ACLU wins lawsuit, military can no longer sponsor Boy Scouts

Washington D.C., Nov 17, 2004 / 22:00 pm

The Pentagon settled an ACLU lawsuit Nov. 15 that requires it to warn military bases not to directly sponsor Boy Scout troops because the group requires a belief in God for membership.

ACLU filed a lawsuit five years ago, claiming that the Pentagon is violating the separation of church and state by sponsoring a group that requires a belief in God for membership. An ACLU spokesman claims that the government should “not be administering religious oaths or discriminating based upon religious beliefs.”

The Pentagon is now required to issue warnings to military bases around the world to not directly sponsor Boy Scout troops. Military personnel can still sponsor Boy Scout troops on their personal spare time and Boy Scout troops can still meet on military bases.

An organization, called Traditional Values Coalition, suggests that the public counter this ruling by writing a letter of protest to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.