The Boy Scouts (and, to a lesser degree, the Girl Scouts) of America have made clear that each and every member — mere children, remember — must be religious and must hate homosexuals.

Now, don’t jump on me for that.  Both matters are true and documented.

The Boy Scouts of America bylaws specifically say, “The Boy Scouts of America maintain that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing his obligation to God.”  This is forced religion on children who may not be old enough to make the best educated decision on this matter, yet the BSA clearly feels they must force religious beliefs on children regardless of what their parents may feel about it — and especially regardless of what is best for the children in question.

In a Washington DC court case (R.D. Pool & M.S. Geller vs. Boy Scouts of America), sworn testimony by the BSA made clear the following: “If a youth comes to a Scoutmaster and admits to doing wrong, like stealing, lying, cheating or vandalizing, the normal procedure is to counsel the youth privately and sympathetically… If the youth admits to being a homosexual, the Boy Scouts’ policy is to instantly terminate his association with Scouting.”  It’s important to note that there is no comparable policy related to heterosexuals regardless of behavior (rape, for instance, is OK; you’ll get counseling and sent on your way).

I mention both of these because I want to draw your attention to the tragedies befalling the Scouts at every turn this year.  Here are just a few examples from the news.

• June 21: Brennan Hawkins, an 11-year-old Scout from Bountiful, UT, was found after spending four days lost in the Utah wilderness.

• June 24: Luke Sanburg, 13, of Helena, MT, fell into a river while camping with his troop in Yellowstone National Park.  He is presumed drowned.

• June 30: Fifteen-year-old Chase Hathenbruck, who was rafting with a group of Boy Scouts, drowned after falling into the Animas River near Farmington, NM.

• July 22: A bear attacked Alex Benson, 15, of Plano while he was hiking in Alaska with his troop.  He suffered arm and leg injuries.

• July 25: At the National Boy Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill military base in Virginia, four adult Scout leaders were electrocuted while putting up a tent pole that hit power lines.

• July 26: In Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest, Zachary Jones, a 14-year-old Scout from Ogden, UT, was lost for 19 hours in woods near his campsite.

• July 27: At the national jamboree, more than 300 Scouts and visitors were treated for heat-related illnesses after waiting for a visit from President Bush.

• July 28: One man and a 13-year-old boy were killed when lightning struck a group of Boy Scouts on a camping trip at Sequoia National Park in California.

• August 4: A 15-year-old Scout was killed by lightning while he slept.  Three other Scouts were injured.  All of them were in a sturdy log shelter in Camp Steiner near Salt Lake City, UT.

Just in case you thought that was the end of it, today in Joseph A. Citta Scout Reservation camp in Ocean Township, NJ, an 8-year-old Girl Scout was killed and three other girls injured when a 30-foot oak tree fell on them.

Although I would never advocate violence against or misfortune for children, I must point out that it is the leaders of this backward organization who need to be taught a lesson or two.

Given all that religious mumbo-jumbo, do you think any of them have stopped to ask if their god is trying to tell them something?  Do you think any of them have wondered if perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned in all of this?

You know I’m not religious, but I wish someone within the BSA would stop and ask if this is retribution from their god for teaching the intolerance and hatred they’ve demonstrated over the past several years.  There is a slight degree of sick pleasure to be found in such retribution against an organization that takes pride in its own hate and prejudice and that wants to teach these abominable traits to children who cannot possibly know better than to accept them as OK.

I hope the young boys (and even girls if the GSA is up to the same kind of thing)currently being brainwashed and otherwise tainted by this organization will take all of these events as reason to quit.  It would be better for them and would certainly help the BSA realize the err of its ways.