The Boy Scouts lifted its ban on gay leaders. Now the Mormon Church may dump the Boy Scouts.
Shortly after the Boy Scouts of America officially announced Monday that it would lift its national ban on gay leaders, the Mormon Church, which sponsors the most Boy Scout troops of any religion, responded with disappointment.
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is deeply troubled by today's vote," the church said in a statement. "When the leadership of the church resumes its regular schedule of meetings in August, the century-long association with scouting will need to be examined."
A church spokesman added that while the church "has always welcomed all boys to its Scouting units regardless of sexual orientation," the "admission of openly gay leaders is inconsistent with the doctrines of the church and what have traditionally been the values of the Boy Scouts of America."
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Though gay leaders will now be permitted in the BSA, churches that sponsor Scout troops still can exclude them for religious reasons. This exception was intended to appease the church, which seemed amenable to it. Just two weeks ago, the Mormon Church indicated that it "could remain in the fold so long as its units could pick their own leaders," The New York Times reports.
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