthermore, by insisting on forcing out kids who deviate from the official scout spiritual credo, they are actually acting counter to the constitutional principle they claim to uphold and support.

it's not that the scouts never left america's core values but that they are attempting to instill values have only existed in the minds of those who insist on altering those principles originally proclaimed by our country's founders in our constitution.

first of all, if im the one whom you felt brought the gay issue into the discussion, i apologize for the confusion.  i didnt intend that...was just offering some observations about baden-powell. 

the topic is, after all, about scouting's values and i clearly conceded the group's right to reject potential members who arent going to act in accord with scouting rules--as long as they dont expect use of government property when their rules conflict with the first amendment and constitutional protections.   in response to your question about athiests who wish to join bsa, i hate to pose another question but...why would a private organization that doesnt comply with the letter and spirit of the first amendment want access to a government building in which their noncompliance is not acceptable.  the naacp and gay rights groups--who do comply with the first amendment--are permitted to use a state-owned facility as long as there is no other reason for their exclusion. 

it's very simple.  as is your incorrect assertion that bsa represents values that it clearly doesnt support..

i dont believe faith-based organizations are permitted to require those they serve to declare their religious affiliation or lack thereof.  when the bsa revises its policy, the problem goes away.

Hmm....so why don't you show us exactly what the secular left IS about?  Because all I see is hatred and intolerance.  What else are we expected to think when that's all are consistently shown?