warning – here come some fancy words (and their explanations)
Many Adult Scouters and Chaplain’s Aide Scouts attempt to deliver worship services that are Nondenominational or Ecumenical.
Nondenominational = suitable for all Christian protestants. e.g. Baptists and Methodists would both feel comfortable
Ecumenical = suitable for whole Christian church, including the Protestants, Catholics, etc. — but not Jewish, Muslim and Hindu scouts.
As an example, just because your Pack or Troop is associated with a Christian church does not necessarily mean that it is okay to pray “In Jesus Name“.
The Boy Scouts of America is Nonsectarian (see BSA charter and bylaws)
Nonsectarian = not affiliated with any specific religion. This means that while the BSA firmly believes that a Scout must grow in their faith, the BSA does not dictate which faith that may be.
While this does mean that worship and prayers should not refer to a scouts’ Deity by name, it does not mean that “God” is absent from Scouting. It does not mean that you cannot use prayers, hymns or scripture that is directly referenced from a specific faith.
With that in mind, scouting religious programs should be Interfaith based.
Interfaith – incorporating elements from two or more faiths
By incorporating verses, prayers and songs that come from multiple faith sources, all scouts will feel included – some will recognize the passages from their personal religious experiences while others will simply heard as prayers and praise to their Creator, Lord or God. By seeking out such passages from multiple faiths, each Scout will have words and songs to offer to their understanding of their Deity.
It is the hope of this website to provide you with Interfaith tools, as well as insight as to how to reinforce the need for Interfaith diversity within your scouting unit.
This website is intended to provide you with links to tools and resources that will hopefully help you with running a Scouting program that respects and encourages the faiths of all of its members.
Leave a Reply