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Cut Ties to Girl Scouts, St. Louis Archbishop Urges
Archbishop Carlson's letter is loaded with accusations against the Girl Scouts, many of them repeats from previous conservative-initiated anti-Girl Scout campaigns, many of which go back more than a decade (http://www.alternet.org/story/11341/girl_scouts_on_the_firing_lin
e and http://www.truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/conservatives-launc
h-war-on-cookies-evangelicals-attack-girls-scouts-usa). The letter strings together a Church Enemies list that includes Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan (nice to see her name resurfacing), Amnesty International, Oxfam and others. According to the Archbishop - who was appointed by Pope Benedict, and is known as being basically conservative both politically and theologically -- a long-term investigation by the Archdiocese of St. Louis, along with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, found:
"In addition, recent concerns about GSUSA and their position on and inclusion of transgender and homosexual issues are proving problematic. Our culture is becoming increasingly intolerant of a Catholic worldview regarding these issues. While Catholics are called to treat all people with compassion and mercy, we must at the same time be mindful of whom we allow to teach and form our youth and the messages they present." "Girl Scouts is exhibiting a troubling pattern of behavior and it is clear to me that as they move in the ways of the world it is becoming increasingly incompatible with our Catholic values. We must stop and ask ourselves -- is Girl Scouts concerned with the total well-being of our young women? Does it do a good job forming the spiritual, emotional, and personal well-being of Catholic girls?" The letter closes with: "Effective immediately, I am disbanding the Catholic Committee on Girl Scouts and instead forming a Catholic Committee for Girls Formation that will be charged with ministry to all girls in various organizations. While continuing to serve our Catholic girls involved in various scouting programs, this committee will also reflect our ongoing commitment to educating and forming all young women. "I am aware that many of our young women are active in Girl Scouts and any action taken against the organization affects them first. To aid in this process, the Catholic Youth Apostolate is available to offer assistance in helping your parish. They are continuing to strategize new Catholic formation programs to address the spiritual, emotional and personal well-being of all Catholic girls." No stranger to right-wing attacks, the Girl Scouts "have a website (http://www.girlscouts.org/en/faq/faq/social-issues.html) explaining that they are not actually a lesbianism-conversion-abortion-orgy group and they heavily emphasize that being religious is perfectly normal in Girl Scouts, and that they even have a badge to reward girls who undertake religious study," Salon's Amanda Marcotte recently pointed out (http://www.salon.com/2016/02/23/leave_the_girl_scouts_alone_lates t_missive_in_the_creepy_sexualized_right_wing_war_on_the_youth_gr oup_comes_from_a_st_louis_archbishop/). In response, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri CEO Bonnie Barczykowski, said by email that the organization "has enjoyed a history of cooperation with the Archdiocese of St. Louis for almost 100 years. Although we are a secular organization, we greatly value our long-standing partnerships with religious organizations across many faiths." The National Catholic reported | |||||||||||
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