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[quote=Anonymous]First off, "Scouting" also includes Girl Scouts, so I just want to point out that there is no faith requirement in Girl Scouting which is a different organization from Boy Scouts.

Second, there IS a faith requirement to be a Cub or Boy Scout.  The boy or adult member must agree that he or she believes in a Higher Power; however that Higher Power and belief is left ot the home and family to define.

For Cub Scouts the issue doesn't come up at all, except that Cubs recite the Oath and Law, which includes the words "duty to God".  There is no provision for a Cub Scout to omit the word "God" or replace it with "my faith" or "good" or mumble it... however in practice if the boy wants to do so, I don't know that most packs would notice or make an issue of it.

[quote]Scout Oath (or Promise)
On my honor I will do my best 
To do my duty to God and my country 
and to obey the Scout Law; 
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, 
mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Law
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, 
courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty,
brave, clean, and reverent.[/quote]

For Boy Scouts, they use the same oath and law, but Boy Scouts (grades 6 and up) have requirements to advance from one level to the next.   One requirement is to recite the Oath and Law from memory; again no substitutions allowed.   In advancing from rank to rank, one final requirement it to have a Scoutmaster's Conference.   At my son's first conference, his Scoutmaster asked him how my son showed he followed the Scout Oath -- how did he do his duty to his country?  How did he do his duty to God?  My son stumbled on these questions, because he doesn't attend church and considers himself an atheist.

Not all Scoutmasters will ask these questions (ours isn't particularly religious, he was just reading the questions suggested) and I believe the Scoutmaster is supposed to accept any answer except, "I don't believe in God, I am an atheist.") which is the unacceptable answer from what I have heard.

If you want secular Scouting group that accepts people of all faith, or no faith, check out the Baden Powell Scouts.   (Technically they are forbidden to use the term "scouts" in their name by the Boy Scouts of America which has a monopoly on the term, so the official name is Baden-Powell Service Assiciation".)   It is an organization that has been formed based on the original plan of the Scouting founder, Robert Baden-Powell; and it is open to boys and girls, men and women, regardless of sexual orientation or religious belief or no belief.  No politics, just Scouting!

http://bpsa-us.org[/quote]

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