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I gained greatly by being a Boy Scout.  I was a Boy Scout in the 1970s.   Likewise in my adulthood, I was an assistant Scout Master in the 1980's.   As a scout leader I was also a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints( Mormons).

Mormonism runs its Scouting programs as a Priesthood function-- Scout leaders are called by the Bishop. In Mormonism a man does not just decide to become a Scout Leader-- rather the Bishop has to choose the Scout Leader-- by divine revelation.    

When I was serving in my calling as a Scout Leader, a Mormon Leader who also was a Scout Leader in a neighboring Mormon Ward, was discovered to be sexually molesting Boy Scouts. The Bishop of that Ward thought at first that he should call this Scout Leader to REPENTANCE ( not turn him in to the Law).  This only lead to repeat offences-- this leader was eventually turned in to Law Enforcement-- and convicted.   This trying to give an offender a second chance is an unusual cultural attitude of Mormonism.   This second chance likely would not happen in a Baptist or other Protestant Church that sponsors Scouting.  Mormons have an unusual view about people doing wrongful acts.  Mormonism teaches that wrongful acts (sins) should be repented of and the person should be put back to the test to see if the sinful action can be overcome. This has to do with the Mormon beliefs about humans striving toward perfection.  In Mormonism it is believed that we humans are placed on Earth to experience and over come temptations and sins.  

This means Mormons would have a tendency NOT to ban an abuser from Scouting- But rather have the offender "REPENT" and be retested in an attempt to overcome the sin of being a child abuser.

    In a Protestant Church, the offender would be banned immediately and likely turned in to the Law, never to in charge of children ever again.  In Protestant Churches even though it is believed that God can forgive a sex offender, it is also believed that wrongful acts (sins) have a consequence-- and privileges, social standing, leadership positions can be forever lost for certain kinds of wrong doing.

This means that in Mormonism their can be a cultural tendency for the offence as in this case to happen somewhat more often, than with other Boy Scout Troop sponsors.

posted 3 years, 1 month ago
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