Page 2/The Battalion/Friday July 26, 1985
Setting the scout
record straight
A recent Battalion editorial incorrectly stated that The Offi
cial Boy Scout Handbook made no specific reference to God.
What the editorial should have said was the handbook made no
specific reference to a belief in God as a membership require
ment. ♦
In fact, according to the Scout Law, as stated in the ninth
edition of the handbook, a scout is, among other things, rever
ent toward God. However, the reverent entry also says “(a scout)
respects the beliefs of others.”
Apparently the members of the review board that ousted
Peter Trout didn’t realize this. Not only did they remove Trout
from the Boy Scouts for not believing in God, they failed to re
spect his beliefs.
The handbook contradicts itself further. In the section on
religious emblems, which are given for “special service” to their
faith, one of the awards listed is the Sangha, presented by the
Buddhist Churches of America. These awards are not given by
the Boy Scouts, but by the respective churches. However, the ap
pearance of the Buddhist award implies the acceptance of
Buddhist members.
If the Boy Scouts of America are going to kick people out of
their organization for not believing in God, it should eliminate
the handbook’s inconsistencies and state it’s no-heathen policy
plainly.
'-v
The Battalion Editorial Board
Artistic sex on television
versus commercial sex
AUST
sure fro
motto la
commiss
the 198/
posed “V
The v
commiss
have car
state flov
bottom.
But tl
too sissy
lawmake
commiss
decision.
“I’m S'
license p
commiss
ier of 1
quick, 3-
The
' plates w
Mail Call
Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300'words in length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit
letters for style and length but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must
be signed and must include the address and telephone number of the writer.
God and scouts:
link clearly stated
EDITOR:
The Battalion Editorial Board
really goofed in their July 23 edito
rial. The Board apparently went off a
little “half-cocked” about something
that they obviously know little or
nothing about in reference to the
case of Paul Trout.
To say that the Boy Scout Hand
book makes no specific references to
God is totally wr ong.
I’ll direct you to a few of these ref
erences, from the 9th edition:
p.27: Scout Oath
p.28: Description of what rever
ence to God is (as mentioned in the
Oath)
p.31: Scout Law
p.41: Description of what rever
ence to God is (as mentioned in the
Scout Law)
These are just are just a few of the
references you will find should you
research your topic like you should
have before you wrote your editorial.
Paul Trout should certainly have
been aware of this aspect of Scouting
if he had been in long enough to go
for Life Scout.
Richard Barnett
Class of’85
their women exchanged the natural
function for that which is unnatural,
and in the same way also the men
abandoned the natural function of
the woman and burned in their de
sire towards one another, men with
men committing indecent acts and
receiving in their own persons the
due penalty of their error.” (The Bi
ble, Romans 1:26-27)
I believe God. In His word to us,
the Bible, He gives us His laws (in
cluding those condemning homosex
uality) so as to show us we are sin
ners: sin is disobeying God.
God loves all men (John 3:16, Ro
mans 5:8) but He hates their sin (Ro
mans 6:23). Therefore He provided
a way for man to be forgiven his sin
by sacrificing His son Jesus Christ.
Jesus by living the only sinless life
ever lived was not subject to God’s
punishment for sin but because He
loves us He chose to shed His inno
cent blood and pay the penalty for all
those people’s sins who will believe on
Him (John 5:24).
Is it O.K. to be gay? God says no.
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Evans
Graduate Student,
Chemical Engineering
T he world is
full of useless peo
ple: those who
write parking tick-
ets, those who
make stupid TV
commercials,
those who make
noise in movie the
aters, those who
write letters telling
you that you may
have already won $250,000, those who
think their major is sooooo hard and
that everybody else has it sooooo easy,
those who believe Highway 6 runs both
ways, those who stand in front of the
MSG and yell about God and those who
think they have the right to tell you what
you can or cannot watch.
A censor, according to that big book
of words my editor is always throwing at
me, is an authorized examiner of litera
ture, plays, or other material, who may
prohibit what he considers morally or
otherwise objectionable. The key prob
lem with the idea of a censor is “what he
considers objectionable.” One person
may think “Winnie the Pooh and the
Honey Tree” is objectionable while an
other person may think “Debbie Does
Dallas” should be required viewing.
Censors also have a bad habit of being
hypocrites. Last Saturday night my eve
ning was spoiled by a hypocritical cen
sor.
“Another Saturday and I ain’t go t no
body,” as Sam Cooke would say. Noth
ing to do except fill the Care Bear glass I
got at Pizza Hut with tea and watch TV.
After looking through the TV guide
and debating what to watch, (Doctor
Who or MTV’s John Fogerty special), I
was struck with hope. “Andy Warhol’s
Frankenstein” was on! I was filled with
anticipation. I had read that Warhol is a
weird man who makes weird (and
usually kinky) movies. As I turned on
the TV my roommate walked in the
room. He wafited to watch the movie
(he knew about Warhol too).
The movie started — the opening
credits were superimposed over a scene
of two young children in a laboratory
“playing” with a doll. Once the credits
had gone by and the kids had played
Marie Antionette with the doll the
words “Edited for Television” appeared
on the screen. We were upset. Our eve
ning of watching blood, guts, livers,
brains, hearts, lungs, kidneys, and ab
normal sex would be at the mercy of
some bald-headed old man who proba
bly thinks Jerry Falwell is God.
Dr. Baron von Frankenstein is build
ing his monsters, one male and the
other female. We see him and his assis
tant (not Igor, someone else) put va
rious parts in the he-monster. Squish,
squish, glitch, glitch, slurp, slurp, drip,
drip. As they turn to the already com
pleted, and almost nude, she-monster
we get “edited” to a commercial:
Dr. Ruth Westheimer asks the musi
cal question, “Do you use condoms?”
and then tells us all about the brand she
is trying to sell.
Back to the movie. Our hero and his
buddy are talking, the buddy wants to
become a monk. Hero takes Buddy to a
brothel to show him what he’ll be miss
ing if he enters monkdom. As Buddy is
about to be served by the ladies of the
house we get “edited” to another com
mercial:
A girl, a very well developed girl, with
a bottle of suntan lotion stuffed down
her bikini bottom swims over to a cam
era that zooms in on the bottle.
Back to the movie. Hero and Buddy
are walking home. Dr. Frankenstein
and Not Igor leap out of a bush and re
lieve Buddy of his head. Chop, chop,
grind, grind, squish, squish, spurt, spurt.
Meanwhile Mrs. Frankenstein hires
Hero for her personal servant (know
what I mean? nudge, nudge, wink,
wink). Mrs. Frankenstein asks Hero to
God: gay lifestyle
not right lifestyle
EDITOR:
Is it O.K. to be gay?
This question has in effect been
asked of everyone here at Texas
A&M due to the forced recogni
tion of GSS by the University re
cently. The “Gay Pride” parade in
Houston a few weeks ago in which
GSS took part was their way of
telling all who would take note
that their homosexual lifestyle is
normal and healthy and that they
are proud of it.
Letters to The Battalion re
cently have, for the most part,
criticized GSS for their “disgus
ting” identification with A&M
sighting the fact that A&M was
forced to recognize them. Is GSS
right in living and proclaiming
their homosexual lifestyle?
God says, “If there is a man
who lies with a male as those who
lie with a woman, both of them
have committed a detestable act:
they shall surely be put to death.
Their blood-guiltiness is upon
them.” (The Bible, Lev. 20:13)
“For this reason God gave them
over to degrading passions; for
, will
help her in her bedroom (known!
I mean? nudge, nudge, wink,
As Hero follows Mrs. Frankenstei
orders to get more comfortal
(know what I mean? nudge
wink, wink) we get “edited” toi
other commercial.
nuds
■
Some old man asks the mu«
question, “Do you have diarrte
and then tries to sell us somethin!
stop it.
Back to the movie. The gooddf
tor and his good assistant taketh
new friend back to the laboraffi
Dr. Frankenstein and Not Igor
Buddy’s head on the he-moi
Sew, sew, squish, squish, drip,drifl
G'
By
Genei
ning to (
center it
ter on tl
versity
Street to
users.
B.D.
for Gem
tral Div
nor con
Meanwhile Mrs. Frankensif
tells the kids to run along and
while she and Hero go to the
(know what I mean? nudge,
wink, wink). As they hit the ha)
get “edited” to another commercii
Four girls, very well develo]
girls in very short shorts, are sing
about how great it is that the)
longer have hairy legs because!
use this hair remover.
Back to the movie. More
guts, livers, brains, hearts, te |
and kidneys. Chop, chop, gr® i
grind, squish, squish, glitch, gl® j
slurp, slurp, cut, cut, sew, sew,dii I
drip. More Mrs. Frankenstein®
Hero (know what I mean? nui
nudge, wink, wink) promisingt(
something highly erotic. More
ting” to commercials that ask eni
rassing questions about bodi
tions or show us girls that w#
reduce any red-blooded, Ameri® j
male to a mere whimper.
I missed Doctor Who and jd
Fogerty for this? Why do theseff
pie have the nerve to cut fronb
sex that Andy Warhol putin 1
movie for artistic reason and sho*
sex that is trying to sell someth®
The bald-headed old man whop®
ably thinks Jerry Falwell is
should better define what he th®
is objectionable.
Sta]
By H
Karl Palhneyer is a senior join 1
lism major and a columnist for'
Battalion.
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Pr ess Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Altho
vides on
tered wc
people ’
because
Phoel
above i
down to \
comfort
in Bryar
It has
cared-fc
and dry
rooms a
tered w<
go there
style, th
abuse C£
vely.
Sherr
ministr;
knows t]
a positi
lives of ]
lost.
“It’s
Kellie Dworaczyk, Editor
Kay Mallett.John Hallett, News Editor
Loren Steffy, Editorial Page Editor
Sarah Oates, City Editor
Karen Bloch, Acting City Editor
Ti avis Tingle, Sports Editor
Editorial Policy
The Battalion is a non-protit, self-supporting ne^pr,
operated as a community service to Texas A&M*
B rya n - College Station.
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of&
Editorial Board or the author, and do not nccessari/fq
resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, fa*
or the Board of Regents.
The Battalion also serves as a laboratory neMpppl
students in reporting, editing and photography dr
within the Department of Communications.
The Battalion is published Tuesday through fridift
ing Texas A&M regular semesters, except tor hoh(hy*
examination periods. Mail subscriptions are $]6.75[X r ?
mester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full tor •
vertising rates furnished on request.
Our address: The Battalion. 216 Reed McDd*
Building, Texas A&M University, College Station. 1
77843. Editorial staff phone number: (409) 845-3316 ■
vertising: (409) 845-2611.
Second class postage paid at College Station,
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The W
ion, T exas A&M University, College Station, Texas