🚀 go-pugleaf

jce@cs.scarolina.edu (James C. Evans) writes:
> What is the point?  Is a religious service really a religious service
> if you water it down to those beliefs that are in common to everyone?

At District and Council Camporees and other events there is often a
planned religious service.  If there is going to be such a service I think
it is far better to try to locate members representing all the religions 
of the attendees who can jointly plan the service, than to simply have one
person plan and conduct the service.  The method of having one person plan
the service is quite standard (in my experience) and ends up in a service
that is usually decidedly christian (hymn, bible reading, etc.).  I think
a group of people with different religious beliefs could plan a service
which recognizes all Scouts Reverence and Duty to God without being specific
to any religion.

If a service needs to be based on some specific religions beliefs then
it is not an apropriate activity for District or Council activities where
religious diversity is to be expected.  It may be apropriate for a unit
activity where all members of the unit are of the same religion.

> Do you honestly think that the intersection of those sets is not null?

Yes.

> If you say it is not null, I venture
> to say that what is left is not religion at all, but ethics.

Certainly much of religion is ethics.  The distinguishing feature is a
belief in God (a higher being) and this is a belief common to all religions.

> How do you handle the problem of people who don't want to discuss
> their religious ideas with you, and, in fact, may not want to discuss
> with you the fact that they don't feel comfortable discussing it with you?

You leave them alone.  I suggest inviting people to participate in planning
and conducting the service.  Everyone is free to decline the invitation.
In my experience religious services are also open to everyone but not a
"required" activity in any sense.  This is apropriate.

> Chris Evans
> jce@ocean.geol.scarolina.edu

"May the great master of all scouts be with us until we meet again."

WWW
Dan Kary
Kary@col.hp.com

-- 
"And that, my leige, is how we know the earth to be banana shaped."