Well besides the endorsements of Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada [READ HERE!] & Archbishop Demetrios of North and South America [READ HERE!] , we should look at what Scouting teaches in the Scout Law and compare this to God's Laws from the Holy Bible.
Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, once said,
"There is no religious side to the movement; the whole of it is based on religion, that is on the realization and service of God."In keeping with that spirit, let’s consider how the Scout Law aligns with Holy Scripture.
As always, New Testament verses come from The Orthodox New Testament Volume One: The Holy Gospels or Evangelistarion and Volume Two: Acts, Epistles, and Revelation or Praxapostolos. Psalms come from The Orthodox Psalter: The Psalterion According to the Seventy With the Nine Odes, And Patristic Commentary. Other Old Testament verses and proverbs come from The Douay-Rheims Version of The Holy Bible.
I tried to use various verses of the Bible, as I could probably find all 12 points of the Scout Law in either The Epistle of Saint Paul to the Ephesians or in The General Epistles of Saint Peter in the New Testament and in either the Psalms or the Proverbs in the Old Testament. I also tried to use verses that mentioned multiple points of the Scout Law, when possible.
"The way of Thy statutes, O Lord, prescribe to me for a law; and I will seek it out continually. Cause me to understand, and I will search out Thy law; and I will keep it with my whole heart. Guide me in the path of Thy commandments, for I delighted in it." Psalm 118:33-35
Point One: A Scout is trustworthy.
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." Exodus 20:16
Point Two: A Scout is loyal.
"The one who is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and the one who is unjust in that which is least is unjust also in much." Luke 16:10
Point Three: A Scout is helpful.
"For I hungered, and ye gave Me to eat: I thirsted, and ye gave Me to drink: I was a stranger and ye brought me in; naked and ye clothed Me; I was sick and ye visited Me; I was in prison, and ye came to Me." Matthew 25:35-36
Point Four: A Scout is friendly.
"This is My commandment, that ye be loving one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love hath no one than this, that one should lay down his life for his friends." John 15:12-13
Point Five: A Scout is courteous.
"And finally, be ye all of the same mind, sympathetic, loving all brethren, compassionate, kindly." 1 Peter 3:8
Point Six: A Scout is kind.
"And keep on becoming kind to one another, compassionate, graciously forgiving one another, even as God in Christ also graciously forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
Point Seven: A Scout is obedient.
"Be obedient to those who lead you, and keep on submitting, for they are watchful for your souls, as those about to render an account, that they may do this with joy, and not groaning; for this would be unprofitable for you." Hebrews 13:17
Point Eight: A Scout is cheerful.
"A glad heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by grief of mind the spirit is cast down." Proverbs 15:13
Point Nine: A Scout is thrifty.
"The thoughts of the industrious always bring forth abundance: but every sluggard is always in want." Proverbs 21:5
Point Ten: A Scout is brave.
"Do manfully and be of good heart: fear not, nor be ye dismayed at their sight: for the Lord thy God he himself is thy leader, and will not leave thee nor forsake thee." Deuteronomy 31:6
Point Eleven: A Scout is clean.
"Religion pure and undefiled before the God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." Iakovos (James) 1:27
Point Twelve: A Scout is reverent.
"And thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all they strength. This is the first commandment." Mark 12:30
This seems to line up with the teachings of Orthodox Christianity and Holy Scripture. Next I'll look at the Scout Oath as well at https://orthodoxscouter.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-scout-oath-and-holy-bible.html
My son is a Scout selling popcorn to fund his pack's Cub Scouts camping trips if anyone would like to kindly assist him in this. You can order this week at this link: https://www.trails-end.com/store/scout/ZXPHQBKI Please be sure to use key code 3311354687 if it asks for one. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
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