<div><strong>Darrell Keim</strong> <a title="[Vision2020] Fw: [Spam 5.86] BE OUTSIDE!" href="mailto:vision2020%40moscow.com?Subject=%5BVision2020%5D%20Fw%3A%20%5BSpam%205.86%5D%20BE%20OUTSIDE%21&In-Reply-To=ef6f41de0901291344r1aae8443k87e42b2c8ff5805c%40mail.gmail.com">keim153 at gmail.com </a>wrote:</div>
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<div><a href="http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/2009-January/061064.html">http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/2009-January/061064.html</a></div>
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<div>Scouting secularity-I can see some folks having an issue with a requirement of belief in<br>God. Beyond that-they are non-secular. They don't care which god you worship. </div>
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<div>I assume you meant to write "Beyond that-they are secular" not "non-secular" given that being secular implies not enforcing any particular religious belief. But you still imply a belief in some sort of God when your write "They don't care which God you worship." What if it is Nature itself that you "worship," not a "God? " After all, people are a part of Nature, a subset, if you will, and the continuing insistence we are not is perhaps one of the greatest human illusions. The science of biology, ecology and genetics is revealing more and more just how much humanity is a result of the evolution of life on Earth over billions of years... but I digress.</div>
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<div>The first sentence of the post starting this thread, quoting Seth Norman, is clearly false, if describing the beliefs of the people of the US. Most people in the US do not "figure out that it's people, not nature, who create morality, values, ethics..." In fact, most people believe that "...morality, values, ethics..." are derived from God and Biblical Scripture, not people. To claim that "it's people, ... , who create morality, values, ethics..." is a belief that many would label "atheist or agnostic secular humanism" and is often objected to vehemently.</div>
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<div>Regarding this thread's discussion of Scouting, and whether it is "secular" or not, youth in the Boy or Girl Scouts who consistently insist that God is not the source of their "morality, values, ethics" but people (or Nature, for that matter) would often be facing peer and adult pressure to modify or tone down their ethical epistemology, just as youth in the public schools who insist on not reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, with its reference to "one nation under God," can face similar pressure:</div>
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<div>Boy Scout Oath</div>
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<dd>On my honor I will do my best
<dd>To do my duty to God and my country </dd></dd></div>
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<div>So is this oath not taken in the Scouting groups you refer to below?:</div>
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<div><strong>Darrell Keim</strong> <a title="[Vision2020] Fw: [Spam 5.86] BE OUTSIDE!" href="mailto:vision2020%40moscow.com?Subject=%5BVision2020%5D%20Fw%3A%20%5BSpam%205.86%5D%20BE%20OUTSIDE%21&In-Reply-To=ef6f41de0901291344r1aae8443k87e42b2c8ff5805c%40mail.gmail.com">keim153 at gmail.com </a> wrote:</div>
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<div>Here in the M-P area we have some groups that pray during every meeting,<br>and others that don't deal with religion at all-preferring to let<br>families deal with that topic.</div>
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<div>The quote below concerns the Pledge of Allegiance as recited in US public schools, but I think the reasoning applies to the Boy Scout Oath also in some respects:</div>
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<div><a href="http://www.religioustolerance.org/news_02jun.htm">http://www.religioustolerance.org/news_02jun.htm</a></div>
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<div><font face="Trebuchet MS">They declared the <i>Pledge</i> to be unconstitutional because of the words "<i>under God</i>" which were added to the Pledge in 1954. They ruled that the phrase implies a government endorsement of religion, in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Judge Alfred T. Goodwin wrote: "<i>A profession that we are a nation 'under God' is identical, for Establishment Clause purposes, to a profession that we are a nation 'under Jesus,' a nation 'under Vishnu,' a nation 'under Zeus,' or a nation 'under no god,' because none of these professions can be neutral with respect to religion.</i>" He also wrote that an atheist or a believer of certain non-Judeo-Christian beliefs could view the <i>Pledge</i> as an attempt to "<i>enforce a 'religious orthodoxy' of monotheism.</i>"</font></div>
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<div><font face="Trebuchet MS">Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett</font></div>
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<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 1/29/09, <b class="gmail_sendername">lfalen</b> <<a href="mailto:lfalen@turbonet.com">lfalen@turbonet.com</a>> wrote:</span></div>
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<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"><br>-----Original message-----<br><br>From: "Crapo News Release (Crapo)" <a href="mailto:newsclips@crapo.senate.gov">newsclips@crapo.senate.gov</a><br>
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:11:13 -0800<br>To:<br>Subject: [Spam 5.86] BE OUTSIDE!<br><br>FOR RELEASE CONTACT: Susan Wheeler (202) 224-5150<br>Week of February 1, 2008 Laura Thurston Goodroe (202) 224-7500<br>
<br> BE OUTSIDE!<br> Guest opinion submitted by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo<br><br>"Eventually, most of us figure out that it's people, not nature, who create morality, values, ethics-and even the idea that nature itself is something worth preserving. We choose to be shepherds and stewards, or we don't...We will live wisely-preserving water and air and everything else intrinsic to the equation we're only beginning to understand-or we won't, in which case Nature will fill the vacuum when we leave."<br>
--Seth Norman, in Richard Louv's "Last Child in the Woods" (2006)<br><br>In "Last Child in the Woods," author Richard Louv outlines negative consequences of a generation of children growing up more removed from the outdoors than their parents and grandparents. Not only does this threaten our heritage of respect for and understanding of our natural resources, but studies show that, in children, there a strong correlation between playing outdoors and healthy minds and bodies. In fact, studies have shown that more brain learning occurs when children are outside interacting with nature than when they watch television.<br>
<br>Over the past few years, a nationwide grassroots movement has arisen in response to Louv's book, called the Children in Nature Network. Idaho has taken a lead in promoting this, creating a multi-partner, multi-stakeholder coalition called the Idaho Children in Nature Network (ICNN). I am proud to join Governor and Mrs. Otter, the administrations and faculty of Boise State University and University of Idaho, agencies, businesses, schools and individuals across Idaho in promoting this important effort to get Idaho's children outside. ICNN's "Be Outside" campaign kicks off on January 30.<br>
<br>Growing up in southeastern Idaho, I learned about the outdoors while hunting and fishing with family and friends. As a father, I've spent time with my children, doing the same activities. Being outside is critical for children. More young people are obese and suffer from diabetes and depression than ever before. Symptoms of attention deficit disorders are widespread, affecting children at school and home. Studies are reinforcing what many of us, our parents and grandparents know: getting kids outside improves overall wellness, keeping children more physically fit and reducing symptoms of depression and attention disorders. The natural world has many lessons to teach children, from the cycle of life and death to a better understanding of our place in this world.<br>
<br>While organized youth sports are vital to communities and provide valuable exercise and socialization opportunities for children, the focus of "Be Outside" is to get kids outdoors in unstructured play-interacting with nature: trees, water, rocks and, yes, even dirt! ICNN includes over 100 diverse agencies, organizations and private citizens coming together to "connect children with nature in Idaho, from backyards to mountaintops." The coalition includes partners from education, health care, sportsmen and women, outdoor recreation, conservation, local, state and federal agencies, community leaders and businesses. The coalition will work to improve integration of environmental education and create public-private partnerships to harness resources and foster cooperation, while emphasizing Idaho's unique outdoor heritage. The end goal: to improve our children's well-being and encourage a lifelong appreciation and respect for our great outdoors. This is one of the best ways!<br>
to<br>ensure long term environmental stewardship.<br><br>Getting kids outside can be a simple as having them play in the backyard, park or open space. Working together to provide opportunities beyond that only increases the positive outcomes. Many Idaho children are raised to appreciate the outdoors; the goal of "Be Outside" is to provide even more children with these opportunities.<br>
<br>This winter, and in the coming spring, summer and beyond, I hope you find time to "Be Outside" with the children in your life.<br><br>WORD COUNT: 599<br><br></blockquote></div>