Interfaith Worship Services

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Interfaith Worship Services

• Nancy Fonseca

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A SCOUT IS REVERENT
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Why include religious services in Scouting?

• BSA Charter and By-Laws
• Absolutely Non-sectarian
• Religious Instruction ultimately the
  responsibility of the home and religious
  institution.

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Religious Principle

• The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no
  person can grow into the best kind of citizen
  without recognizing an obligation to God and,
  therefore, acknowledges the religious element in
  the development of youth members.
• However, the BSA is absolutely nonsectarian in
  its attitude toward that religious development.
  Its policy is that the organization or
  institution with which youth members are
  connected shall give definite attention to their
  religious life.
• Only adults willing to subscribe to this
  declaration of principle and the Bylaws of the
  Boy Scouts of America shall be entitled to
  certificates of leadership.

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Boy Scout Handbook

• A Scout is reverent. A Scout is reverent toward
  God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He
  respects the beliefs of others.

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Boy Scout Handbook

• A Scout is reverent
• Wonders all around us remind us of our faith in
  God. We find it in the tiny secrets of creation
  and the great mysteries of the universe. It
  exists in the kindness of people and in the
  teachings of our families and religious leaders.
  We show our reverence by living our lives
  according to the ideals of our beliefs.
• Throughout your life you will encounter people
  expressing their reverence in many different
  ways. The Constitution of the United States
  guarantees each of us complete freedom to believe
  and worship as we wish without fear of
  punishment. It is your duty to respect and defend
  the rights of others to their religious beliefs
  even when they differ from your own.

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What is an Interfaith Worship Service?

• Baden Powell November 1928
• Big effect
• To the pace of youngest
• Cheery
• Understandable prayers
• Good address which grips the boys
• Short and meaningful

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Planning a service

• Choose the setting
• Planned, timed and rehearsed
• Parts of the Service
• Courteous, kind, reverent
• Rights and feelings of others
• Everyone may participate

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Diversity

• Unit composition
• Seek suggestions, participation
• Inspirational passages
• Scouts Own now interfaith worship service
• Interfaith
• Universal
• Nature of a service

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TAKE HOME POINTS

• Include opportunities
• Encourage participation
• Share uniqueness
• Planning simple/complex
• Support and respect all faiths
• Hymns
• Offering
• Be positive

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Have you seen the light?

• True or False
• The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no
  member can grow into the best kind of citizen
  without recognizing an obligation to God.

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Religious principle

• Answer TRUE
• The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no
  person can grow into the best kind of citizen
  without recognizing an obligation to God and,
  therefore, acknowledges the religious element in
  the development of youth members.
• However, the BSA is absolutely nonsectarian in
  its attitude toward that religious development.
  Its policy is that the organization or
  institution with which youth members are
  connected shall give definite attention to their
  religious life.
• Only adults willing to subscribe to this
  declaration of principle and the Bylaws of the
  Boy Scouts of America shall be entitled to
  certificates of leadership.

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Have you seen the light?

• 2. Choose the correct answer(s) The 12th point
  of the Scout Law includes the following
  responsibilities
• a. personal religious obligations
• b. duty to country
• c. respect for the beliefs of others
• d. all of the above

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Boy scout handbook

• Answer a and c.
• A Scout is reverent. A Scout is reverent toward
  God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He
  respects the beliefs of others.
• Wonders all around us remind us of our faith in
  God. We find it in the tiny secrets of creation
  and the great mysteries of the universe. It
  exists in the kindness of people and in the
  teachings of our families and religious leaders.
  We show our reverence by living our lives
  according to the ideals of our beliefs.
• Throughout your life you will encounter people
  expressing their reverence in many different
  ways. The Constitution of the United States
  guarantees each of us complete freedom to believe
  and worship as we wish without fear of
  punishment. It is your duty to respect and defend
  the rights of others to their religious beliefs
  even when they differ from your own.

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Have you seen the light?

• 3. Choose the correct answer(s)
• The word nonsectarian means
• a. nondenominational
• b. ecumenical
• c. not affiliated with any specific religion
• d. all of the above

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absolutely nonsectarian

• Answer c.
• A non-denominational service is for Protestants,
  possibly appropriate for all Christians.
• An ecumenical service one suitable for the whole
  Christian church.
• A nonsectarian service one not affiliated with
  any specific religion.

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Have you seen the light?

• 4. Choose the correct answer(s)
• Which of the following could be a violation of a
  religious belief?
• recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the
  United States of America
• removing ones hat when indoors and/or during a
  meal
• expecting everyone to taste a particular food
• attending a program event or activity on a
  Saturday
• drinking coffee, tea, or cola
• asking for a financial donation at a worship
  service

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Have you seen the light?

• Answer All the above could be a violation.
• 5. True or False
• In accordance with their agreement with the Boy
  Scouts of America, some churches sponsoring
  Scouting units can require members of their units
  to participate in religious ceremonies and
  services distinctive to that church.

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BSA By-laws

• Answer False
• In no case where a unit is connected with a
  church or other distinctively religious
  organization shall members of other denominations
  or faiths be required, because of their
  membership in the unit, to take part in or
  observe a religious ceremony distinctly unique to
  that organization or church.

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Have you seen the light?

• 6. True or False
• An interfaith worship service is one that all
  Scouts and Scouters may attend. It requires
  careful planning to ensure that it does not
  violate the beliefs of any religion.
• Answer True
• 7. True or False
• Some religions have specific requirements that
  cannot be fulfilled through an interfaith worship
  service. Other arrangements might be necessary
  for Scouts of those faiths to fulfill such
  commitments.
• Answer True

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Planning

• Recognize the universality of beliefs in God.
• Be considerate when choosing any scripture
  reading, prayers, hymns, etc.
• Welcome the opportunity to share the various
  religious beliefs of members.
• Appreciate our religious diversity.

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Have you seen the light?

• 8. True or False
• Of the eight major religions in the world, all
  are represented in the BSAs religious emblems
  program.
• Answer False

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Religious Emblems

• Religious emblems for Scouts to earn in
• Hinduism,
• Judaism,
• Buddhism,
• Christianity, multiple Christian faiths, have
  their own program or awards.
• Islam.

• Not presently in
• Confucianism,
• Taoism,
• Shintoism.

Religious emblems are not Scouting awards.
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Have you seen the light?

• 9. Choose the correct answer(s) Duty to God and
  religious duties are in
• a. The Cub Scout Promise
• b. The Law of the Pack
• c. The Scout Oath
• d. The Scout Law
• e. The Venturing Oath
• f. The Venturing Code
• g. All of the above
• Answer all except b.

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A Scouts duty to God

• is done by following the wisdom of those
  teachings every day and by respecting and
  defending the rights of others to practice their
  own beliefs. Boy Scout Handbook.